Secret Pal 10 Contest

This is easy...I just have to mention what I'm working on now, who it is for and why I love it.

Here it is, the fav UFO...
This is the Easy Ripple Shawl from LionBrand. I'm even using LionBrand MircoSpun yarn in Blush and Coffee. I love this combination of colors even though my favorite color is BLUE. Of course, the red chair does nothing to help the shawl...I should really find somewhere else to take my pics!

I've used this pattern and yarn before-I made it for my sister-in-law in black a few years ago for a Christmas gift. I don't typically make the exact same thing twice. That's not fun for me. But I was having a tough time deciding what pattern to use. I thought about using a pattern from Arctic Lace (there's a whole other post just waiting to be created about why I LOVE Alaska), but using the double strand just wasn't working out well.

The shawl is so soft and will definitely be warm when it's finished-hopefully very soon!

I also finished my MadCow Socks (first pattern in SockMadness). They turned out better than I expected. I used up a bit of the stash (KnitPicks Essential in navy) left over from another pair of socks. They feel great-warm and snuggly! They even ended up being jogless-Wooo Hooo!!! That never happens for me... I guess I got lucky!!!

So much...

I have been quite busy of late. I've been trying to stay ahead with my grad school class, but am not being entirely successful about it. It's tough to do when I am a procrastinator by nature. My BEST work has ALWAYS come at the 11th hour. In high school, my partner and I WON the biology portion of the science fair by putting the whole project together the night before. (Yikes!) In college, my best paper in poli sci-finished the last minute and running to class to turn it in (me? run? I think not!)

Back to the being busy...Jason and I went to the Caps game on Saturday (hockey) with our friends, Niki and Colleen. It was a very sloppy game. I almost got to see a fight (darn those referees!). It's not hockey without one!

I've also been knitting a shawl for MYSELF with the Lion Brand Microspun in coffee and blush. It's turning out well. I'm using the feather and fan pattern that came on the label. I've made it before, but never with double strands. It will be nice and warm when I finish. I also completed two dishcloths for Niki as a housewarming gift-she moved in to her new abode last May (better late than never!). This is one of the dishcloths. I really like how it turned out. The pattern is from Creative Knitting. (I forget what issue and I'm too lazy to go downstairs and look!) Niki posted a pic of the festive dishcloth on her blog. Check it out!