First Post of the New Year! Happy 2006!

I have been puttering around the last week, trying to figure out what I want to knit next. Seems I find a million things I want to do when I am already working on something, but when the current project is actually finished, I can't decide where to go next.

This week I went to one of my LYS's, Goldman's Yarns. The official reason was to pick up a couple more skeins of yarn for my friend at work, who is learning to knit. She will definitely need them to make a scarf long enough to wear comfortably. At $2 per skein (she is practicing with inexpensive acrylic), how did I emerge with a bill of $70.86, you say? Simple! I browsed, and found things I couldn't resist!

My first "find" was Berroco Foliage, color # 5930 (pictured above left). The texture and vivid colors were caling out to me, and I couldn't help buying the five balls on the shelf. For a change of pace, I am crocheting - a basic shrug in an easy pattern of double crochet with 3 alternating solid dc rows and a 4th row of open dc: dc, ch1(sk1), dc across the row.

My other finds, in the sale/remnants basket, were 2 balls of navy superwash worsted wool for $3 each, 2 light gray alpaca balls $5 each (so soft!!) and one ball of Filatura Di Crosa 501 superwash worsted in lavender. I also picked up the current issue of Knit 'N Style (Feb 2006), which has lots of nice sweater and bag patterns.

I am definitely hooked on 1) vivid colors and 2) great buys. I figure the odd skeins will make nice socks, mittens, or additions to other projects like scarves or sweaters.

A new project I tried before the holidays is to make my own beaded stitch markers. I had a lot of glass beads from another project (I like to try so many crafts), so I bought the jewelry findings and gave it a shot. I also found some cute dog-themed charms, and used those as well. Not bad for my first attempt, eh? I will enjoy using them, and I think they'll make nice gifts for my knitting friends, too.