Picked away at various things this weekend; I also cleaned house. (I get to a point where I look around the place and go, "wow, if someone came over unexpectedly, I'd be really embarrassed.")

I am almost to the point of having four repeats done on the DNA scarf, and I pulled out the twisted-stitch Canal Du Midi socks and worked on them for a while, and I added a few rows to the endless-seeming Kilimanjaro Kat shawl.

Last night, I decided I wanted to at least start one more good warm thing before the winter ended. The 'Kat shawl is more of a spring piece, and the DNA scarf is, well, a scarf, and not as satisfying as an actual sweater or vest, and the socks are wearable much more of the year.

So I wound off a few skeins of things. In the end, the Inca Alpaca (in "Cala Cala Moss") was the winner. I am swatching for the Chinese Vest in "Folk Vests". I'm not sure how this will come out; the recommended wool is Rauma Strikkegarn which has a size 4 needle recommended to get gauge, according to the book. (The yarn is described, at least on Wiseneedle as a dk-weight, and the alpaca is more of a worsted. I tried a five with the alpaca and there were too many stitches per inch, so I've gone up to a seven (as recommended on the skein-tag) and that looks like it might be the one.
So I don't know - a larger needle to get gauge on a larger yarn? That seems counterintuitive to me.

I don't know how well it will work out - the alpaca yarn is very soft and a bit hairy so it will probably not have the best stitch definition, but I really do like the shape of the vest. And at the very least, it will be warm.

And I need a project that isn't too mindful-requiring, and a project that is easily portable, in view of my two-day "Academic Efficiency" extravaganza coming up. I figure I can knit in the car on the way up (don't have to drive, hvala Bogu), and I can knit in the hotel room at night, and possibly in the breaks between sessions. Or, if the sessions are really horrible and deadly dull and I can sit somewhere inconspicuous, maybe I'll knit (in protest of being dragged from the classroom for two days for "experts" to talk at me) during the sessions.

I'm also considering other sweater-type projects if the Alpaca just looks horrible in the vest; I might sometime start a Paton's Upside-downer cardigan of the wine-colored alpaca from Elann.

I also splurged (my LAST yarn splurge for a while now; I'm going to do the "avoid buying unneccessary things for Lent" again) and bought some Classic Elite Maya from Elann. It is a very intense turquoise. I would like to make the "Salt Peanuts" cardigan from the new Interweave. (Again, I don't know how this yarn will work, but I'm willing to try).

I have a CD of "Hipster Jazz" that has a song by Mel Torme on it called "I'm Hip", where he protests (a bit too much) how "in the groove" he is, but periodically breaks into the song to call out "Salt Peanuts! Salt Peanuts!" in an amusing voice. I am sure it is an homage to the Louis Armstrong song (which I have never heard), but whenever I read or hear the name of that sweater, I hear Mel going "Salt Peanuts! Salt Peanuts!"

I want to make the sweater partly for that reason. Well, and also it's a beautiful sweater, but I like the name too.

Words have great power over me.