Texas Floods and Knitting Delights

It's raining down here in Texas! And I mean like "40 days and 40 nights" raining, like "Texas Floods" raining, like "when will it ever stop fracking raining" raining. I've been putting off several progress photos, and therefore several blog posts in hopes that I'd be able to take the pictures in natural light. They're so much nicer that way. But I can't get outside with the camera because it never stops raining for longer than 2 minutes. I guess in some ways the rain is good, lake levels are back where they should be, and it's no longer considered a drought. On the other hand, all this rain is from disturbances in the Gulf of Mexico which means an early start to the hurricane season, and that, my friends, is global warming.

I don't wish to be a kill-joy and bring y'all down with talk of our depleted ozone, instead, if y'all will bear with the artificial lighting, I've got photos to share and I'll put off the progress reports no longer.

First up, as I mentioned in yesterday's post I attended a workshop at the LYS over the weekend. I did some stash building during said workshop with the intent of pushing my color boundaries. I started by picking out this skein of Kollage Dreamy, not a colorway I would usually pick, but I loved it. Then I added to the stash, and ended up with this little bundle of love. It will become a shawl someday. There's some 2nd Time Cotton in there, some Habu, some Wick, and some Cotton Twist.

At my Tuesday afternoon knitting group I had a small "tada!". I've completed the back of Sizzle. It sits on stitch holders waiting for the front. I'm just two rows into the front, but soon damn it, soon...Did I mention I love, love, love the seed stitch at the hem? Well, I do. I also love the Berroco Cotton Twist I'm knitting it with.

Also there is slow but sure progress on the Branching Out Lace Scarf from Knitty. I'm working it in a Lace weight Merino from Fearless Fibers.

And finally as I think I stated earlier, when I get tired of the lace pattern and the sweater, I experiment with the make-it-up-as-you-go lariats. Mostly I'm doing this with that Habu I got a few weeks back. I love the textures of these yarns.

So there you have the progress photos, the on-needles shots, the whips revealed. Proof positive that I really do knit. If it ever stops raining I will be able to take some photos out in the natural light, I may even knit outside, wearing SPF 50 of course, for fear of that depleted ozone...

And one last thing, there's an easy-to-enter contest going on over at Skeins Her Way, when you enter tell her Right Out Loud Sent you, I want that Suri Merino. Thanks!