Now that it's warming up. . .

why not finish off a nice merino hat? Remember this? It was the hat I ended the year with and promised myself I would complete. . .well I kept my promise--it is finally a FO. The fact that it took me an extra couple of months and is completed now that a major cold snap is over, but who's counting. Not to mention this was actually a Christmans gift. . . hey, it will be well appreciated (I hope). A good lesson learned here--if you think the pattern is off, you frog it and it still seems off--remake the pattern. I held on to this hat longer than I should just to get it right. Now that it is blocked (and as you can see, it really does make a difference), I can see there is a mistake, but someone who doesn't knit--I doubt he will notice. I picked up this yarn from Springwater Fiber Workshop (a great LYS). It's an Italian merino wool called Dive Autunno in colorway cookies and cream. It was yummy to knit with and I love this colorway. I picked up a couple of balls for myself in a beautiful orangey color. I will post that once I begin knitting it up. I plan to find another hat pattern.




Now here is the sock from last year as well--all that's needed is to graft the toe (will have to check in with my knitsters at Knit Night for a primer:



I wash hoping for clearer pictures, but here is the calf stitching:



Finally, here is some bold and beautiful skeins I picked up from a newly open LYS called The Tangled Skein. Not too far from work, and the atmosphere seems really welcoming. I have an idea of what to do with this, but I will have to find just the right pattern. This is a 50/50 alpaca and tencel blend by Classic Elite called "Miracle." The label says that it is a great weight for a shell or tank and a "year round yarn in most climates." We'll see about that.