white knuckling, calling dibs, and petting lotion

Okay, so them 12" circular needles I've been waiting on, to do the FLS sleeves ain't workin' out. I mean, they'll work, but it isn't comfortable. If they were made so that there was an inch less needle and instead an inch more cable, they'd be great. But as is, I'm having to white-knuckle grip 'em to make the lacey rounds. They do better on the plain knit rounds, though. So I tried the two long circs, and got ladders. Well damn.
Can ya guess what I resorted to trying? Yup, doublepoints all around. That first sleeve is divided onto five DPNs. Sigh.
Now I'm kinda wondering if 9" KA circs would be the thing for these sleeves. And those just happen to be right there on the shelf at my favorite LYS, just waiting for somebody to give 'em a home. Hmmm . . . .
The vest that's spent the past two days stretched onto blocking wires is dry now, so today will see some seaming done. Then it's just a wee bit of rapid crochet edging and I'm a'wearin' it - yipee!

Yesterday's Fertile Turtle knitting group had a great turn out, with a dozen of us there. Pat returned from her fiber excursions in the north, and Linda came back to us from her summer of gardening. Ryan, I missed you yesterday! I got a little surprise for ya, so I do hope to see ya next week. I brought my Jaywalker sock with which to KiP.

Once again it took two shots to fit everybody in. From left to right on the table's east side, we have Debra, Pat, Raeus, Anastasia, and Brook.

And the table's west side, from left to right, we have Mary Beth, Angelika, Barbara, Carol, and Linda. Ginger made it in right after I took these photos. She, like some others, was on a tight schedule with this being the last day before school starts in our county. And shortly after Ginger, Kim came in and starting getting to know us.

Check out that gorgeous electric torquoise roving and the yarn Linda's spinning up with it! I did point out that it's a very flattering color for me, ahem. But then it was openly declared that Raeus had first dibs on it, having gotten there before me . . . well poo. Not that Linda actually agreed to give or sell any of it (chuckle).

And just look at the colors coming off this skein of Noro Silk Lite - gasp! You know, Carol has the best eye for color of anybody I've ever known. If you were to plop her down in the middle of a convention center filled to the rafters with yarn, her radar would zero in on that one most beautiful skein of all . . . I gotta take her with me the next time I'm shopping.

And about that skein; you know how Noro is known for its color, despite being a bit scratchy? This Silk Lite blend of theirs is different -- all the color, only now it's soft! Seriously, it's like petting lotion.

She explained to me and Linda why she's decorating this year's Yule tree with a humpty-dumpty and flamingos theme . . . just ask her.

Oh! I've some more bragging to do, on our Carol. Remember that book I bought a few days ago, Knitting More Circles Around Socks ? Well, the 'Carol' mentioned in the acknowledgements is the one and the same!

Remember them square DP needles Brook brought last week? She up'd the ante this week with a pair of square circulars, and folks, their cable has 'no memory.' Wonderfully weird, these needles! And ya know, I just gotta get me some of them!

Raeus announced that on the last Sunday of this month, the 30th, we'll be doing a Yarn Swap. Woo-hoo! Dunno who's idea and who orchestrated it, but thank you!