Ahem. There seems to have been something of a proliferation of projects on the go at Arnall-Culliford Towers. It has nothing at all to do with the season. No, nothing at all.

Without further preamble, here's the first out of the massive bag of half-done-stuff:

A Theme and Variation Hap that I started in August and promptly forgot about. I think it's ready to start the first lot of stripe short rows, but I'd have to look more closely to be sure. The yarn is the same madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light that I used last time round, and it's still lovely!

Next up is this year's Woolly Wormhead Mystery Hat KAL. I'm making the beanie version (I think - the recipient hasn't stood still long enough for me to check with her...). I've chosen a new-to-me yarn: Findley DK from Juniper Moon in the delightful orange, Tiger Lily shade. Right out of my colour comfort zone, but strangely coordinating with my project bags and the season! The mystery hat knitalong is always brilliant and I love seeing how the clues unfold. This year I even did the alternate cable cast-on method, which was new to me. As long as I paid attention to what I'd just done (surprisingly hard when tired!), it was a cinch! Thanks for the great directions Woolly!

Having already cast off a Baa-ble Hat (I shall revisit the finished projects in a few days time - there are many to catch up with!), I almost immediately cast on a pair of Baa-ble Mittens. I think that these may well end up being for one of the monkeys as they are fairly small - that may change as the sheep appear and I get too attached to them to give them up. I fully intend to knit the cowl too. In fact I will probably keep making Baa-ble things until there's no more yarn...

Next out of the bag of unfinished stuff, is my Golden Wheat Shawl. Don't laugh. I know I cast this on 5 years ago and it seems like it's never going to get done. But I really have been working on it. I've completed the centre lace. Totally completed it. That's a lot of knitting! And I'm now on the few rounds of garter stitch, before I start the wheat border. There is still a LOT of knitting to do, but if I keep plugging away at it, then one day it might be finished. Perhaps. To celebrate the progress, I've even taken a new photo of it. I'm sure that the progress will blow your minds!

I've done some work on my Puerto Montt shawl from the 2016 Strickmich Club, but not that much, as I managed to leave it at my parents-in-law's house for a few weeks. Still all progress is good, right?

In a fit of impatience, I cast on Alonzo from Rachel Coopey's new book, Socks Yeah Volume 1. These were my favourites from editing the patterns over the summer, and I couldn't wait to get them on my needles. I've gone for an, unusual for me, yellow shade called Sphene, and I'm really enjoying the twisted stitch patterning. I'm working on both socks at the same time, although not on the same needles. I just work one section on the first sock and then do the same on the second. It seems to work well, and although progress seems slow, I shall suddenly be finished and wearing a new pair of socks! (If I don't get too distracted by all these other projects!!)

Thanks to an evening chatting with friends over dinner last week, I got quite a lot of the second of my Dave socks done. I almost always have a plain pair of socks on the go, as they make the best "handbag project" - something that can be whipped out and worked on wherever I am. Although I am feeling rather in need of a project bag that says something like, "NO! I'm not going to knit anything for you." Sigh. I know I knit quite a lot, but I really have limited time to knit, and many more potential recipients than I can possibly knit for, without picking up random re-knitting of much loved jumpers belonging to people I don't know terribly well. Sorry. (I'm sure many of you know what I mean.)

I have a project bag with the yarn wound ready to knit an Extra Warm Men's Scarf by Kyoko Nakayoshi for my brother-in-lawfor that gift-giving opportunity on the horizon that I'm not yet ready to talk about. I've not cast on yet, but it won't be too long. It can't be too long... I'm using some really beautifully soft Juniper Moon Herriot in a deep dark charcoal black colourway. Another new-to-me-yarn that I touched by accident at my local yarn shop, and then couldn't resist!

Finally, at the very bottom of the seemingly-bottomless-bag-of-craft-in-progress is my PINGLEWIN! Which is odd, since this is what I spent most of yesterday working on while I accompanied a kid to a thing. I managed to make legs and join them into body, and it's looking a bit penguin-y, which is pleasing. I am slightly daunted by the many instructions still to come for the wings, beak and tuxedo hoody, but one step at a time, and I'm sure I will get there. It is super-adorable, and is sure to be stolen if I put the project down for too long.

Wow! What a lot of knitting projects! It seems even more now that I've laid them all bare for you to see. Particularly since I'm also committed to making a tree decoration for my knitting group annual swap, as well as an Emma the Bunny which is CROCHET. Yes, me doing crochet, it really is the end of times. I need to get on with that before November is out, as it was one of the things I've always wanted to make. Better get back to making...