The Big Ones

After I finished the beret for Sarah, I realized that the only thing I really have on my needles right now are long-term projects.  Ones that I can't finish up in a weekend (unless I knit all day and all night, which is reserved for the knitting Olympics).  That being said, I feel like I'm making immense progress on both of them.

I've been working slowly but surely on the Lavender Cardigan.  

This is a good project to keep at work, where during slow periods I can chip away at the endless rows of stockinette.  I love that this cardigan has a large, draping opening in the front, but this means I have to knit a large, draping opening.  The pattern calls for size 9 needles, and in order to get gauge I had to go waaay down to size 5, which makes progress even slower. 

(Oh, and for those doubters- notice that I mentioned gauge- YES I did INDEED make a gauge swatch!  Believe the impossible!  I actually had to make THREE as I kept going down in needle size!)

It finally feels like it's growing, especially when I try it on.

Albert came in to check out my photo shoot, and we learned that he has a great appreciation for yummy alpaca yarn.

Maybe too much of an appreciation.  I don't need more kitten power ready to attack my wool.

I spent a couple hours this morning with a large cup of coffee and an even larger box of pins to block the first six snowflakes for Kim's wedding shawl, and despite all the pokes and sore fingers, the reward was incredible:

7 more snowflakes to knit before I'll start adding on the borders.  I feel like this project is going faster than I originally anticipated, but a large part of that is being able to cast on and finish about a snowflake a night when I have the time.  Hopefully I can keep up this pace.  My goal is to finish both of these big projects before I leave for Wyoming at the end of the month.  We'll see how that actually goes. ;)

Off to enjoy the beautiful sunshine for my day off.  I have a big list of "to-do" for the day, plus a picnic in the park with my guy later this afternoon.  

Yeeeeah fridays!  Enjoy your own ;)