It's a Slippery Slope

Oh dear. It's a slippery slope once you begin to descend. I went to the LYS yesterday to buy a set of bamboo 2.5mm dpns for my airplane knitting and left with the needles and this:

It's Araucania Ranco Solid 75%wool, 25% polyamide hand dyed Chilean yarn. Everybody say "mmmm"... Isn't it just a yummy colourway? I think my Monkey socks have transferred their loyalty from the yarn I got the other day...

I have the willpower of a gnat. So much for no more yarn until Florida... sheesh.

Thanks for the comment Del, I tried to wind this skein using the back of the chair into a centre pull ball. It was working ok, but I found it much easier using the flexible arms of my 6 year old daughter. I don't think the center pull part is going to work though, but at least I gave it a try. Not bad for my first ever wind I think.

A couple of nights ago I woke up in the bed and nearly gave my husband a heart attack saying "Oh My God, it's Mam's birthday next Wednesday!" I don't know how I left it so late to remember! So, Monday morning I cast on for this:

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/kms-lacyStole.html?noImages=0

(free registration may be needed on the Lion Brand site to see the pattern)

using this:

It's some old yarn I found in a shop last year that I think must have been on the shelf forever. It's acrylic, but really soft and has kind of silver metalic threads in it. Perfect for a glamorous shawl or scarf.

My progress so far:

Not bad, no? I kinda like it. I know it's meant to be a shawl, but I think it would make a lovely scarf, maybe folded over. It's an easy knit, an 8 row repeat with only 4 of those rows lacework.

I hope to have it finished in time!

Dad's sock is progressing, I've turned the heel and am knitting down the foot of the first one. The only reason this is progressing is because it's my car knitting for the commute every day. I'd do the shawl/scarf if I could, but I can't keep count with the radio on and my daughter chatting and my husband yelling at other motorists!