Still Knitting

I feel like I have been focusing SO much on my quilting lately that you may think I have quit knitting. As if! That's not ever likely, though I did take a small break after finishing the log-cabin and prior to that put most of my yarn away for the winter -
a) so I would have the time/focus to finish the log cabin
b) because I had sock-knitting burn out
c) so I could get some reading done
and
d) because I developed a minor obsession with quilting

That being said, summer has started - all 67 days of it! - and I need something portable that I can bring with me to the cottage and the park and all that. A few weeks ago I received my Friday evening newsletter from Churchmouse Yarns & Teas. It usually pops into my mailbox about 6:00. I took a quick look while I was cooking dinner and was interested in reading their article about a limited edition jacquard from Regia. I can't find the whole story - the writer talked about a pair of socks she had made from this yarn years ago and how the socks were still going strong, outlasting every other pair of handknit socks in her sock drawer! I took a quick look at the colours (gorgeous!) available and promised myself to check it out after I had put the boys to bed. Two hours later it was totally sold out!

I wasn't too fussed about it to be honest - I'm quite serious about working through my stash this year - but I was interested in the free pattern they offered to go with the jacquard yarn called The Longstocking Muffler. I liked the description of "effortless and fun" and was intrigued by the description:

Self-patterning and self-striping sock yarns are engineered to pattern at a sock circumference. Our Longstocking Muffler employs that same circumference minus that sock-specific heel and toe!

It took me a second to figure it out, but basically this is a long tube, knit in the round like a sock. My favourite part of sock knitting without having to worry about measuring or foot size or turning or making one the same as the last. It sounded perfect AND I had the perfect yarn for it!

I haven't been able to find the ball band for this in ages but it's some sort of bamboo. It's incredibly fine but if you try and double it up it tangles and makes a huge mess. I'm knitting on 2.5mm needles and it still feels loose. But it's knitting up and patterning beautifully through the 64 stitches and I'm totally loving the easy mindlessness of it. What you see there is almost all of one ball. I have one more to go so this is gong to be a nice long scarf. Have had several "inquiries" about who it is going to belong to. We'll see. It's so rare for me to not have a plan. I have thoughts but I think I will decide later. I want to see what happens when I wash it. This seems incredibly important to me right now. Not sure why. It's not like I enjoy laundry or anything...