Saturday Stash

I'm sure you all must think I've gone for a very, very long walk away from Blogland.  Not so, and I have been reading but not always commenting since there is never enough time.  I have been re-learning what it was like to work every day.  And I have never looked forward to weekends so much in the past ten years as I am now.  It's nice being so busy but I feel guilty when I sneak in some of my fun stuff.  Here's what I've managed to fit in around writing letters, setting up work schedules and organizing annual reports and an AGM.  Oh, by the way, the trivia Quiz night was amazing!  We all had so much fun!  Now back to stash reporting...

 My 'Stalking the Irish Sea' socks are all finished.  And I'm wearing them today.  I couldn't wait to get them on my feet.  I love them!  The cables are perfect for socks.  The yarn is light yet warm - and that's still important here - and today's photo shows the blue more accurately.  Thank you so much, Catherine, for sharing that swatch of the Lismore Cable with us.  I'll get my pattern up on Ravelry as soon as I can - don't hold your breath, please!

The next item is guaranteed to prove that not everything I knit is a success.  Usually, I just frog the yarn and try something else but for some perverse reason I kept at this.  I started with a ball of this bright Shetland chunky.  What to make?  Slippers are always a good seller at the craft corner so I set out to find a pattern that was easy but wasn't the same old garter/rib design.  I happened upon these 4.5 Hour Slippers which I knew would never take me that long.  They didn't but I'm sure that most of the time estimate involved seaming.  I chose them for the stocking stitch but neglected to account for the fact that they were knit in two pieces and had to be sewn together.  No biggie, but just another thing to do.

Anyway, as you can see, they are not things of beauty.  I'm pretty sure the yarn has something to do with it and knew this long before the first piece was finished.  But, I just soldiered on.  In the hopes that beauty would emerge in the end?  I don't know why.  Then, horrors!  just as I was finishing the last one, the yarn ran out.  We're talking stash yarn here...there ain't no more.   Well, I'm in too far to abandon the project so I found something vaguely compatible and finished.  Sewn together, buttons added - they'll do to put in my suitcase for travel slippers. 

Gabby's pretty blue cardi is almost done.  I have one sleeve and the button bands to make.  Photo next week. 

Speaking of next week...Monday begins the A-Z Challenge.  I was a bit worried about participating because I've not been a very good blogger recently.  But I'm determined and I hope I'll be organized enough.   The challenge does mean a couple of changes for me and my blog life, though.  The Saturday Stash report will move to Sunday for the month of April since Sunday is the only day off for the Challenge.  My own Sunday Wonders will be suspended after tomorrow and will return in May. 

If you haven't signed up for the Challenge yet or just wonder what the heck it is, you can click on the logo in my sidebar.  There are over 1500 bloggers participating this year.  It's a great way to find new blog friends - and to get new followers.  And you will read some fantastic stuff for the month of April.