Ms. Knit Sox: Executing Stitches, One Stitch at a Time...:

Well, not too much new on the knitting front. I am almost done with my Irish Hiking Scarf and have decided to also make Irish Walking Hat which was inspired by the scarf. I'm still working on the ribbing, so not really very far along. That is about all on the knitting front. I did enhance my stash even more -- should not be doing that, but KH was having a great sale that I could not pass up because the yarn I wanted was already on sale, so I got even more of a savings and didn't know if that opportunity would come along again anytime soon. So, I splurged and bought this -- to make Holly some day. It looks like such a cozy, warm sweater -- and how I love turtlenecks!

Since not much knitting has been going on, how have I been spending my time?! Well, reading! My book club switched books at practically the last minute (we have 15 days to complete a a 300+ page book -- so a little over 20 pages a day if you want to break it down). But, I started reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel first -- and can't begin to tell you how much I'm enjoying it. I can hardly put it down. We are going to read it as our March selection once the book comes out in paperback. I happened to get a hardback copy at my library. So, I have a head start and can read more books (or listen to audio books) since I'm a head of the game. I also checked out A Woman in Berlin. So, a lot of reading in my near future, but I so enjoy learning new things that I'm excited I'm getting back into reading more.

Hope to update with pictures soon, but need to make more progress before that can happen. But, I may post my first quilt block -- going to buy some additional fabric and make a mini-quilt when all is said and done. My cousin (who's an avid quilter) is going to help me. The additional lessons begin in March, so I have time to devote to knitting right now.

There has been some knitting going on, but not a great deal. Seems I've been busy with other activities lately. I updated the side bars with WIPs (too many projects going on and many, many more I want to start, but must finish some of the others first). I do have a picture of my first sock! I'm quite proud of it, not perfect by any means, but I'm satisfied. Have cast on for the second one, but have not worked on it lately. Check it out:

And, lately I have been working on Irish Hiking Scarf. I am nearly finished with mine. This is what it looked like before the holidays:

It is a very easy pattern to memorize and I've been enjoying working on it. I love knitting cables. Just can't seem to get enough of them. I've already picked out the first sweater I'm going to make that has a simple cable pattern, but won't go there just yet.

As far as the other WIP's, there has been no knitting on Salina -- but I do want to get back to it soon. I love working with the Felted Tweed. So much in fact that I have 2 other colors in my stash waiting to be used in the future. Trying to clear out some of the smaller projects first. The next thing to get finished will be the Good Old Cabled Scarf. Then, on to finishing the second sock. And, my Hourglass Sweater is nearly completed except for the finishing, so that is why its been put aside. Chickami, well, that's a summer knit, so it will stay put for quite some time. And, the afghan will be ongoing, of course. No work has been done on it for quite some time.

Has also been a fair amount of stash enhancement going on. But, most of it was purchased with Christmas gift funds. I was able to check out 2 yarn stores while in Kansas for the holidays -- one in my hometown and one in a neighboring town. I even purchased yarn that is a product of Kansas -- destined to be a hat and scarf set.

And, thanks to inspiration from my cousin, I'm dabbling in quilting...but that is a story for another time.