Marching through Malabrigo

I have finished my fingerless mitts!  I am very happy with them even though both thumbs were actually knit a little differently.  Only I know this though as it is quite undetectable especially with the variegated yarn.  I learned a few new things while making these and am very happy that I decided to take part in this particular knitalong.  They fit really nicely too!

I also finished a lovely little shawl with a story.  When I was pregnant with my daughter I decided to knit her all sorts of things.  I made her an entire set of ten washcloths, started and frogged a baby sweater vest, a mint green swaddle blanket before I knew what sex the baby was, then I started a pretty pink swaddle blanket after I learned it was a girl.  As it happens, both of my cousins were pregnant while I was and so I made them each a swaddle blanket and set of bootees.  Needless to say by the time I got to a certain point on this fourth blanket, in the same vanilla pattern, I grew weary.  My daughter was born and time marched on with all manner of knitting projects taking precedence over the unfinished blanket.  I decided I should convert the plans for it to be a shawl rather than a blanket.  Due to the pattern construction all this meant was that I had to continue to knit to the point where the decreasing would normally begin and make sure the wingspan was right.  I also decided to embellish it with fun fur so it could be a fun play dress up item for when she is a young girl.  Now my toddler has her very first shawl!

I am currently knitting a Rikke Hat, maybe for me depending on how it looks otherwise for my husband, out of Malabrigo for another Malabrigo March Project.  I have never found a hat that looks very flattering on me and so maybe if I make one that will work out better.  This hat is a slouchy hat designed to not give you "hat hair" after wearing it for a short while.  I am knitting it flat rather than in the round because it is a garter stitch pattern and in the round I would have to purl ever other row and I just cannot get behind that for a hat I may not even fully appreciate.  I am using a very lovely color called Oceanos in the merino worsted base.

I also cast on one more project last night since I finished my mitts.  I cast on a cowl in Malabrigo Silky Merino which is a base I have not actually worked with yet.  I bought two skeins a little while back in a lovely yellow called Pollen.  I don't normally like yellows and have next to none in my stash, so when I came across this color and loved it I went ahead and bought it for future use.  The cowl I am making with it is called Mira's cowl.  It is an infinity scarf and alternates between knit and purl for a reversible effect.  Here is a quick shot:

I went ahead and placed markers at all the change points between knit and purl so I wouldn't have to count.  As soon as the hills and valleys of the pattern stitches are more evident I will drop all the markers.  I cast on 180 stitches for this and that is a first!  While I was casting on, using the long tail method, my cat Dexter chewed my yarn tail in two!

With all of this knitting I have not touched my February square number two or either of the March squaes for my afghan.  i have wanted to do a repeat or two on the February square for about two days now though and so I may do that after I finish on the computer.  I really don't want to get too far behind on that endeavor because I think it is going to be a very squishy and sensational finished product.  I am thinking more and more though that I will change out the pinks for two blues or a blue and a green at the six month mark and make two smaller lapgans rather than one large afghan.  It is so hard to decide!  If I make one afghan for the whole year it will be perfect for a twin size bed and I can let Sarah use it once she graduates from the toddler bed.