So. Much. Knitting

I came home from work yesterday totally exhausted and thinking I'd go to bed super early. Instead I knit until midnight which is totally unheard of for me. I don't know what got into me. I finished the pieces for Kepler, put a few inches on the sleeve of the baby sweater, and started this:



Knitty's Branching Out scarf. Using this:



Natasha sent me this gorgeous lace weight mohairy goodness in the Pittsburgh Secret Pal exchange. I just love the colors.

I have to say that I really have a love/hate relationship with lace. I tore the scarf out 3 times after trying to knit it from the chart. Then, this morning, in a move that defies all logic and daily routine, I picked it back up again and began knitting from the written directions and had no trouble at all. Having said that, I can tell you without hesitation that I would have had trouble with that too if the lace pattern wasn't worked over just 19 stitches. I just can't keep track when the row is much longer than that. I am constantly losing my place with lace knitting. But because this is so short, I can do it. And it got so addictive this morning that I ended up late for work. (I think when your addictions start messing with your work it's time for help and intervention :-)

I also noticed working with this lace that I think I need better needles. Ones with pointier (is that a word?) tips. It's difficult to get these blunt needles under the stitches for the ssk's. I don't know enough about needles to know what to look for to improve the situation. Sounds like a trip to the LYS to me.

Also, I just want everyone to know that I love the feel of the Valentine's Day socks when I wear them. They were done in Paton's Kroy sock yarn. There is something different about this yarn. I don't know how to describe it other than to say it's "springy" and just feels good. Maybe it's just the difference in the 4 ply vs. fingering weight. I don't know but I love them. More Paton's Kroy for me.