Back to Reality

Well, my school fundraising event at which my friend sold my hats/headbands has come and gone--and not one item sold. I am somewhat disappointed in this, although the items were priced a little high for students. Unfortunately, the prices barely reflected the cost of materials and my time (priced extremely low). Now I guess I'll try a few more aggressive marketing techniques on my Etsy shop, but honestly, after my marathon of hat/headband knitting, it has been nice to get back to knitting for myself for pleasure.
My first project after the hat project was the GAP-tastic cowl. I had bought some luscious Malabrigo Chunky almost a year ago for this project, and I have been getting frustrated seeing every other person in Manhattan wearing an infinity scarf that I knew I could make! I only used two of the three balls of Malabrigo I had purchased--the cowl is still 10" wide and about 60" in circumference after blocking (which gave it a beautiful, drapy feel), which is way big enough for my 5'2" frame. I ADORE the Velvet Grapes colorway and would love to use it again. It also looks absolutely fabulous in the seed stitch of the pattern.
With the leftover skein of Malabrigo, I immediately cast on for the Axel Mitts to match. I like them because the cuff at the fingers is knit long, so you can cover your fingers completely or roll it back if the day isn't as freezing as it was today! So far, I've made mitt #1 in two nights and expect to be finished with mitt #2 by the weekend. Then, it's back to the sweater and shawl I started last summer (!) and I may also cast on some socks to take with me on a business trip next week.
Despite my failed attempts at knitting for dollars, I am happy to be back to exploring my wonderful stash and knitting nice things for ME!