Sucker!

I have somehow been suckered into knitting a hat for Wichita. It's part of his birthday present. I am using some yarn I forgot I had to make (what else?) a Koolhaas. It's addictive, I tell you. Tiny... cable... crosses... can't... stop... ktbl...

In other news, I am kitteh-sitting for my friend Sarah while she and her husband are at a wedding this weekend. "But wait!" some of you may say. "Aren't you allergic to cats?" Wait for it... apparently, I am not allergic to KITTENS. There is some magic protein or whatever in adult kittehs that makes my eyes water, my nose run, and causes me to be generally miserable. KITTENS do not have this quality. So I can pick up Ink, hold her, play with her, let her lounge freely on my furniture, because she has not yet shed her kitten fur. She's a bundle of energy, and she wakes up way too early, wanting to be fed, but overall I am quite enjoying having an adorable fur baby around. It's almost enough to make me wish I wasn't allergic to cats.

I've spent some time thinking about my knitting goals for 2011. I like the idea of a self-imposed sock club, because there are so many patterns that I have had queued since I joined Ravelry three years ago. I even have a specific yarn in mind for most of them. It's the same with sweaters. Mostly, I have a yarn in the stash that goes with the pattern I want to make. I'm going to start small and create 6 sock kits with pattern and yarn. I'm only going to commit to 6 months. That way, if I am tired of socks and want to move on to lace or sweaters, I can. Or I can make 6 more sock kits. If I don't meet the goal of 6 pairs in 6 months, you know what? NO BIG.

I also think I am going to shoot for a goal of 4 sweaters in 2011. I could probably knit more, but I'm not going to bite off more than I can chew. Some sweaters will go very quickly. Others will not. (Damn you, fine-gauge sweaters, for being so beautiful and so time-consuming.)

My final goal will be to try new things. R suggested 3 things, so that seems like a good starting point. Let's see. First, knit a lace shawl. Like with actual charts and everything. Second, try entrelac (bonus! I can use the Annetrelac socks as part of my sock kits AND as my new technique.) Finally... I would say crochet, but I am not very adept with the hook beyond this nifty provisional cast-on technique, so maybe my last "try something new" will be to enter something in the county fair. (Clearly I did not make it this year. There's always next year.)

Buttons have been purchased for the Garter Yoke Cardi. It's waiting for a wash and a block and the buttons to be firmly attached before I show it off.