Cross it off the list...

Opal Feelings Monkey Socks
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter

I finished these socks up yesterday in the early morning (like 4am early, after falling into bed at 8pm...bliss!) They're a Christmas gift for my 'aunt' (really a great-step-cousin, but that makes her feel old apparently.) I have to tell you... if I hadn't liked the colors so much, I never would've finished them. First, the skein had three knots, and a bunch of dark blue strips that showed up all over the socks like they had blueberry measles. Not to mention that Opal feel... pure steel wool. I like soft things, and I recognize that everything can't be soft. That's okay with me. But this Opal and Trekking have always felt like they had tiny shredded bits of tin cans in the yarn. Needless to say, I won't be buying anymore Opal!

While covering at the Knaughty Knitter yesterday, I had time to knit the first sock of this pair:

In Panda Cotton Print in 'Circus' which is oddly the SAME colors as the previous Opal socks! Totally unintentional... obviously I need some sunshine and rainbows in my life. Anyway, I managed to complete 1 and 1/3 socks in 24 hours, which must be some kind of record for me. (A record that I have no life :B) They're going to be accompanying my best friend on her road trip across the USA, so they need to get done.

While I was working, I found the yarn I've been looking for (seemingly) forever.

Three skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca in Pea Soup Mix. It's a lot prettier than the name would imply! It's a nice bright olive color, with flecks of gold, orange, and darker green. Just perfect for Forbes Forest! The Ultra Alpaca is a worsted yarn, so it's heavier than the dk called for... so I'm not sure what to do. I mean, the color is just what I wanted. Not too dark, not too bright, heathered without being distracting, soft without excess fuzz... I could either make the scarf as is and have a stole size, or cut out the center cable and replace with a smaller one. I'm not there yet, but it's on my mind.

Lastly, I'm edging closer to the finish line on my Thermal-ish Vest:

I've finished the back and part of the left front. I've got the rest of the left (just straight up to the shoulder; the decreasing is done at this point.) and the remaining right front, plus the edgings and various small finishing tasks. I'm hoping it fits like I want - my Cashsoft DK vest isn't as snug as I wanted, even with two inches of negative ease, so this best has four inches' worth. It feels weird knitting a 32" bust for myself, but knits are not like clothes. They seem to actually fit BETTER when they're smaller (within reason of course.)

The parents are taking the camera on an anniversary trip so photos and posts will be sparse for a couple of weeks. I'll photo any FOs, of course.