Yes, I'm Sticking To The Knitting

I know it seems that all I do is buy yarn and talk about knitting it up at some indistinct future point. As you well know, I do love me some yarn. OK. Lots and lots of yarn. Any excuse for yarn. And inspiration pattern books and magazines. And nascent design projects. And did I mention shoes (six pairs purchased in the past month alone!)? You've rightly pegged me as a collector (though Mom, a non-stitching shoe lover thinks I have too much yarn. Gasp!)

But I digress. While I do have a "mini yarn store" in my closet, it serves as more of a paintbox for me. I don't just look at it and say, "My, what fine yarn I have." It is more analogous to having a whiteboard where I mentally mix dabs of color and texture in my imagination. That is actually what happened recently when I was planning a vest.

I had just come into possession of a small amount of fabulously soft and beautiful handspun baby alpaca from Michelle at Fun With Yarn. I knew it would be enough for an accent only, so I was left to mix colors for the rest of the sweater. This is how the process went:

Opens the closet. Looks up and around for just the right mid-green Rowan tweed. Hmm. New wool is so scratchy. Won't be a touch texture love-match. Ah ha! The Debbie Bliss raspberry cotton angora! It'll pick up the pinks in the Sizzle and provide the right softness mitigation for the Rowan.

And so, an unlikely color / yarn combo was born. Since I've picked up sticks again, I've also made progress on the beaded scarf. While it is only about 25% complete, I can "see" it as a finished object. Whenever I see it finished in my minds eye, that means it will be done!