I'm up to the short-rowing for the shoulders on the back of the Cache-Coeur. (whew, lots of dependent clauses in that). I'm still enjoying knitting on it but it is an attention-requiring piece.

So I'm thinking of starting ANOTHER sweater, one that won't require so much thought, at least for most of it. I am going to do the "Big Sack Sweater" from the first "Stitch and Bitch" book. But it's not going to be so big and sacky on me - I'm going to do the 45 1/2 inch size. (I've been trying on some of my older sweaters again - the ones I knit to the 44" size - and I've decided that that's about the ideal size for me, and that much bigger is a little bit too baggy). I'm also considering altering the pattern a bit - changing the cable on the front to something more complex/symmetrical - either some kind of Saxon braid or aran braid. I will have to spend some time with my stitch treasuries to find the one that says "this is the cable you should do." I'm going to use some chunky/bulky Wool-ease that I got supercheap on a closeout deal somewhere. It's sort of a mulberry color. And I should have just enough for the size I want to make. There's something very virtuous-feeling about taking something from your stash and knitting it up.

Then, I can read on my Directed Readings books while I knit (I've been very clever this semester, I think, persuading students to read botany/ ecology books that I keep saying "I should read that" about but never get around to. Now I have to, so I will).