House of Steph: Yummy! and a knitting update

Wow, it's really been a while.

Happy New Year! Well, we didn't get to see the ball drop this year, due to a bad call on my part to NOT get any cable hookup in the new place... But we did *narrowly* get in our greens, beans, and rice before midnight on New Year's Day. (funny story. I'll have to tell it one day.)

I love being back home. Work is fine, but the work space at home needs a little help. I've arranged it and rearranged it and I still am left with a bit of an empty but cluttered feeling. Hopefully some stroke of genius will hit me soon because this shit sucks. All of my supplies are tucked here and piled there in random but plotted spots, and it just is not working out. Still feels like we're not 100% moved in, even though everything is unpacked!

I've been working a LOOOOOOT. Working for a living, that is--not working on knitting or sewing projects. Hopefully that will change soon, too. When I was moving out of hell island in the stinky south, six days a week sounded like a piece of cake but when reality sets in, six days is one day too much. I can't get anything in my real life done. Things are going great at work, though, because I'm ...always...freakin'...there!

I've sewn some coasters since I've been in the new place. Coasters?? WTF. Nothing big. Nothing particularly good. In an attempt to take it all back, I've worked in a couple of quickie knitting patterns to keep me going. I'm about 98% finished with the fingerless mitts from Yarn Girls' newest book (I think the pattern's called Dori's a Genius--check it on Ravelry), and I've got a nice start on Juliet. To prove I'm really a trooper, here's evidence of knitting.

One fingerless mitt made of double-stranded Koigu on size 9s, and my Juliet progress is the backdrop. The other mitt is finished, all except for the quick side seam. I like this pattern, but I think next time--if there is a next time--I will make them on size 8s instead. I might try them on dpns, too.

I'm about five rows short of being finished with the bust. This garter stitch seems to be taking forever. I worked it about eight rows in and had to frog because I got lost with the increases in the sea of garter... So I would have been starting the body of the sweater tonight if I hadn't done that! Boo.

Oh yeah! I almost forgot! Alpaca! How could I leave out the alpaca?? Blue Sky Alpacas 100% Alpaca for only $5 a skein at purlsoho.com!!! Woweee! It came tonight! Woo hoo! I feel like I just robbed someone. So soft! Yummy, yummy.