Finally back, with long overdue thanks

It's been quite some time since I last posted, but I'm determined to keep this blog updated on a regular basis (we'll try weekly for now and see how that goes), now that I've finally finished up grad school and am solidly settled in the same city as my DH and my yarn stash.

Before I get to actual knitting content, I have to send out some ridiculously delayed thank-yous to two amazingly generous knitters. The first is my Sockapalooza 4 pal, SigMa of strikkepress. Back in August of last year, she sent me a package containing a postcard from Bergen, Norway, a bar of the smoothest milk chocolate I've ever tasted, and these beauties:


As noted on her postcard, that's a pair of Cookie A.'s Monkey Socks in variegated green Fleece Artist sock yarn. I was still out on the West Coast finishing up dissertation research when these arrived in Boston, and so I had DH open up the package and describe them to me over the phone. Believe it or not, before reading the postcard, he said that the unstretched socks looked like monkey bread. Very weird coincidence, although I suppose there is a slight resemblance between those bubbly, interlocking, syrup-enrobed bits of dough and Cookie's pattern...or DH could be pulling my leg. Regardless, thank you, SigMa, for sending me the most beautiful pair of socks I've ever owned--they're coming in quite handy out here in the chilly New England climate, and I'm definitely going to knit up a pair of Monkeys with some variegated yarn from my stash, now that I've seen the brilliance of this pattern in person.

On to thank-you number two: at the beginning of the year, my good friend and cablework designer extraordinaire Jen (the mastermind behind Figheadh Yarnworks) sent out a little package containing the following goodies:


There's a copy of the latest pattern that I tested (the guy-friendly Fedora Socks and Scarf set), a pretty foil-embossed thank-you card (I really appreciate unique stationery, and this definitely caught my eye), and a copy of Louisa Harding's latest book, Knitting Little Luxuries. The package was a total surprise, and apparently Jen snuck a peek at my Ravelry library when she was choosing the book to make sure I didn't already have a copy...sneaky! Thank you so much, Jen--your package made my post-thesis-defense celebration even sweeter.

Finally, I'll wrap up this post with a few pics of FO's that I've been turning out since my reunion with my stash (amazing how that helps boost productivity).



top left: Capitan Hat from The Soapy Knitter in Rowan Soft Lux
top right: Felted Raccoon from Crafty Alien in Patons Classic Merino
bottom left: Knitted Cupcake from Blah, Blah, Blahhhg in various bits of leftover yarn
bottom right: Smocked cup cozy from mk carroll in KnitPicks Wool of the Andes

Having the free time to knit these whimsical projects is one of life's little luxuries, indeed. I have a number of larger projects queued up and all the yarn necessary to knit them, so I'll save those for next time!