Point of No Return

Well, I did it. I CHOSE A PATTERN and BOUGHT SOME YARN. See? See why stashing is so very useless? Anyway. The pattern is this one (PDF) (from the Woman of Many Faces - she has other neat patterns, go look) and I'm going to be using KnitPicks Andean Treasure in Peach. I am very glad I took the KnitList advice and shelled out for the color cards, for two reasons - one, I never would have chosen Peach because I have an irrational prejudice against that color name but seeing it on the card, I had to admit it's the exact color I needed, and two, I discovered that the Alpaca Cloud "Tidepool", which is just ok on the screen, is absolutely georgous in person. I covet it. Not that I'm a shawl wearer, so, you know, nevermind. I'll just have to be content keeping it at KnitPicks and petting my sample card now and then.
I finished the purse for Jo - and I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE! Argh. It came out really cute. Ed dubbed him "Percy" and I think the name has stuck. My mom did the lining for me, because my sewing skills are nonexistant. Still, I figured out how to attach the eyes, so I think I should get some credit for that. And the whole thing cost me $5. (Free ball of Bernat Disco, $2.50 purse handle, $2 remnant lining, $.33 eyes, felt and dowel "borrowed" from mom.) Anyway, I'll see if she'll send me a picture.
Started the second glove, about halfway done with the ribbing. I may wind up making three. We'll see. (Because I'm not 100% happy with the first one, and now I know what I want to change...) At the same time - I want to finish the shawl for Christmas. So the gloves, I think, will have to do. They do look good, but, you know, I can't leave well enough alone. May wind up making another "improved" pair for the cousin I drew in the family secret santa thing, I think she'd like them, but I know she's lost a ton of weight so have no idea what size they should be. Hm...
And I needed some sleepy/car knitting, so I cast on Tychus in the recycled silk. I didn't bother swatching, because I suck. No, wait, because I was pretty sure I had the gauge figured out from my previous experiments with the yarn. Anyway, I like it so far - almost 1/2 done. And it's going to be too big, but that's ok, I think - since I'm doing it in "one" color (well, so many colors they count as one, right?) it'll look equally good with the brim turned way up, and it should be very warm. And I think it'll take two balls, if anyone else wants to try. Then I'm going to make matching wristwarmers. You know, in my ample spare time. Ha!
I'm still in two minds about the silk - it's *so pretty* in the sunlight, or under a magnifying glass - but actual things made of it, meh. So I'm making my hat and will probably wear it, but it looks more like a raggy hippy-chic thing than an elegant silk hat. I'm working on "if it makes me happy (which it does) then I'll damned well wear it", but sometimes I lack the confidence to pull that sort of thing off.