An eccentric solution

While I'm not yet prepared to photograph my whole stash - so much mess, so much shame! I have found an odd, but not unpleasant solution to most if not all of my single, messy skeins that may eventually get thrown together. Garlands! Get yourself a cone of 3/2 or 5/2 cotton, the one pound has lasted me for years so far, and string em up! Tie em in a loop and hang them around the house on hooks you can stick on the wall. I have to use the ones that can hold up to 3 lbs. Smaller ones just aren't up for the task. Looks a little crazy, but hey, I got a lot of yarn. If I didn't decorate with it, it would just be clutter, anyway.
There are others in reds, pinks, neutrals, black, gray, greens, oranges and yellows. But these are probably the best pics to represent them. I'm thinking one large garland or a few small ones could make a cool ripple afghan. But not now! No! Have other fish to fry! I've got to keep telling myself that, at least.

So the Sugarloaf sweater is plugging along slower than I'd like. What can I say? It's been hot. But the second sleeve is done and I've been working down the main body. I was going to show a picture of it on me, since I though it was, oh, probably around my bottom rib or so. Nuh uh. Try just enough to cover the bra. Not a little depressing. And too risque to show here. So much for getting it done this weekend! But if it gets to a decent length, I'll post it.

One of the things that have been distracting me from it are the socks I'm test knitting for Melissa for her new book, which also have to be done by the 20th. I'm doing the "Sailor's Delight" which are lacy, cool looking socks. Erin, the editor, told me she needed someone to do the smallest size to check the math. And luckily for me I have little stumpy feet. It's been enrapturing, but, GUH! Melissa! TWO INCHES of ribbing? Kill me! It's like an extended sock purgatory! I want to get to the lace already! Heh, no, it'll look great. I'm just a bit of a spaz.

Almost there!

I think I do them a little differently when I do two at a time. I work side 1 of sock A, side 1 of sock B, side 2 of sock B, side 2 of sock A, and that's a round. She has you doing it side 1 of sock A, side 2 of sock A, side 1 of sock B, side 2 of sock B, though you disregard which side is which when you come down to the heel flap and just work them on the same hemisphere of the knitting. So it took a little mental re-calibration for me, not to mention my heart rebelling a little from the top-down socks since I love toe-up so much. Mainly, I think I've been designing for myself long enough that I'm sort of like a horse released into the wild. I've had so much fun romping around on my own that I'm bucking a bit at the weight of a saddle when I have to knit from a pattern again. Even still, it's been great so far and I'm really excited to see the lace come about.