My love affair with Ms. Bush continues

Ms. Nancy Bush, that is. Here is a pair of New England socks in progress:



It was somewhat funny to read in the pattern intro that these socks are something a lady might wear to a contra dance in the village. It's funny because it sounds like the description of some old old phenomenon, and yet contra dancing is alive and kicking these days, and not just in New England. Although I do love dancing in New England and it seems that the people here are very fond of their dances.



The yarn is Grassy Wool from a company called "Scarlet Fleece". It's a blend of wool and bamboo so it's very shiny but hopefully will wear well. I might just wear the socks to a dance...

Why not?

What's on the needles in early January 2010 or fresh off the needles:



Garter stitch alpaca / llama scarf

There's something magical about lengthwise scarves. I like the long long rows that allow me to zone out, and the little surprise at the end (even with the best of calculations one is never quite sure how long the scarf will be).



This one is just the perfect length and width, and remarkably luxurious in its simplicity. It's black, brown and cream random stripes but feels divine. I just finished weaving in the ends for this scarf and I've been wearing it pretty much non-stop since binding off. What, you've never brushed your teeth while wearing a big scarf?


Belinda scarf from "Mason Dixon: Knitting Outside the Lines", because I need a new mindless project after finishing the garter stitch scarf. The plaid knitting idea is pure genius, and will be a good use for two orphan skeins of beautiful yarn, a blend of mohair and wool (the grayish-blue you see) and a blend of mohair and linen (a lime green for the perpendicular direction).



Bridgewater from Jared Flood's "Made in Brooklyn" booklet. I have absolutely no use for yet another shawl, but the Silky Alpaca Lace yarn is absolutely lovely and the garter stitch center turned out appropriately squishy. The center was a great project for the week I was sick with the flu and the long rows in the border satisfy my craving for zen knitting. At the moment this looks like a green blob, but I think it will be quite nice when finished.

- Inishmore

This is on hiatus... Given that I started the sleeve when I was waiting for a particularly nasty dental procedure (which ended up not being necessary, so we didn't do it. I love my dentist!) I think the anxious vibes might be built into the fabric. Plus I hate twisted stitches, and purling through the back loop sucks even more than knitting through the back loop. I might frog this, but I don't know what to make with the yarn instead. So it stays like this, waiting for inspiration..

- shawl of insanity

Cobweb yarn, size 0 needles, traditional Shetland pattern. We'll see where this one goes. I seem to have forgotten to take a photo. There isn't much to photograph at the moment, given that I completed about 10 rows in cobweb yarn on size 0 needles, so the shawl currently measures less than an inch.

- Crosspatch vest

I did not keep my knitting resolution for 2009. Enough said. This might never get finished, but it was a good lesson in intarsia and why I will avoid it like the plague in the future.