Two tiny steps forward - and one big slip backwards

Well, the second stash project is finished. 

A simple hat, already lumpy and misshapen with use.

The Cabled Beret - just not posed in beret mode!

And the second serving of - Hexi puffs! I'm part of a group on Ravelry making eight of these a week. The final result will be The Beekeeper's Quilt. Sock yarn and size three needles - I'm supposed to come up with about 12 per skein of sock yarn but I'm only shooting for the bare minimum of 8 per week - not the yardage.

If you are on Instagram, do a search for the tag #hexipuffKAL2014 - you'll see some fabulous puffs! Hopefully, this will use up all my sock yarn stash leftovers!

The big tumble is really my own fault.  I read the Lila and Claudine's January newsletter and - boom -

found this:

"The January Stretch Cable Goal.

Anyone interested in knitting Elizabeth Zimmerman's Saddle Shouldered Aran Cardigan?  You can do it, You know you can. Kirsten will begin knitting this sweater with you on Wednesday, January 15 @ 10:30.  Call us for more information . . . "

Now, it happens that Wednesdays are one of my busiest days of the week AND every Wednesday recently has been full of terrible cold and snow. But I'm doing it - making the Saddle Shouldered Aran out of Briggs & Little Tuffy in a lovely dark red. 

I've only made my second swatch so far (Elisabeth Zimmerman always said, "Just make it a hat!") - but it's looking good! The first swatch was out of a bulky three ply yarn and it was making my hands hurt. Luckily, Lila and Claudine's had this Tuffy on hand.

This side of the hat shows the fishbone cable.

A little farther down into the pattern lets you see the sheepfold pattern.

Now I just need to decide when to decrease and bind off. After that, I'll keep the hat around as a gauge swatch and as a source of extra yarn, in case I run short. The next step after that is to measure myself, multiply the inches by my number of stitches per inch and then - cast on the sweater!

And don't worry - I've still got the socks, the mittens and the other sweater on my plate for when I need something a little more simple to work on!