Current WIPs

I am trying to finish off my unfinished sweaters and use up stash yarn. I've also got four projects that if I can finish them before I go, will stay in the States. Two of these I don't even have the yarn for right now, but that's okay. I ordered two yarns for it yesterday and have a third that may work. It's a scarf for the friend of the family who made our wedding cake, and her husband is a master weaver. They're very interested in craftsmanship and they know a lot about fiber, so I'm trying to make a perfect scarf for her in thanks for what she did for our wedding. I'm highly considering something from Victorian Lace Today, but am open to suggestions, if you have any!

What I am currently working on are my two newest projects, the Manitou Passage Scarf (rav) and BYOB (rav). The Manitou Passage Scarf is one of the two thank-you scarves I'm knitting. I'm this far:

Which is about 10%. It's about four inches across and will be between five and six feet long. I wasn't sure if I was liking it while I was knitting it, so I did a quick wet block last night so I could decide whether or not to frog it today. I like it as it is, blocked, so I'm going to continue. I'm going for a versatile scarf, thick and warm for winter but thinner in width, since that's what the recipient wants. I think I got the color right, Patons' Classic Merino Wool in New Denim, and it's a reversible cable pattern so K1, P1 all the way across and therefore thicker and will be warm. It has just enough detail to make it interesting, but not so much that it won't be worn all winter long. I was going for more distinct cabling when looking at patterns, but realized that a subtler and reversible scarf would definitely be better!

I'm also working on reusable grocery bags. I was sketching, pattern writing, and about ready to swatch for almost this exact same bag when the pattern came out. Therefore, instead of continuing to work on my version, I will make this already tried and tested one with the yarn I already have. The handles and bottom are much better than the one I was thinking up, and the only real benefit to my version was that I was going to include a pocket for it to fold into. Looking at the bulk of the fabric, though, a pocket really wouldn't have been a great feature. I'm using Bernat Cotton Naturals for the main colors, and some vareigated blue Sugar and Cream for the other stripe. It's coming along, slowly but surely. I was wondering why it's been going so slowly, then I realized that it's because I haven't been working on it. A row or two in the car while Lee's driving, another row or two while waiting at the DMV, and that's been about it. I'm very nearly to the lace panel though!

It's actually further along now than it was when I took this picture. I finished the blue stripe and am almost through the next white stripe before the lace center.

So that's what I'm working on now. I also got to the point where I have over 200 pictures in my Flickr account, and I have all the albums allowed when not a paying customer. If you pay for Flickr, is it worth it?