Now, what was it that I was saying…

You know the other day, when I saidOne of the very good things about having a proper plan in place is having one’s ability to depart from it, don’t you think?” and I also said “My next (planned) post will be a PS4 North one, and will have no knitting or fibre content whatsoever. Feel free to skip it.” ?

Yes, well little did I know how right I was. That planned post is only part drafted as yet, but it will be forthcoming before the end of PS4 North.

I just thought I’d drop in with a quick update. I am very busy right now but if I don’t note stuff down it will vanish and be forgotten. I don’t write this blog for you, dear reader – did you know that? I write it for me. It’s my aide memoire, on a grand scale. Without this blog I would have no recall at all. It’s age, I think.

I digress. (Easily done at my age.)

First Laeticia sock completed
First Laeticia sock completed

What’s on the needles? The man sweater, of course, which seems a little stalled right now. Mr L may have to wait until the book is ready for the printers. The Laeticia sock was grafted in bed last night while we did the crossword, after I got back from my podcasting workshop. That project is now officially dormant, and the second sock will come along in a few weeks. I just wanted to dash off the first one so that I could  “see how it worked” – I was a curious child and have remained that way all my life. I can’t help it. Which is why…

…I was delighted to receive a mystery yarn parcel in exchange for my ideas on what the yarn might be knitted up into. The yarn arrived on Wednesday and turned out to be kid mohair. I’ll do a whole post on this later. For now I’ll just mention that project #2 on my needles is a cautious cast-on for a mohair shawl. I can see already that I shall be frogging it and either choosing larger needles, or a different test pattern. At least the ball that I am knitting is green, so I’m not too far off the PS4 topic…

The third active project within an arm’s length of my desk is another Chunky Butternut Scarf. I was amazed yesterday to receive a surprise package, a wonderful Random Act of Kindness.

rak-from-woolbird

The recipient of my Red RAK, and that first chunky Butternut, has decided to enable my dream of the big neutral soft and cuddly Butternut. That’s Rowan Cocoon in there, with added chocolate (my favourite kind of G&B) and a most delightful note.

Rowan Cocoon is an amazingly soft blend of 80% Merino and 20% Kid Mohair – a Lopi-like, softly-plied lofty single that knits up on 7mm needles. This shade is named “Alpine“. It’s for my Winter scarf. It’s not green but it’s in the spirit of the thing – so this is definitely designated a PS4 North project.

I couldn’t resist casting it on. I had to know. Wouldn’t you? And now I do. I have knitted swatched the first ball and I now know that I can do a 59 stitch scarf, and will get 12 repeats from this yarn – making the scarf around six feet in length.  Besides, I needed to show evidence of my appreciation to Woolbird. With something to see, she can be in no doubt of how very much I appreciated this gift.

It is going to be wonderful. I am sorry that no amount of photographs can ever show the feel of this thing.

Alpine Butternut
Alpine Butternut: not really another WIP. This is a SWATCH!

But it’s not done yet. Did you notice that little red bag? Earrings! Not any old earrings, but earrings intended to go with the Posh Yarn that I was ogling last weekend. How could she have known that, for the first time ever, I would actually try to buy the yarn that I was lusting after? And I got lucky too…

Ceilidh and earrings
Ceilidh and earrings

Obviously, I couldn’t have two skeins of this yarn. One skein is 200 yards, I was wondering what I might make of it. Clearly it must go around my neck now, so I am seeking a nice cowl pattern for 200 yards of 4ply. Do let me know if you see one, please.

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining and the skylarks are singing their little hearts out. Alas, I must be at my desk all day. If I work hard all day and don’t stray from the publishing path, then I might get out for a couple of hours tomorrow to join the Ranger in looking at some lichens in the Kirkyard. No doubt it will be a foul day…

Time for me to get on.