What I've Been Up To Lately

Here's just a quick update on my latest projects:

With two kids now, I've been feeling like my brain is turning to goo. To help offset that, I have started writing articles for fun (and for a very little amount of pay, but it helps me stay motivated in building a writing portfolio). One of my articles was featured, and it also prompted an offer to submit an article for publication in an online magazine - more on that when it comes out. You can read my other articles here and here.

I also finally finished knitting a sweater for my daughter. I started a different sweater for her in July '07 and never got past the back panel. Last September, I started on the pattern Tulip by Lindsay Pekny. It calls for Dream in Color yarn (Classy - their worsted), but I substituted Plymouth Encore yarn for about 50% savings, definite washability, and lots of leftover yarn, but I missed out on the subtle variations in the DIC yarn. Regardless, my daughter loves it and calls it her "rainbow coat". Here is a photo of her modeling it:

I also started a pair of socks for my husband in Feza Iplik Zara yarn (it's made in Turkey) in the hopes that they will be woolly and thick, yet machine washable. It's only 35% wool, though, and the other 65% is acrylic, not nylon. I am on a quest for a worsted sock yarn (75% wool, 25% nylon), but the only options I've found can only be purchased in Scandinavia. If I can't find something else, my only hope is that my half-Swedish almost-sister-in-law can score me some on her next trip (which AFAIK there are no current plans for). I lost my pattern somwhere in the mess of craft room , so I am going to see how far I can get copying the other pair I knit from the same pattern. If I get stuck, I have plenty of other projects breaking down the door!