Conquering Cables

I joined a knit-along for cables (you can find the link on my sidebar). Please excuse the cross-post... LOL

This is as far as I've gotten on my Irish Hiking Scarf so far. I'm really diggin this project. The cables are straight-forward and the pattern repeat is so simple that I've already memorized it to the point that I can work it without looking at the pattern each time I pick it up again. I chose to work it in Caron Simply Soft's Autumn Red. I had two skeins in my stash as loved the color, so I thought why not? I love the softness and shimmer combined with the washing ease since this'll be an outerware piece that'll get heavy use during our muddy Louisiana winters (yes, we have all four seasons: boiling mud, frozen mud, hurricane: a.k.a. "flying mud", and Mardi Gras).

I thought I'd include a little detail pic of the cables themselves. I've changed my center cable to twist the other way (me and my "artiste" flavors). Don't ask me why I've done a detail shot, because even I don't know. I think I may be hoping that if I've done something wrong, someone can see it and point it out to me now before I'm five feet into the knitting =P

Secret Pal Goodies!

Yay! As some of you know, one of the publishing companies is running a secret pal exchange to promote their new book. I haven't been around to post for a while, so this is where I'm going to show off the goodies my pal sent me.

First came this yummy Rowan 4-ply that wants to be everything at once. I can't decide for my life what I'll make of it! Oh well, as with all the yarn in my stash, the perfect project will wander along one of these days and scream "I want that one! Make me from that one!"

Next came a special box that wasn't part of the exchange, but a gift for mommy and the babies (although I did share the cookies with daddy; I was in a generous mood =P). There was a pattern for the "carseat" blanket that I've always wanted (and it even has a hood! yippee!) and this cuddly Bernat Sweet Stripes! Perfect for my little Christmas baby.

My pal noticed my sock fever and sent me this awesome "sun-rise/set" colorway of Regia sock yarn. I think it'll be perfect for the Straight Laced Socks I wanted to try from Knitty. Especially since that pattern tackles two at once; I'm horrible for not only SSS (second sock syndrome), but also for ending up with socks that are knitted on the same needles, with the same yarn, the same pattern, and yet still manage to be two different sized socks!

Then there's these gorgeous little beauties! I've never laid hands on yarn so soft in my life! They're so luscious that I'm a little scared to put them on the needles. I haven't even put a single thought to what they'll become simply because I can't get over them as they are now... lol.

So, to sum up, a BIG HUGE HONKIN THANK YOU goes out to my secret pal. There were other goodies in the packages as well, but you know you want me to flash that stash =P