A broken Rule and a New WIP

For the first time this year...I have more then 4 Works In Progress. Insert menacing music here. I have 5, count them, 5 WIPs. Run!!! I'm pretty sure that its one of the 7 signs of the apocalypse. Or at least a sign that I need to finish up a couple of projects that have been languishing (I'm looking at you, Larch and Lacy Leaf Satchel) or maybe frog and re-purpose the yarn (Central Park Hoodie).

But in being true to myself I had to have a new project to take on vacation with last weekend. I can't help it. The thought of being at the beach with nothing to knit makes me stir crazy. I like going to the beach and hanging out with Hubbs and our friends but I can't just sit, I need something to do and still be social. Enter Shalder by Gudrun Johnston.

Stockinette body, circular yoke, seamless construction ...perfect vacation knitting. Nothing too strenuous and nothing too boring.

Beautiful lace yoke

Interesting I-cord bind off or something. Not sure about that part. I've never done one before.

Love the pockets.

Super cute.

I ordered my yarn from Jimmy Beans Wool last week before we left. I had high hopes that it would arrive before we left and it did. Jimmy Beans is so fast! I love them! I ordered Bamboo Ewe by Debbie Stroller. I've used this yarn before for my Lacy Leaf Satchel and I loved it. However that being said I'm less then thrilled with one of the skeins that I received. No fault of Jimmy Beans, but one of the skeins of yarn had at least 3 separate joins in it, big knots. I kept having to cut them out and then rejoin the yarn to my fabric. Not really that big of deal but it was annoying. So far I have only experienced this with only one of the skeins.

My birthday was last week and Hubbs being the great guy that he is got me a skein of Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Black Velvet. It is so gorgeous in real life.

The colors are so beautiful and they are going to look awesome with...

My purple snow jacket. I'd been wanting to make a cowl to go with this for a while but I hadn't been able to find anything I really liked until I saw...

Honey Cowl by Madelinetosh. Love this cowl and it's a free pattern! I love free patterns and this pattern is going to be a very easy and quick knit. I actually found this pattern which lead me to look at the yarn called for in the pattern and that's when I saw the Black Velvet colorway. I wasn't sure it was going to be a great match when I first saw it online but when I got it for my birthday last week, it was perfect. Now if only my bag handles would show up or my replacement needles so I can finish either Lacy Leaf Satchel or Larch!

I ordered my bag handles for Lacy Leaf Satchel from Joann's a while back and they finally arrived this week. By "they" I mean one showed up. Saying I was unhappy would be a major understatement. I huffed and puffed around the house and finally checked my original order and my bank statement. Turns out I only ordered one handle.

When I realized that I only ordered one handle I was really mad at myself. Joanns.com charges $6 for shipping regardless of how small the item is. I was mad about the cost of shipping when I ordered the first time but I was really upset knowing that I was going to have to pay for it again. Thankfully I did have a 40% off coupon but still, $6 for shipping a handle that weighs like an ounce seems like gouging to me.

I did order the 2nd handle and I'm sure that it's on the slow boat from China just like the first one was. But that's ok, it'll give me time to put in the first liner and cut out the inner liner. So that way when the second handle arrives, I'll be ready.