Serious preparations are under way for the NSKO. I can't believe it's less than two weeks away. I'm getting excited. I am preparing three projects to bring with me.
The first project on the packing list is an Aran fisherman sweater for my mom. It will be made with the sport weight Jacob wool I bought last summer from my friend who raises Jacob sheep. Mom bought a pattern she liked at the MD Sheep and Wool festival. I have cast on the back and knitted about halfway up. It's a fun pattern and I now know it by heart, but it does require constant attention, so this one is for periods of serious knitting without too many distractions.
The second project is a jacket with an entrelac yoke. I bought an amazing variegated blue yarn with silver highlights (they say genuine silver, but I think it's Mylar, it has never tarnished) at Sheep and Wool two years ago. Way too expensive for my pocketbook but sooo irresistable. Only enough to be an accent in some larger piece. This summer I developed the notion that it would be fabulous combined with another yarn in the entrelac in this jacket, so I bought some solid blue worsted wool to go with it. This week I have been knitting gauge swatches to decide what size needles to use. This weekend I'll buy the needles I need and then I can get started. I have knit enough entrelac lately that I think I can do it with only minimal brain power, so this might be the one to do while travelling.
The third project I haven't started at all yet. I decided that since I'm making something for mom and something for me, I should also make something for Peter. I have some tweedy brown wool I bought almost a year ago now at a sale at a Jo-Ann superstore because it said "Peter" to me. I think it will look good worked up into a plain, ragg style sweater. I think I will take that on the trip as the simple, work on it while the flying Wallendas are taking over the living room project. I'll use EZ's proportion method as the pattern, maybe do something decorative on the yoke when I get that far, but at the beginning I should be able to work on this one in my sleep. Perfect for socializing.
As for shopping on the trip, I need to look for some yarn with fabulous stitch definition. I just found another man's sweater pattern which I just love, with some really interesting stitch patterns. Not complicated, but cool. I want to make it. I need yarn that will show all those neat looking patterns. It will be good to shop with a purpose.
