Ebony and Ivory...living in perfect harmony

The other day, my roommate C's girlfriend told me I have the craziest memory of anyone she knew. My other roommate, J, overheard this and started laughing. All this came about because I was rattling off a very long list of old Disney songs without forgetting any of the lyrics. I can't help it. I heart Disney. I also apparently heart many old 80s songs that should be forgotten.

But I started a new (and I hope very fast) project for the store and every time I pick it up, those lyrics just keep poppin' on up like a frickin' Pop-Up Video episode on VH1. Yes, I watch VH1. I'm only 27 and I haven't been able to keep up with the crazy MTV kids since I was about 19.

This here is the Helsinki Hat Scarf (very creative name) in Rowan 42. The yarn? Is the recommended yarn, Rowan Cocoon. It feels like cotton candy, just without the stickiness or the gaudy fluorescent colors. It's truly, truly beautiful. A bit pricey, as is most of the Rowan line, but scrumptious. The needles? They are ebony needles from Lantern Moon. My first pair. Definitely not my last. Someone kept raving about them and I buckled and bought them for this project since I promised my cousin to make him an Urban Aran at some point and it'll use the same size. They're so smoooooth. (If you get the obscure Dead Man on Campus reference, I heart you, too.) I think I love them even more than Addis. Dang, this knitting thing just keeps getting more and more 'spensive.

We also got in a huge shipment of Noro Silk Garden and I decided to rip out the Kureyon Lady Eleanor and start anew:

Methinks this will be given to my mother. She wanted a big shawl and I don't have the patience to go through another Clapotis, considering that I haven't finished the one that's on the needles.

I also participated in my first swap. Ravelry's Fiberflix group hosted a Halloween scary movie/yummy yarn swap and my lovely swap partner, Lisa (who unfortunately doesn't have a blog) sent me movie snacks (all of which I promptly consumed within a period of 24 hours) and Shaun of the Dead, which I watched twice over the weekend. Zombies + British humor + Queen = Good Times. She also sent me the most beautiful skein of Smooshy, ever.

The color is called "Dusky Aurora." I told her my favorite colors were the "in-between" ones. Burgundy, teal, plum, rust, etc. I was floored when I got the package and the yarn contained every last one of those colors.

I could stare at this yarn for a week. I think I have. Wow, I need to get a life.

Eye Candy, presented to you in Technicolor

This here, folks, is somethin' special. I now give you...(drumroll please)...

...Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn!

Now, this ain't available yet. For good reason. The prototype that we got at Annie's is 100% wool. It's basically li'l Kureyon. It sticks to itself like buttah on bread. Just trying to reskein the durn thing so that two people could each knit up one sock was an ordeal. But apparently they're reworking it and they're planning on adding some nylon to it before they start selling it en masse. In the meantime, I get to knit a sample sock out of half a skein. The label said the skein has about 430 yds. I decided to conquer short rows -- both heels and toes. Take that, you pesky turn-and-wrap holes!

I'm still trying to figure out what garment I shall make next, but all this Kureyon talk got me weak in the knees and I had to go and do this:

Lady Eleanor, baby. But I keep wanting to write it "Elinor," like Miss Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. The entrelac is highly addictive. Every time I want to put it down, it goes, "No! Another rectangle will give you yet another color change!" What can I say? I'm a cheap date.

I started with two balls of different colors and I can't decide if I should continue alternating those two colors or just keep picking up whatever color catches my eye next. Do I want two-color elegance or do I want multi-color ragamuffin-y goodness?

Also, my pick-ups don't look bad, but the side that's ssk or p2tog looks raggedy. Is this normal or am I incompetent?