I cannot tell a lie. Marguerite made me do it! I tell you, that woman is a bad influence on me. First, she blogs about how exciting it is to start a new project, and the next thing you know – I’m casting on! Then she blogs about her new Knit Picks order, which of course causes to me pull out my newly arrived catalog and bingo! I’m hitting the “Checkout” button and an order is on its way. Ok, I can’t really blame her. I’m really entranced by the new Knit Picks offering. So far I’ve only tried the Alpaca Cloud, but who can resist their prices? This time I also ordered the Alpaca Cloud – seven skeins in a variety of colors. A true bouquet! I also ordered the Elizabeth I scarf pattern, and as all of these will be destined to be gifts, it was a pretty guilt-free order. What a deal – a stunning present for $3.99 and a labor of love. Perhaps these will give me a lace fix and keep me from casting on for the Lily of the Valley stole, at least until I’m finished with St. Enda (here’s a link to the real St. Enda , courtesy of Lorette). Speaking of which:

A completed back! This has got to be a record for me – I cast on for this last Sunday. An entire back on an Aran sweater in less than a week. I did have some extra time, though. I was off for the week. I told my boss it was not in his best interests to ever let this happen again. The week after I bought our non-refundable tickets to England, he announced he was going to a dental conference and the office would be closed for a week – the week after I returned. I was a trifle annoyed because if I had known earlier, I could have coordinated my vacation with his. As it was, I returned to work for two whole days and then was off an additional week. It was actually quite wonderful, but it gave me a little taste of what retirement looks like and you know what? I liked it! So I told my boss he’d better be careful. I’ve already told him he only has me for another four years at the most, but I think he’s living in denial.

Anyway, I’m pleased with the progress on St. Enda. I was a little suspicious at first. Usually on Starmore sweaters I have to go down at least 3 needles sizes to get gauge. This can be especially challenging on her ganseys when she starts out with size 3 needles! This time I only had to go down one, but my gauge across the middle is spot on. I loosened up a little at the shoulder level, but I can use a little width there so I’m not worrying. I think the Cascade 220 may be slightly thinner than the yarn she recommends, but I like the fabric it’s making.

I got a little discouraging news on the school front. I thought I would be an official senior when I finished my current class, but I received my new study plan from my advisor and it appears I miscalculated. Can you tell I’m not a math major? I will actually need 3 more credits (one class) before being a senior. Ah well. For those of you new to the blog, I am a late-in-life student working on my bachelor’s degree at Washington State University. Since I work, I can only go part time, so by the time I’m done, it will be about a 10 year endurance test. The good news is that my grade point average is 3.88 – only .02 points away from summa cum laude status. Way to go, me!