Crawling back into the light

A bout of the winter blues has been an unwelcome visitor over the last few weeks, but despite not getting it together to post anything, I haven't been entirely unproductive. Happily, the re-purposing of the Portland Tweed from the unfortunate hooded scarf into a sweater was in my humble opinion entirely successful:

TAH-DAH! Something I will actually wear (and already have)!

Pattern: Climbing Vines Pullover (Interweave Knits, Winter 2008)
Yarn: Portland Tweed by Classic Elite (bought at Sheep To Shawl in Montevallo)
Needles: US7s for the body, US6s for the ribbing
Modifications:

• Worked body in the round until the armholes,
• Simplified the armhole shaping,
• Picked up the sleeves at the shoulder and worked in the round to the cuff,
• Added a small gusset in the armpit (I HATE sweaters that bind),
• Made the neckline a little higher and the overall length a little longer

Santa Claus also had something on back order for me, which finally arrived. At last year's Maryland Sheep & Wool, I bought two hanks of Delly's Delights Twist of Heaven Alpaca DK, all they had left. I had no specific plan for it, but I couldn't leave without it. The name is perfect; it is unbelievably soft and lush, possibly the softest alpaca yarn I've found so far. And the color! A strand of chocolaty brown and one of a soft gunmetal grey (there's an oxymoron for you!) This close-up kinda captures it.

Anyway, at some point I decided that two hanks weren't enough, and two more arrived last week. Yards and yards of the most perfect alpaca yarn ever! And because I think it's so perfect, I'm utterly intimidated picking out just the right project for it. I mean, how can I even contemplate sullying something so wonderful with a mediocre project? So the search goes on for just the right thing...