Where We Meet Alison, Two-Sticks, and Fire

(and no - this isn't an Indian tale!)

All sorts of new projects have been percolating around here. Trying REALLY hard to finish works underway has resulted in the ultimate reward - starting new projects!

Here is the one that is giving me tiny little fits. It's the Alison scarf. Thanks to friend Mary's mom, I made it through the second line of the instructions! Love the i-cord cast on, but I am not sure that my edges are what they should be. The sample photo looks like there is a defined i-cord up the edges. But while Googling the issue, I stumbled across Obsessknit who is in the Tuesday Knit Night I like to frequent. I think she made one - and since she is as nice as she is smart about knitting, I'm hoping to get a tip or two. The internet is great, but I need remedial, hands-on help with this one.



Here's my happy little project - the Two Sticks Aran Purse that I picked up at Spring Sprung simply because walking around with knitting needles would be so fun! I even have an idea for really cool needles, but I need to see if the bag flies first. I'm using Lion Wool Ease Thick and Quick with #13 needles. The gauge seems right, but it looks a little loose. I need to do a bit more knitting to see what's what. And since this doesn't seem very spring/summer appropriate, what's the hurry?



Here is my Little Man's Fire Tie.



I used the Prepschool pattern from Knitty on #2 dpns with Sock Garden in Zinnia (because it looked most like "fire colors") from Knit Picks. It was a great little project to tote around (in my favorite organizational tool, the clear pencil box!). I started it last summer, I think. It did make it to Puerto Rico in August, so I started it before that. But as it started to take shape, it just looked so lumpy, and then there was the flub in the yarn that seems to be right at the knot point (I didn't know what to do with it, so I just kept knitting). And the mind numbingness of nine stitches per needle for two needles for what seemed like 12 miles of knitting the skinny back part. It all conspired to keep this little guy at the back of the knitting parade. But I felt that I owed it to my son to finish, so here it is before blocking. I am hoping for a miracle.