Jobo Designs

I’ve been knitting, honest! I’ve just been having a hard time getting to the computer what with the baby, and the release of Diablo III… I just never seem to get on here!

I’ve started swatching for another project… this time a sweater for Romy from some delish Alpaca fleece I got in a care package from Stella (over at Twist of Fate Family Farm)

The yarn is DK weight…. a blend of lovely Fawn Alpaca and Merino (60/40) spun into a traditional 3-ply yarn.  I really like how the wool gives that little extra bit of bounce to a lush soft yarn :)  The buttons are natural wood, and match just perfectly…. though I’m not sure if I will be dyeing the yarn in the end or not.  Beige is a lovely color, but for a teensy little girly, maybe not the most appropriate color?  I can’t remember where the buttons came from, but they are Guttermann brand, so likely bought somewhere where sewing threads are sold…

I have a few ideas for pattern, but I doubt I’ll be knitting the sweater exactly  according to any particular design.  You know me… I have to mess with things, and I rarely follow a pattern exactly anyways :)

It seems lately I have really been enjoying the camaraderie of knitting along on the same project with others.  I did a KAL for Erato ( a beautiful shawl by Romi Hill) and participated in a sock KAL with the Sock Knitters’ Anonymous group too last month. 

There is a great bunch of ladies who chat openly and often about the furry objects of their affection (mainly Angora Breed Rabbits) over on Ravelry, and they decided that it was high time for another KAL – working on a sock together to challenge some of the newer to sock knitting members and doing a TAAT (Two at a time) Toe up sock together.

The pattern:  Waterfall Socks by Wendy Johnson

I’m no stranger to TAAT… Toe up… or Wendy Johnson Patterns… so I decided I’d join in and play along too.  They promised me that I wouldn’t be left behind in a cloud of dust if life gets too busy :)

I decided to do these in some nice Caribbean ocean blue – Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Blue Yonder.  The ball is wound… now I just need to clean off a pair of needles and get started :)

I gave in to a weak moment last week and ordered some pretty new sock yarns.  I wasn’t going to do that again before the baby arrives, just in case I don’t have time to knit much over the next little bit.  These were just too pretty to resist though:

This is Dream in Color Starry (Sorry for the link absence… their site is under construction)… which has little sparkly strands of silver incorporated right into the yarn… resulting in a shimmery sparkly yarn.  I’m not sure just how sparkly it looks knit up, but I’ve liked the way other people’s projects looked.  Lately I have a thing for neutrals and browns.  I might end up doing a pair of Cookie A. Socks with this or maybe some Hunter Hammersen Socks… hmmm so many great choices!

And This is String Theory’s Caper Sock… a bouncy, deeply jewel colored, Cashmere Merino Blend.  I tried to capture the gentle sheen and depth of shade… and this is the closest I can get.  This is really really garnet colored yarn.  It’s soft, squishy, and I love it to pieces.  This will need to become a shawl for me.  Not for anybody else… but to be wrapped around my shoulders and neck.  Now I just need to decide… which Romi Hill Pattern will it be :)