Neck Warmer etc.

Whew! End of July already? Where did the time go?

Mostly into commuting. I am literally spending 3 hours a day on the train and bus.

It has been good for my knitting, because it is nice and portable, but I have been a bit behind on my spinning. It's not easy to carry your lazy Kate around with you! That said, I am pretty close to finishing my fluffy cotton-candy yarn. The three singles are ready to be plied, sitting on my lazy kate; sitting on my bookshelf so they come down from over my shoulder while I spin.

Had to push some books out of the way to put it up there, though.

I was expecting a lace-weight yarn, but it looks like it is going to be sport-weight. I still don't know how the plied yarn really looks. I am getting a sense, but I am looking forward to seeing it on the niddy-noddy.

Three-plies, on the spindle

I am also working on the beach skirt: it is almost done, and I promise there will be a post all about it when I am finished.

I have a quick update on another project though. Back in November, I made a hat using brioche stitch. I mentioned in my project update that I was starting a matching scarf to use up the yarn. So, did any of you wonder what happened with it? (of course not, I am talking to myself)

Well, I put it in my project bag, then someone cleaned the apartment and stuck the project bag in with my yarn stash. Since that room eats things, I didn't even think of it again until last week.

I was filling out the forms to submit a few projects to the Maryland State Fair again this year. I wanted to submit my brioche hat, but I know that hats are going to be a very crowded contest. So, looking over other categories I could submit to, I noticed that there is one for a hat/scarf set. Perfect! Now, where did I put that scarf...

Anyway, I finished the scarf. But I kind of ran out of yarn. So it is not really a scarf. I'm calling it a neck warmer, and hope the judges won't be too picky about it.

Hat and neck warmer set

The one thing that I wish I did differently, is that if I knew it was going to be a neck warmer, I would have done a provisional cast on, so that I could connect the two ends seamlessly, instead of having a somewhat messy seam.

Neck warmer with seam. Can you spot it?

Anyhow, even if the judges aren't fans, I know the hat is super-duper warm, and I bet the second part of the set will be just as nice when winter hits.

One more view of the warmer:

What a twist!