Good thing none of my resolutions were about blogging more...

I'd have blown it already.

At long last, I give you some evidence that I do still knit:



This is the little sweater I made for my lovely granddaughter. It's Cascade 220 superwash from the stash, with sparkly buttons courtesy of Walmart - in other words, a nearly free sweater (because after yarn ages in the stash for a year or three, it depreciates). It softened up very nicely after washing and drying, and it fits.

This is the throw I made for her parents' living room:



I used Vanna's Choice acrylic, both for economy and washability. I didn't want to make a throw that would cause heart failure if a glass of wine or cup of coffee splashed it. It is meant to be used and abused. It washed and dried very nicely, and is very soft, though HEAVY. This project took me forever because I couldn't hold the damn thing on my lap and work on it in the Florida heat - I just finished it last month. It will definitely keep them warm while watching TV.

There are a few other finished objects - like Sophie's scarf (the one she nearly destroyed) - it's done, a bit worse for wear, and I've started another in the same pattern. Photos to follow...I always say that, don't I? Sorry. And this is the year that I discovered the joys of the cowl. I love them so much, where have they been all my life? They stay in place, they look so cute, and if one is walking one's dog and one bends down to pick up said dog's business, wearing a cowl means never frantically grabbing the end of your scarf to keep it from falling forward into.... As I said, where have they been all my life?

I have vowed to upgrade my sorry-ass wardrobe this year, and make an effort to focus on things that are shaped and fitted, and not boxy and sloppy. In keeping with that vow, I have started the Monday Morning Cardigan, also in Cascade 220 from the stash - this time a nice rich chocolate brown. Fun pattern! I am halfway through the waist decreases, and really enjoying the clever simplicity of the design - it's truly ingenious, and looks great in Cascade 220.

I'm also trying to whip up this: headband before I go on a scheduled hike this weekend - again, stash yarn, this time Manos del Uruguay.

I have far less time for knitting these days - I started my RE broker licensing class yesterday, and the rusty hinges in my brain are creaking and squeaking as they are forced to think of things like algebra again. Apparently NC just makes everything harder than FL - I swear I don't remember needing to memorize so many mathematical formulas for the FL license class, lo those many years ago - and that's not the kind of trauma I am likely to forget! Even the NC textbook is more imposing:



I had to find my FL book just for comparison - it's not my imagination that the NC book is a half-inch thicker, and not because it's full of pretty pictures.

I have about four chapters of reading to do today, as well as working on memorizing the aforementioned formulas. I keep telling myself that this mental exercise is good for me...right?

We have snow in the forecast again - possibly an inch tonight, followed by more off and on for the next several days. I do believe I'll hit the grocery store early, then sit down with my scary big textbook and my calculator, and start forcing financial math into my brain. But first, the groceries.