Where does this cabley focus come from?

So I was actually planning (who knows if it would have/will actually happen, of course) on getting my shit together and posting a real post tomorrow, I'd like to share with my 4 readers (who see all my stuff anyway in person on Wednesday nights) all of my recent accomplishments which, it occurs to me now, add up to about 3 things, 2 of which I don't have pictures for so... um... oh well! :)

Anyway, I saw this blanket at Linens and Things a while back, it was a gorgeous shade of burgundy, the kind of shade that either doesn't exist or for which you have to pay $30 for a 10 yd ball of pure cashmere that you can't really do anything with except sleep with and dream about and rub all over your-- Ahem. Um.

This blanket at Linens and Things was cabled and soft and drapey and so gorgeous and $80. Like any self respecting knitter without $80 to spend on something she could knit herself I thought, "Jiiiiive turkey, please! I ain't paying $80 for something I could knit myownself!" So I didn't. Ever since then it's been in my mind that I should at some point start the blanket that probably, in all honesty, will never be finished, but I'd like to have started anyway. This Christmas I received a Michael's gift card, so I went tonight and found this yarn which I'm so ashamed I bought that I can't even say the name OKAY FINE it's Caron, but it's actually really quite gorgeous and totally cheap (CHEAP!) and was like, $3 a ball and oh, so soft and EXACTLY the color. So off I go to knit my never-to-be-finished burgundy cabled drapey throw that even if I did finish probably wouldn't really match my living room at all but I'd love anyway.

I got home and pulled out my brand new Stitchionary 2 (Cables!) to find some cool funky cabley awesomeness to apply to this surprisingly wonderful and cheap-ass yarn, when it occurred to me o SNAP I gots to look at Knitty, for her WINTER ISSUE MUST BE OUT!!!

HOW, in all this Christmassy Craziness, could I forget Winter Knitty?!!??

So I happily hunkered down with my laptop to e-flip through the e-pages of my favorite e-zine when lo and behold, I saw... The Next Socks... Please go here now.

Oh, these socks are gonna be knit...

These socks are gonna be knit and they aren't gonna know WHAT hit 'em...

YOU WILL BE ON MY FEET BY MONTH'S END, AZURE LOVELINESS!

If I hadn't already started embossing leaves on the gorgeous brownie Trekking XL that I got from Ariel at our Knitterly Yankee Swap last week I'd be Azuring the brains out of them...

What? Embossed Leaves? Why, thanks for asking! I DID in fact receive Favorite Socks for Christmas this year and I absolutely LOVE the Embossed Leaves pattern! It's a lace pattern that looks pretty impressive and is still easily remembered. I love not having to look at the pattern every row. It's great! It looks gorgeous on this yarn. Perhaps someday I'll have pictures. Of course, perhaps I'll just bring them on Wednesday when anyone who may be reading this will probably already be there.

In other news, Santa was good to me this year. Literally EVERYTHING I received on Christmas day was either knitting/fiber related or kitchen related. Um, couldn't have been more perfect. OH, and I am now the proud owner of an umbrella swift and ball winder. YAYAYAY! It's like I'm a real knitter now!