Blame It on the Rain

I'm not quite sure what's gotten in to me lately with regard to my knitting, so I'm blaming the weather. (Crazy weather it has been, let me tell you. Yesterday morning, we had an ice storm. Today, it was 65 degrees. I'm happy to not have to wear my big winter coat and to see the snow melt, but my sinuses are not at all pleased.) I haven't felt like working on anything in particular, so I've been spending little bits of time here and there on different projects.

On Sunday night, I worked on Rainbow's baby doll while watching Downton Abbey (well, I must admit I stopped for a while toward the end -- those of you who watched know why). I couldn't spend too much time on it, though, because it's worsted weight cotton yarn that I'm working on size 5 needles, so the hands, they hurt. It isn't a very portable project, because I'm not going to tote around the giant bag of stuffing/poly-fil I need to stuff it, so I can only work on it at home. And at the moment it's not very exciting, as I'm knitting the second of what are essentially two balls.

Last night I could have worked on my Breezy Cardigan, but there is only so much stockinette one can do without making visible progress before one starts to get a little restless. I'm fairly certain it's a law of knitting physics, in fact. So, instead, I gave in to the urge and cast on something new. You see, some skeins of Dream in Color Calm followed me home from the LYS on Saturday. I'd been wanting to try this yarn since they got it in. It's a worsted weight single, but it feels a little more stable than something like Malabrigo worsted.

The photo is particularly crappy, I know (rainy weather means cloudy skies and thus a reliance on my flash), but you can see how luscious this stuff is. The colorway is Scorched Lime, and I've got three skeins of it. I should have enough leftover from this project to make a hat, too.

And just what is that project there in the background? Well, it's not much to look at yet, but I'm making myself a Ruche and Welt Cowl.

You see, I sent the sample I made back to Tangled, and I think they get to keep it (I don't remember reading anything in my contract about getting the sample back, but I think even if I did get it back it wouldn't be for quite a while). I've been getting a little sick of the store-bought scarf I've been using (my mother bought it for me and it kind of matches my coat, so I've been wearing it), especially on those bitter-cold days when I have to walk home and need something to keep my neck covered but also want something to pull up over my face. I think this will fit the bill -- and besides, shouldn't I be showing off my own design?

I cast this on last night and got through the garter border and just started in on the increase row for the first ruche. I'm using a size 8 needle (one size up from the pattern) because my yarn is a little heavier than what I used for the pattern sample, but I think this iteration will come out just a bit bulkier. And that will be a good thing, because the cold is coming back. Can you hear my sinuses groaning?