I am in fun fur heck

OK, it is January 15 (Happy Birthday, Dr. King!), and I am already having trouble sticking to my 2007 knitting resolutions. Haven't caved yet, but....... I am in fun fur heck (the Movie Maven does not like bad words, so I refrain for her sake). I have a lovely new project on the needles, which is a gift and therefore I cannot post photographic progress. That it is a gift also means that I cannot work on it when the future recipient is around (which he or she happens to be a lot on a holiday weekend), which means that, according to the 2007 KR's, I have to work on a UFO whenever I am not working on the fun new secret project. And the UFO I've opted (god knows why) to tackle is the fuzzy pillow for the Movie Maven.

OMG. Endless stockinette fun fur. I perish.

But I am determined to get it Off My List, so I persevere, which is particularly difficult since this arrived:

Isn't it luscious? Laceweight merino in gently heathered greens. Oh, I love it. It's going to be the Paws to Remember scarf, my very first lace project. Giving in to my occasional tendency to be a gearhead, I ordered a set of lace blocking wires with the yarn.

However... even though I had the yarn and the blocking wires in hand, the pattern for the paws scarf was still en route to my home, and rather than plunge myself back into fun fur heck I cast on some Noro silk garden from my stash:



[It is ENTIRELY possible that there's a poodle in that picture.] Anyway, it's a fishtail lace pattern that I found on the web, very easy to memorize and fun. I did find, though, something that it's impossible to learn looking at pictures on other peoples' blogs: I can't put Noro next to my skin. itchy scratchy ootchy. I can knit with it, but my neck rebels against its scritchy charms. So I think maybe this scarf will go to the school silent auction. What shall I suggest it's worth (without the poodle)?

On a c o m p l e t e l y different subject, my chorus has begun rehearsing for our March concert, one old piece and one new. The new piece, an Amy Beach work with which I'm completely unfamiliar, was fun to read through, kind of like starting a new project when you're not familiar with the mode--like, casting on for your first lace. Exciting, intriguing, but you really don't know how much you're ultimately going to like it. But ah, the Poulenc "Stabat Mater"--THAT'S like digging out your most luscious stashed koigu and casting on for a pair of perfectly perfect socks. You KNOW you love it. You've walked this road before. It's all gravy. Any more metaphors you'd like me to toss in? If you're still not sure what I mean, go put on your favorite pair of handknit socks and find yourself a recording of the "Stabat Mater." And enjoy.