End of January

I've spent the month destashing   -- it is a wonderful feeling just to let go of yarns that you might actually like, but are tired of the color ... or "whatever".  Luckily, there seems to be plenty of people who are happy to take some unwanted items,  so I take a bag of something to every knitting "sit and knit" group. 

I had hoped to finish the Polska mittens, but for some reason don't care for the yarn.- Knit Picks Palette.  It is a little too "superwash" feeling for me, but the colors are vibrant and  the first mitten blocked beautifully.  I know I'll love them when I am done, so I  will take the project with me next time we go to the mountains, and then I'll be more in the mood to work on them.  I did start another SpillyJane project (her project for NaKniMitMo12 ) and like the Jamieson Spindrift  I'm using.  It is very "grabby" and is so wonderful for colorwork. 

While going through things I found an Ishbel shawl that has sat for ages waiting to be blocked.  I love the color, but know I won't buy that kind of yarn again.  I just prefer more "natural" wool feel than the "slick feeling" and look.  The shawl is now blocked, and is now sitting to have the ends woven in.  Totally finishing things just doesn't seem to be my strongpoint! 

Speaking of slick feeling -- I do love yarns that have silk in them though.  I picked up a Veera cowl pattern that I had been working on in December and then a couple of days later frogged it.  Sigh.  I was off, I think, by one row in the herringbone section, and in another section had such a loose wrap it looked like there was a hole.  I'm just too fussy now with my projects to keep working on something that makes me crazy.  But that means I now still "have" that wonderful yarn from Margaret to work with again.  Margaret, from French Market Fibers, has her own Ravelry group now, so go check it out! 

Although I am a loose knitter, I seem to have a death grip on my needles and often bend them, even the wooden ones!  MY LYS has some of the "new" Knitters Pride dpns, and I'm trying them in the small sizes.  So far, so good!  I am reluctant to ditch my "warped" Clover dpns though, as I never know when I might need one to replace a "lost" one.  I always seem to be dropping one in furniture or on the floor, and then taking forever to find it. 

In the "real" world, we did finally get some snow in the mountains.  And it rained here at home ... some.  I wonder what February will bring?  I just hope the snow lasts so that when we get back up there, there will be enough for people to have fun skiing!