start-itis

I'm mid-project on several things.  My regular knitting has been hi-jacked by two annual events.  My school staff has a 'secret friend' gift swap each year.  Every year I exchange gifts and knit a little something for my 'friend'.  This year, for the first time, my recipient is a man.  So off to the yarn store to get a manly pattern and yarn.  Red was the favourite colour.  I settled on

http://www.churchmouseyarns.com/collections/churchmouse-patterns-hats/products/pressed-rib-cap-muffler-pattern

 

The contrast colour (ends of scarf, brim of hat) are red, the main colour is a charcoal gray.  Photos to come! 

 

The other distraction was my LYS annual yarn challenge.  Knitting contest:  buy a kit that includes small amounts of the designated yarns and a short time limit.  This year's yarn was a hardy wool from Briggs and Little (a Canadian company based in New Brunswick) in red and white, to commemorate the winter Olympics.  My hat is currently in the store window, but photos will come when I get my project back.  The yarn is rough, and very wooly-scratchy, knits up dense for a worsted weight.  Hard to settle on a project so it was a race to the finish this year!

 

Once these are done, it'll be back to my other projects while the weather still screams WINTER WOOL KNITS!