Back, working again on the Song of Hiawatha stole. 2/3 of the way through the next pattern, called "Pukwana of the Peace Pipe" (It's a feather-and-fan type pattern, Hazel Carter (the pattern's author) says it's called "porcupine stitch"). Then it's another round of the Starlight pattern, then I move on to the Big Exciting Side Sections.

I'm enthusiastic about this project again. I think all the mid-term busy-ness had sucked away my desire to work on things requiring that level of attention. This is definitely going to be a take-along-and-work-while-on-vacation project - first, because it's a lot of knitting for a relatively small volume of wool, and second, because it IS something best for a time when I'm fairly relaxed, and not running off in five different directions.

I'm also contemplating starting something else - I've got the Mosaic scarf still on the needles, and two pairs of socks (Canal du Midi and a pair of simple, sport-yarn socks). But I'm wondering if I want to start another sweater - either the Fibonacci sequence sweater from Magknits or the Random Acts of Color sweater from the new Knitters.

That second sweater, I want to use my 127 Print for. Because, see, it would put in random blocks of color with fewer ends to weave. And I like the idea of the sweater being a bunch of garter-stitch panels, all seamed up at the end (never mind that I really dislike seaming and it will probably take me months to complete that very step). The only question is if I have enough - I'm about 200 yards shy of the recommended amount for my size, and I never know - I've found in the past that when I make the size I need (often the largest provided), I have leftover yarn, often quite a bit - I'm guessing that designers figure up the amounts for the smallest size, and then extrapolate, and those extrapolations are often on the liberal side.
So I'll have to think about it.

At any rate, it's fairly little matter, because this morning I went and looked at the Clapotis pattern - and then looked at the yarn in my stash that I had decided would become that scarf. And you know, it's a really pretty yarn - deep blue and magenta-ish purple and flashes of blue-green here and there. And I gave in. I decided to start Yet Another Scarf, this time Clapotis. I did the first few rows this morning, in the 15 to 20 minutes I have after I prepare for the day and before I have to walk out the door. Started with the recommended needles but ripped back and will restart with a size smaller - the yarn I have is a DK weight, it looked too loose with the larger needles - and the gauge was too big! (I wouldn't have expected that). But now I kind of see the logic behind the pattern, so it shouldn't be too difficult to follow.

The one thing is, I'm using straights for this (size 7) and that's what the Random Acts of Color sweater would take - I've gotten back to using more straight needles. So I don't know. Either I transfer to circulars when Clapotis starts to get big, or perhaps I buy another set of 7 straights for the garter stitch strips.... I don't like metal straights so they'd either have to be the Balene II's that Hobby Lobby sells, or the expensive-for-what-you-get Lion Brand knockoffs of Pony Pearls. I will have to think about it.