The Fair and Next Affair

No, your browser isn't fuzzy; it's just a mohair sweater. It's going to be my first completely post-Western Idaho Fair project (Jaynesey was started long before the fair).

I'm using some Plymouth Outback mohair I bought on elann ages ago when I thought I was a hippie (hence the tie-dye). I'm not necessarily knitting this because I want a big purple fuzzy sweater but because I wanted to knit something using the mohair and because I liked the name (Portland from this fall's Knits) and I liked the construction.

Aye, there's the rub. So many of the projects I would like to wear are not the projects I would like to knit, and vice versa. I've spent far too many hours over the past couple of weeks trying to figure out what I'm going to knit this fall. Sure, there are the Christmas gifts (which deserve a post of their own), but what about for me?

In a fit of sweater mania, I've got three more big-needled sweaters planned to follow closely on the heels of Portland. Plus there is the finishing of Jaynesey (which, because the cotton sometimes hurts my wrists, will take longer than planned).

Even as I whine a bit about the selection process, it might be my favorite part. It's so full of hope instead of the errors, frustrations, gauge problems, dropped stitches and all that of the actual process.

And now that I've addressed the beginning of the process, here's a note about the end: My experiment at the Western Idaho Fair netted me a first place, two second places and a third place. That means the prize money adds up to a whopping $14 (I'll show you the two skeins of on-sale Rowen yarn I bought with that later).

Here's some pictures, minus the shawl (because I couldn't find a good picture of it and I'm too lazy to take another):
 

The Clap, well, the Clap was the only thing I entered that didn't earn a ribbon. One judge suggested it needed fringe. I think that's just a polite way of recommending that I not enter a project that wasn't really saved from disaster by a poor yarn substitution (but that's a different story). I probably shouldn't have entered it, but the pattern is just so darn cool. I wanted to show it to Western Idaho. 

This would be my second place cardigan made from a Vogue pattern from year or so ago. This is one of my favorite things I've ever made. I'm glad the judges agreed. 

These are honorable mention mittens made from Manos and some random brown yarn using the flap-top mitts pattern from Handknit Holidays. 

These are the 2nd place socks (I think that red ribbon earned me $3). Knit out of Mountain Colors, I used a pattern from Knits. Interestingly, it appeared that the first place socks used that same (or at least a similar pattern).