Slowly but surely

I've been spending a lot of time this past week ripping my CD collection (finally), and not doing as much knitting. A couple of nights ago I finally picked up stitches for the first sleeve of Round Trip, and casted on for the second baby bootie.

All I have left to do for this bootie is make the cuff. Easy-peasy. I planned to make a hat with white stars on it to match, but I think I'm going to skip the stars. I don't even know if I'll do stripes... though maybe I should, since I only have white ribbon for the booties.



The sleeve has started! This picture shows the color in the yarn a little better. It's mostly black and gray, but with some red thrown in. In this particular ball of yarn, I was shocked to come up to a section of BRIGHT, almost neon, green. I've not come across that in any of the other balls thus far, but I decided to go ahead and keep it. It'll add some flair.

Yesterday I went shopping "for my secret pal," and naturally also found a little something for myself, since I've been so good about beating this yarn addiction. The other day, Bonne Marie over at ChicKnits was knitting a cowl, and the moment I saw it, I knew it was the gater I've been looking for. While I happen to have a nearly complete ball of Baby Alpaca Grande in the color she used left over a scarf I made for a friend, I also knew that color isn't really me. So I stopped off at this wacky little yarn store I have a love/hate relationship with, and picked up some alpaca in a more suitable color.



The lady at the store said that Plymouth is coming out with ten more colors of this fabulous yarn! Since I was last there, they'd added this orange, a really nice red, and a deep purple (everytime I see purple I try to convince myself that I like it and that I'll wear it, but I'm just not feeling it right now).

Of course, I can't take photos of the treats for my secret pal, but it was so fun poking around the yarn store for stuff to get for her. Our tastes are similar, but different enough that I found myself picking up yarn I never would have looked at twice before. I can see myself doing another secret pals in the future.