Return of crafty content!

It does seem like all I talk about is my cat, lately. But there is some knitting going on:

I'm really trying to finish Bristow before I leave for Australia (in a week and a half!). Not like I have anything else to do before we leave, of course. But as you can see, I'm about 2/3 done with the 2nd arm, and then there's just the right front (smaller than an arm), seaming and button band/collar. I might do some seaming en route, I like doing it as I go. I don't know for sure that this sweater is going to fit — that's always a surprise — but I do think it's going to be lovely and I can't wait to finish.

I'm knitting this with some Kona Bay Wool that I picked up on sale at Webs a while back. This is a nice, classic wool, a bit on the light side (yardage is good), quite spongy. The only problem is that nearly every hank has had one knot in it. That's not too bad, but it makes for more ends to weave in than one might otherwise hope. Still, not many, since this comes in 100gm hanks (love those).

Some birthday loot now. The fabulous and incredibly talented Elinoire did me up a freezer-stencil nightshirt for my birthday (how did she know I needed a nightshirt?). She is becoming really expert at freezer stencils. Sorry these pictures aren't pristine, but I had to wear it immediately. Look at the darling mouse napping on the sugar bowl! And the rabbit with the hat and cups of tea! (Look, Rocky, I can make a cup of tea come out of a hat.)




Not only is it cute, she picked a really soft Lands' End nightshirt to work it on. Mmm, happy me.

And here is my birthday gift from April — a sweater's worth of lovely Quechua. I know, it doesn't photograph well when it's in double bagging, but I'm leaving it that way for now. I've {cough} long run out of plastic box space, and we are having a bit of a mouse resurgence in the garage. This is what happens when your cat goes on 'radiation vacation' too often. I can't wait to actually knit this yummy stuff up.

Sunday, en route to Los Angeles, I met up with some friends in Laguna Beach for a lovely lunch. After lunch I had a half-hour to kill, otherwise I'd end up in Los Angeles too early (my aunt was meeting me to let me into my grandmother's house for my final visit there). So of course, I found the nearest knitting store, Strands and Stitches. I was just there to buy a cable needle, but of course an additional $30 worth of stuff hopped into my bag:
All off the sale shelf. You know how it is!

This is a neat little shop. If you're ever in Laguna Beach, stop there! The folks are super friendly, and there is lots of yummy yarn (though organized by color, which makes it great for browsing but tough if you actually know what you want).

While I was there, someone called the shop, convinced it was a kite shop. No matter how the proprietress tried to persuade him it was a yarn shop, he insisted he wanted a dragon kite. When she got off the phone we all tried to think if there was a way to knit a flightworthy dragon kite...

And the cat? Resting comfortably in Radiation Jail.