Knitting bug bit me...

I've had some fun the last couple of weeks knitting little and bigger caps. My first project was all the sizes of the pumpkin caps. A teacher friend now in another state, has a precious preemie son named Eli. She's used Facebook to share all his growth during the first weeks of life, and I wanted to knit him a little cap or two, so he will get a package this week with the smallest pumpkin, and the smaller of the two variegated caps.  The larger variegated and pumpkin caps are for Livvie. Her two cousins will get the cap with the snowflake and the one to its left. Our Alaskan part of the family will be coming back for a short visit! Visits from faraway family and friends are always too short!

My rug hook has been calling my name the whole time, I'm working on my Karen Kahle "Sweet Bower", and have a new one from Kris Miller, Spruce Ridge Studios. It is Kris's adaptation of Not Forgotten Farms *Lori Brechlin* original note card of a Mermaid. I'm in the thinking about a story part of the planning.  I've been thinking about weather above and below the water, whether I want a "fancy Nancy" type mermaid, or one more simple and elegant. Thinking about the colors I'll want above and below the waterline...

So even while I've been using my hands to knit, my mind has been hooking, rehooking, and the rug is starting to come into focus for me. Sometimes that daily 10 minute rughooking stretches out to much longer even without picking up a hook.

I've started dyeing the extended colors for my personal palette, and again love April DeConick's organization method, for her book, THE WOOL PALETTE.  Just heard that Lulu's book's will soon be downloadable on a Barnes and Noble Nook, so that might be another way to get a look at and try her method.

I can choose colors for MY grays, blue greens, yellow greens or deeper blue violets. The extended colors are even easier than the original 12 because of her method... but no less exciting to see in the reveal. At one point in my life, I'd have enjoyed combining to see what happens, now I appreciate knowing that combining orange and yellow green will give me.... if you'd like to know the answer to that question...read her book, or try dyeing it to find out. ]:)