i love holidays!

first of all, thank you all for the sock drawer love. i actually need more drawer space, as all the socks were not in the drawers, and if there was more space, i might actually be able to see what i do have.

this is what happens when you've knitted socks since '94, are addicted to socks, and don't give very many of them away. each pair is a memory. perhaps that's why i keep them mostly for myself. some people go on vacation and buy stupid t-shirts. i go on vacation and hunt down a yarn store for my souvenir.

so, here's the kicker ... i actually am not actively working on a pair of socks right now.

i thought i would. i had plans for at least two or three more pairs i thought i would like to cast on for this month, but instead i turned my head towards a lace shawl ...



this is dovecote by the amazing anne hanson. i love all her patterns. i had cast this on in january with a different yarn, but just wasn't buying it. my original yarn choice left me doubtful.

so, recently, i placed that order to knitpicks and ordered some of their palette yarn in a fabulous shade of green. i think this shade is called grass. and it's totally grass. it's perfect.

i've been knitting on it whenever i've had knitting time this week. the aran sweater (whoops, just realized i never posted it)(well ... it's spring time and i'm knitting a fisherman sweater)(seriously) will get its attention on the weekend.

i'm amazed that i can knit on this even when watching movies with subtitles. it's not that the lace is that easy (the repeats are long). it's just that this is my second time on this set of charts.

in other news, i got off early from work. of course, i should had stayed and made money vs. leaving early and spending money. but, it was just so pretty outside the windows!

so, i hopped into my truck and headed down the highway to a local knit shop, and treated myself to some other new things ...



yarn, of course ... this is knit one crochet too "crock-o-dye". the colors remind me of summer. when i saw this yarn, i instantly thought, "wow, this would make some great firestarter socks !" they won't get cast on anytime soon. but, yarn will 'keep'.

i also got a new book ...



this is _the fine line_ by grace anna farrow, using the isager yarns. i LOVE this book. i'm so glad i found it locally. all of the wraps are modern and edgy. the yarn store also had the yarns, but i wasn't ready to spend as i have a shawl on the needles (and, i DO have a lace yarn stash).

lastly, in the shopping bag, was this pretty shawl pin ...

it's like a big safety pin. most of my pins are dull and brassy, or sparkley and silvery. this one will fill the gap ... dull and silver.

(sigh) a good day. and now it's cloudy and cold. it will be dark in a couple of hours. i think it's a good time to settle into a movie and my green lace shawl.

happy st. patrick's day !