One thing I’ve discovered about blogging is that you make rash comments and then feel you have to explain when you don’t follow through. Of course, I really doubt that anyone out there in the blogging world (all twelve of my readers!) are actually going to hold me to anything. The first of the year I mentioned that one of my goals for the year was to do more charity knitting and that I wanted to do at least one pair of socks a month for CIC. Well, so far I have finished one whole sock. No, not one pair, one sock! Of course, my FIL’s death in January put me behind on everything, but that’s not really the excuse. I have come to the realization that I’m just not that fond of knitting socks. It’s not the dreaded “second sock syndrome”, it’s actually the “first sock syndrome”. I don’t mind making a pair occasionally, especially those designed by Marguerite, but as a regular past time, I’ve come to the decision it’s just not my cup of tea. SO – I am redirecting my charity knitting to the Guidepost Knit for Kids Project. We’ll give this a try (“we” being the royal “we”, of course). This will make for some mindless car knitting, although car knitting for me doesn’t necessarily have to be mindless – a great deal of the Mediterranean Shawl was knitted in the car. But the first car show of the season was this weekend and I got a lot done on the trip and during the endless sitting around.

I’ve also begun the Pacific Northwest Shawl:

The Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud is wonderful to work with. I’m finding the pattern fairly easy so far, although I have to keep the chart fairly close at hand. The only thing that I’m concerned about is that the design is not looking very clear at this point. It’s hard to tell because very quickly the project gets scrunched up on the needle and will look completely different once it’s stretched out. But so far the patterns don’t look as obvious as in the pattern picture. I think it’s because of the garter, rather than stockinette stitch, but am not sure. All said, I think I will keep plugging along and let the chips fall where they may. So far it’s been a relatively quick knit, but it’s getting exponentially larger as I go (it’s knitted from the neck down), so will start to slow down considerably.

And, of course, Rogue pictures:

I finished putting on the attached I-cord border. This is the first I’ve done and I’m very pleased with it. And I’m especially pleased with the sewn cast-off – see how pretty?

Thanks to Eilene for pointing me in the right direction – EZ, who else?

And, only two weeks to go now before we get our new little puppy. She was spayed yesterday and came through with flying colors. Ten days of recovery and she will be ours. Kirby is oblivious to how his little life is going to change! I think it might be a shock at first, but he spent the first 9 years of his life with another dog and I think (hope) will adjust quickly.