I'm shocked, shocked to find that knitting is going on in here!

Surprising, isn't it!

Nonetheless, I am still making steady progress on the Breezy Cables cardigan. I'm still worried it will stretch, but I think if I'm careful when blocking it (or maybe I should just wash & dry it? It's superwash wool.) it'll be okay.

Updated pictures:



The completed, unblocked back. The light in this one is funny; sorry about that! It doesn't really have any color shading issues, I promise!

I'm a little annoyed at the decreasing for the arms in the back and how they messed up the 9-stitch cable pattern on the sides, because I couldn't figure out a way maintain even a smaller cable up the side with the stitches that were left because of the ribbing in the cable. I doubt it'll be that noticeable in the finished sweater, but it annoyed me all the same.



These are the two front pieces. This sweater has a shawl collar that I think turned out kind of neat so far. The right side (as you're looking at it) has the collar bit folded back so you can see what it will look like when finished, and the left side has it open so you can see the actual dimension of the piece. When I attach the front to the back, I'll pick up the collar stitches and continue it around the back of the neck.



This pattern called for a new-to-me buttonhole technique *and* a new-to-me pocket technique. I liked them both, but will pr'bly use the buttonhole technique more often. It's the 3-stitch buttonhole that's in the back of the Spring 2006 Interweave Knits (it may be in all of them; I haven't checked) and I like it because the buttonhole is done all in one row - no binding off and casting on on the next row, which always looks a little sloppy to me. I still need to sew the pockets to the back and add the little bit of ribbing that will finish them on the front, but you get the general idea here.

Sara will also be happy to know that I've rectified the "no sock yarn" problem in my stash:



The Essentials Solids are all for gift socks. I'm trying to decide on a pattern for the pink pair and might try to do toe-up socks with it. The others are as yet unplanned; I really love pansies, and the Memories Redwood Forest colorway is one I really like, so they're likely to be for me. I'll be really odd to go back to smaller needles after working on Breezy Cables, though! I still have two other holiday projects that will be non-socks, though, so I'll pr'bly switch between those and the socks for awhile.

I'm also going to be participating in a sock knitting project for largesse in the SCA. Liz has organized a bunch of us to knit pairs of socks from Folk Socks (the ones with the clocks - I haven't seen the pattern yet, though) and I'm looking forward to working them. I've periodically contemplated working on one of the period stocking patterns with clocks in them, I've never quite actually made it that far. I'm hoping this project will nudge me enough to actually get them started.

I still need to start the research I need to do for the Breed Swap project, but I have to be on campus late every day next week, so I'll pr'bly be able to run out to the library during the day a couple days to get most of it taken care of. Although I think I have to track down a copy of In Sheep's Clothing through interlibrary loan or universal browsing since our library doesn't appear to have it.

And I have the first package ready to go for my Secret Pal, so I'm excited to get that out. I do hope she likes it!