Mail Call!

I waited with anticipation, especially when I saw others receive theirs. Then, I got mine in the mail Tuesday (I would have posted before this but I have been down with a horrible cold or virus or something and feeling like crap..yuck!): My sock club kit and my first skein of Socks That Rock from Blue Moon Fibre Arts. OH MY GOD! These guys are amazing. So like the kit includes a binder with a cool cover, notes, tips and hints, a pattern for the skein included in the kit; a button and bumper sticker, a large skein of sock yarn and a mini skein in RainforestJasper which is the same colour as the large skein. I cannot tell you how special I felt (and how freaking glad I was to sign up so quickly - who knew they would have to close off membership because there were so many knitters to sign up?). The care and individuality of the kit and their concept of the sock club is really unique and very much appreciated. I do want to dive in and knit the sock now but I really have to get a start on my Sockapalooza sock (I may have to divide my attention). I am just so impressed with the effort (and fun) they have put into this sock club - very cool. So I was seeking out and counting all the skeins of sock yarn in my stash for the Sock Yarn Addicts Club and I came across some unfinished objects I forgot that I had started and just put away. The stash exercise was good for a number of reasons; reorganized my yarn, figured out I have enough sock yarn to knit a new pair each week for over a year (hint as to the number but I promise I will publish the actual number when I flash the stash on April 1!), got excited about all the cool yarn I have and the projects I want to get at and found the following: Okay, granted it looks like a big lump. It is Melody's Shawl from Morehouse Farms and I think I started it about a year ago. I had completed about 80% of it and then put it away; it became mind numblingly boring - knit, knit, knit, knit and the quad skein of lace just never seemed to get smaller. Oh, yes, in that mind numbing round I did get to knit into the back twice which ends up being the border for both ends of the shawl (it is knit in the round). So I am looking at this thinking I can get this sucker finished. So with a little (a lot) of time yesterday and today, knitting, knitting, knitting, knitting I am finally ready to cast off! Yeah! Something I will have cast off, cut and blocked by the end of the weekend. I am so hoping the miracle of lace happens for me like I have seen for others. Granted this will be very plain but it is just ugly right now. Stay tuned!