Hoppy Easter!

Long time, no see! I hope everyone has a Happy Easter today if you celebrate!

I'm pretty excited about this post. I managed to snag a few days off work and got some stuff done. It felt like a huge accomplishment!

On The Needles:

Surprisingly, I only have 3 things actively working on the needles.

My Iced cardigan is going well. I had to go down to a 10.5 needle to get gauge but the only 10.5 I have is a short cable, so that is making the raglan increases a bit tricky now. I've lost some stitches off the needles already so I think I'll plan on hunting down a longer cabled 10.5. Otherwise, I love this cardigan and I can already see myself making a few of them in different colors!

I am still working on my friend's vanilla socks. I made good progress outside on the patio yesterday. The color is beautiful but I'm discovering it's a bit too dark to really see the stitches inside or not in bright light.

 Susan's socks

And finally, I'm working on a pair of Hermione's Everyday Socks for myself using a Tempted Yarn Club skein. I'm kicking myself because I've lost the label. If I find it, I'll post what it is. But it's a beautiful blue without a lot of variegation so I think the pattern will show up well.

Off The Needles:

 I finished my Chicago Adventure socks!!! Seriously, having just 2 days off work made a difference in my relaxed, crafty world. I'm really excited about these. My first non-Christmas pair of socks.

I wore them yesterday in the house (they pick up dog hair really well - ugh) because I couldn't get warm and refuse to turn the furnace back on and they were just lovely. The Corridale yarn is very different than the Merino I've used in the past but I really do love my Chicago Adventure socks.

 All Queued Up:

 Based on the cardigan bug I think I now have, I bought the Pomme de Pin pattern by Amy Christoffers for my next cardigan. I watched Kristin of Yarngasm make hers and the final product is beautiful. Once Iced is done....onward (with another Iced on the needles, I'm sure)

I also have The Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West ready to go. Jimmy Beans Wool had a sale on Malabrigo Dos so I bought enough for the shawl. Not wound up yet, but very soon.

Also up is the Honey Cowl by Antonia Shankland to be made with the same Malabrigo Dos in another color.

In Your Ear:

 I just finished David Sedaris' compiled Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules and it was a really good, short collection of short stories.

Next up is The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson.

Also, just caught up on the now defunct Spin Doctor podcast and catching up on Robinznest podcast. More to come on Podcast Spotlight!

Wait! That's Not Fiber!

I finished and framed a cross stitch for a co-worker's little boy. I think it looks pretty good and am happy with it. I plan on making the same for myself, either for my office at work or home. Haven't decided that part yet!

Sorry about my thumb

The pattern is by XStitchMyHeart on Etsy.

Feel Good Knitting:

I gathered every chemo cap and prayer shawl I have been collecting from wonderful knitters and crocheters out there and got them all sent off while I was off work. Twenty-one tiny caps went to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis. More caps and shawls went to Community Hospital's Cancer Care Center in Anderson, Indiana (in memory of a family friend, Mike Ballart) and another package was sent to Kellogg Cancer Center in Skokie, IL (in memory of my friend Becca Babcock).

I'm always happy to take knitted/crocheted caps and shawls through my other project, The Firewalker Project.

That's it for now!!!