So much yarn...and a squirrel.

Well, now that the wedding is over, we're home from the honeymoon, and the thank-yous are sent (ahem...mostly...), I've finally got a bit of time for knitting and other fun things. Last weekend Cory and I visited my best friend and her fiance in Sacramento, CA and went to the Tamales Festival (yum!). I know the picture below has nothing to do with tamales, but we were so darned amused by this little guy carrying that great big granny smith apple, I just had to share him with someone! (The tamales were all delicious, by the way--but the best ones had pumpkin filling!)

Now on to the serious stuff--what I've been knitting. Before our long weekend I started on a zippered cardigan from the Rowan Big Wool booklet (sadly, out of print) using Jaeger Natural Fleece (very sadly, discontinued). I love the yarn, and I wouldn't tease you with it here except it just knits up so nicely in place of Big Wool in this pattern--a great example of the fact that you don't have to use the yarn a pattern calls for 100% of the time. That's Marcus Aurelius there in the picture, 'helping'.

I've also been lucky enough to get to try out Artyarns' Cashmere Sock...and at the risk of sounding punny, I have to say this stuff knocked my socks clean off. It's like nothing I've ever knit with. Honestly. Not only is it the softest, airy-est thing I've ever knit with (we're talking kitten fuzz soft here), it's machine washable (eek!) and knits beautifully on a US 2. I didn't even have to go near my 0's to knit heaven. I'm using the Knitting Pure and Simple Pattern 216-- Beginner's Lightweight Socks and color 195. An easy, no nonsense sock pattern that really shows off the beauty of the hand-dyed yarn. This particular colorway is made up of vibrant reds, purples, and a bit of maroon. I'll admit, because it's made up of three separate plies, it is a bit splitty, so I won't be knitting in the dark with it anymore.

Of course, I wouldn't knit something this nice for myself (well, I might, but certainly not to stuff into my sneakers!)--you've probably guessed it--I'm making them for my grandma. She's my favorite person to knit for because I know she really appreciates the work that goes into it, and I know she both wears the heck out of everything I make her, and she takes care of it. Aren't those the best kinds to knit for?!

*Ashley*