Since the daughter and her family left I have been trying to catch up on some things I have been working on the CIT sweater at least 2 hours every morning, it takes concentration and I concentrate best in the morning. I have gotten all the patterns straightened out. I don't know why but for some reason I need to knit 2 of the patterns up about 2-2.5 inches and then ravel them back and re-knit that cable alone before I can get it going. After that I seem to be able to keep it going without too much trouble, the same thing happened with both the back and the sleeves on these 2 particular cables. They happen to be my least favorite ones, (cause and
effect?) Oh well I seem to have gotten it going now.

After about 2 I put the CIT away and get out either the FLAK for Chris, (FLAK # 3, but who's counting) or the Mystery shawl 4. I have both the swatches for Chris's FLAK finished now, (I know that the picture shows it on the needles but blogger was down for maintence so I finished the swatch, bound it off and it is currently soaking in the wash water).

This is Bartlett Yarn green heather a very pretty yarn kind of scratchy to work with but

softens up nicely when it is washed. Still not as soft as the Highland wool or even Cascade 220, but Chris picked it out and will be wearing the sweater over a shirt so it will be fine. He announced earlier today that he was going up stairs to put on a shirt and socks. And he would put on a sweater but he didn't have one, the poor mistreated child. So I finished his swatches and showed them to him he approved so I am ready to do the math and the final layout tomorrow once the swatches are both dry. Then I can start the saddles.

I did work a short while on clue 3 of the Mystery
Shawl 4, I have finished 20 of 50 rows, of this clue. I want to get this clue finished before I start the Mystery stole. This rotation of projects works because both CIT and FLAK are tight knits and make my hands hurt after a while, so then I can switch to the lace which is very loose, and puts no strain on my fingers.

After 7-8 at night I need really mindless knitting so I swatched for and cast on a Shapely Tee in Plymouth Sunsette a yarn I really love to work with and wear so, of course, it has been discontinued. I kill yarns I like, (look out Cascade 220). I have the bottom garter
finished, and need to plot out the short rows, tomorrow afternoon so that I can continue, it is too late now at 10:30 for me to try to set up any thing. I have all kind of ways to set up patterns that make them pretty fool proof, and I need that because I can be a really good fool.

The Mystery Shawl is in Helen's Lace in pink (I like red no matter which shade it is).

The other project on the needles is a pair of beaded socks, which I carry in my purse to work on when I am out. I have not been eating out nearly enough lately, these are not going very fast. These were started as one of the SixSox patterns that called for this type of yarn, but
when I was working the lace pattern it became obvious that no one would ever see the lace pattern and it was a pain to do with the beads getting in the way. So I ripped the whole thing out and started again and am doing a plain rib with the beads in a simple alternating pattern.
I am much happier with the way they are working up now.

I am considering washing the skeins of Bartlett Yarn before I knit them since they are so rough and soften up a fair amount when washed. I will think and decide tomorrow once the swatches are dry.