Knitting! Huzzah!

Excuse me all - may I have your attention please? I have an important announcement to make!

I FINALLY have knitting to show you!!!!

I've had a weekend chock full of knitting and it's been so nice!

First, I finished up my secret knitting.That's all I can show you for now. The recipient won't get it until tomorrow, so I'll post more details then.

Once I cast off that project I was just itching to cast on for something else. I really should have gotten back to Fable, but the call of cracking open a new skein of yarn was too strong. I considered socks, but Dave was hogging the computer and I hadn't yet printed out the pattern I had saved for the socks I wanted to knit next.

So I knit a few more rows on Starry Zetor while I considered it, and eventually decided on Veyla.
I've loved this pattern since I first saw it - it's at once bold and feminine. And as I sit directly under the ventilation system at work and my hands tend to get quite cold, it's a practical choice too.
For yarn I chose my Alley Cat in "Opium Den". I had set this aside to make a pair of Rivendell socks, but I needed something neutral that would go with almost everything I wear to work. I love this colour. As the name suggests, it's a smokey grey, but what the picture doesn't show are the undertones of purple, blue, and green.

I went down to a 3mm needle as I tend to knit loose. I also have smaller than average hands. I knit both the right and left cuff up last night. The pattern doesn't say to block them, but I really think lace needs to be blocked. Once I got them pinned down I realized I'd lost my spray bottle of water. I could have unpinned them and soaked them then pinned them down again, but that was too much work - so I got out my bottle of Febreze. It worked pretty well and they smell lovely, but it did make it a little stiff, almost like starch, but they lose that stiffness as you handle them.

I have to redo the left cuff, because I realized I messed it up. But this afternoon I forged ahead with finishing up the right hand.
I love the little details in this pattern. Especially the thumb.

(It's really hard to take a picture of your own hand, let me tell you)

I still need buttons. My first thought were for pearl buttons, but after going through my stash, I think some nice pewter ones would work too. I have some perfect ones, unfortunately they are much too big, so I'll have to keep looking.

And once, I get these finished, I will go back to Fable. Autumn is definitely here and I'm in the mood for sweaters!