Fueled by recent trips to ThreadBear Fiber Arts Studio, I have been knitting nearly every single stinkin' minute. CH and I packed up and drove over for Third Thursday, where I devoted twenty Flexpoints to Rob's desserts and a nice chunk of change to twenty skeins of Classic Elite Beatrice, freshly arrived. We stayed over in a nearby cheap-but-not-seedy hotel, which is a good thing because I forgot my credit card at TBFAS, so we had to go back the following morning. This turned out to be the nicest part of the trip because we got Matt and Rob practically all to ourselves for a visit. Plus, Matt makes really good coffee! (I was inspired to go home and buy a bean grinder myself.)

I finally couldn't stand it any more, so I got in my car on Wednesday and drove to Columbus to see m'boys at ThreadBear Fiber Arts Studio. Since this summer's consulting job paid me in TB store credit, I got to bring home some lovely things: Elsebeth Lavold's new book, Jamieson's Book 3, a set of Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles, and a whole dye lot of Koigu Kersti in greens and purples.

Of course I immediately abandoned all current projects, spent a day swatching, and commenced on a boatneck raglan-sleeved pullover. It has the same style of neck as the ribbed raglan in The Purl Stitch, but all the shaping is different and mine is a seeded rib (K all RS rows, K1 P1 across all WS rows). I finished the first sleeve this morning.

I boxed up the Horstia Tweed and sent it back. Life is too short to knit with unfun yarn. While I was in town, I had time to kill between a Weight Watchers meeting and a haircut, so I swung by the Hobby Lobby and stumbled onto their big Lion Brand sale. I bought a couple of balls of Kool Wool to play with, some dpns, and some Cotton-Ease from clearance which happened to be the same dyelot as my remnants from Secret Baby Gift Knitting. Gotta love a little Cheapass Yarn Adventure.

Meanwhile, I have knit an entire garment since last I posted. I knit up an Asymmetrical Vest from The Knit Stitch out of the Colinette Prism I bought on clearance at Bonnie's in Pittsburgh this summer. It's a little more asymmetric than intended; the back neck is 7" but the fronts are supposed to be 5 1/2" each, which would give a 4" overlap. Instead, I knocked off on the left front after 3 1/2" (conveniently, just as I finished a skein), which still gives me a 2" overlap, but at the left side. I like this effect from a design perspective, but also I think it is more flattering on me this way anyway because the longer front now covers most of the tummy bulge. Now I just need to go on a quest for three swell asymmetrical buttons.

Oh, and about that haircut– I had it whacked. I took in pictures of McKenzie Westmore ("Sheridan" on Passions, who is, by the way, NOT DEAD, big surprise). Now it is cute and flippy and looks GREAT with hats, heh heh.