New Day, New Project

So, I'd like to start out by apologizing for the pity party that was my last post. I get anxious when I'm stuck in the house, especially because of snow. Just nervous about things that are waay out of my control - like the weather. I'm also very much in need of predictability and routine in my life and being stuck in a snowstorm is anything but.

Dear readers, I did a bad bad thing last Friday night. Being faced with my first Friday night to knit in almost two weeks, I started a new project. See, there was this ball of sock yarn, some Trekking XXL in lovely pink, orange and yellow hues and there was this pattern, and I saw them and I thought, "That would make me happy after all this snow and gloom." Teeny needles, pattern written by a mathematician, and above all - something new. And I was right! It's such a fun pattern and I'm not even up to the super-swoopy heel yet. Reading the author's short bio, she makes me regret temporarily giving up on my math degree. I'd like to go back to school when the kids are older and finish it - I don't really need it for work, but I do so miss pure math - playing with numbers just for fun. And who knows? Maybe it will help with the pattern writing.

As for patterns I'm working on, I have a crochet hat pattern that I'm working the kinks out of. I need to set aside some time to run through it again myself (with a different yarn this time - I love the candy-color Noro but it's just too thick for crochet. I end up with happy-color wooly armor) then once more with my pattern tester. My goal of having a pattern worked out and put up as a free download on Ravelry by the end of March is looming near, and I'd like that to be one of the few resolutions I'm able to keep.

Also - Update on the Big 3 Projects:

Maggie's Sweater: Up to the last repeat of the lace pattern on the skirt. One of these days, I'll post pictures. It's definite now - I used a different size needle on the other one I made - I see gentle felting to get them to the same size. Eep!

Jeanie: Slowly but surely. This one is hard to work on as I can't really stop in the middle of a row and rows where I have to do the cables end up waiting for naptimes and night time because I can't do them while Little Hands are roaming free. But the drop stitch rows are exciting! The Noro is turning out super-pretty, though I will probably need two more balls to get a decent sized wrap.

Placemats: Not really coming along well, so I'm scrapping the idea in favor of just doing some shopping bags with mixed stitch patterns - the thought of all that single crochet was giving me the heebie-jeebies. Either way, I'm using up the plastic bags in a constructive way.

Have fun!