Isn't it Gorgeous???

This, my dears, is a hand-knit purse. It's blue and silver with a big Ravenclaw eagle. Know how I got it? A wonderful friend from Norway, yes Norway, sent it to me as a RAK. I opened the package and almost fell down. It's so beautiful. She's even lined it, so it's ready for me to start carrying it around - but I'm a bit nervous because I'm a messy person and I don't want to ruin it.

I've been making some socks as planned. The Jaywalker was pretty easy but I'm not loving it. It's a very simple repeat - pattern row, knit row, repeat. Monkeys, however, are a longer repeat of pattern stitches - twelve rows - but I love it. I made the first sock full length just because the knitting was so fun. I'll be casting on the second one tonight.

I dyed up some new yarns this week, one of which is a tencel blend that is glossy and shimmery - and black and purple. I've spent a couple of evenings looking through patterns that I think will be perfect. This morning it hit me - Fawkes. I did some research and it's an easy repeat, kind of lacy, Harry Potter-inspired, and just all of the things I like in a sock pattern right now. I'll be starting that tonight, too.

Speaking of yarn, the Chaos skein from a couple posts down is sold already! I was really surprised. I wasn't thrilled with how it turned out and thought for sure that the purple one would go first. My new skeins are inspired by Johnny Ramone. We'll see how they go. I think they're wonderful. (Who's that, you ask? See the man in the sidebar!) Alot of my yarn colors are based around musicians, and it's not intentional. I see the finished work and think "oh, that reminds me of Janis Joplin" or something. Apparently music is more important to me than I really knew. Of course, lately the only tunes around here have been from the movie Hairspray - I hope I don't wind up having a skein for John Travolta-as-big momma!

Hand problem update - according to the blood tests, there is no inflammation, so I don't have arthritis. My problem is nerve-based, so I'll be starting a new medication. I really hope it works. I'm much too young to be this achy.

Tomorrow is the Midwest Fiber Fair! I'm going up with Jenny and it's gonna be so fun! I've never been to a fiber fair before. I'm taking lots of bags to carry my purchases. Anna, from Knitting in Nature, will be going too - maybe I'll get to meet her in person. I'm just so excited that I can't sit still. (I can't sit still normally, but anyway...) I'm going to try to remember the camera so I can share it all - but I'm getting picked up at 6 in the morning, so we'll see!