Maglia!: Not only knitting

Shopping in Italy is the best. There is something about little boutique and people talking in Italian that makes me go for my credit card, even if with the Euro at 1.3 - picture me cringing. And the bin sale basket of the yarn store just around the corner from my parents' place? Dangerous. And I do miss so much the whole "leave your place and just be there among people, bars (those are coffeehouses in Italy), and shops versus the "leave your place and be in the middle of nowhere" I have here. Yes, I have neighbors, but wouldn't you choose a little boutique or a yarn shop over a neighbor any day?

Moving on to my shopping, here it is, combination #1:

The Francesco Biasia bag is a present from my wonderful friend, and I just love it. Plenty of pockets but so stylish. And it goes so well with my $9.99 Ross shoes (missing from the photo), my street vendor belt (oh, the street vendors in Rome!) and my 50% off black pants from L'Altra Moda (it's winter in Italy, fall stuff on sale, I live in California, ah ah). I wore the black pants on the flight back so they are in need of a trip to the cleaners. What's missing? Marc is missing! Do not fear, already ordered some Cascade 220 in Christmas Red

from Mrs Knits Yarn Shop because I needed to order one skein in Cerise Pink - full story later.....

Moving on to combination #2:

Don't you just love the shoes?

Once in Rome I went straight to my favorite shoes place and I cried - horrible shoes at unreasonable prices. Then I find this other places, and I almost bought a pair of pink boots beside the two pairs of shoes I did buy. But I asked myself, when I am going to wear boots in California? The owner, who lived in Monterey for a while, agreed with me. The scarf is from the street vendor as is the belt.
I did not make the pink sweater, I bought that too, but the whole enchilada will look fabulous with the Ribbi Cardi I am going to make with the Peruvian Highland Wool I bought from Elann.

What about yarn? Here it is, combination #3:

The blue shoes and the blue yarn. I am planning to make the "Canotta Azzurra" with the yarn. I fell in love with the Lane Della Robbia yarns, hence a close out of Spennakero

Moving on to more yarn addition, I bought this one

to make a replacement for this huge cardigan

I must have bought when I was pregnant. Any suggestion on the pattern? Patterns wish list:

- Rebecca knitting magazine #28
- Rowan Plaid Collection

This yarn reminds me of cappuccino con panna, and I think I'll do something with white kind of fluffy borders, like Fluffa's fluffy jacket. to get the necessary yarn, I'll need a trip tp the LYS. Oh oh ......

Then surprise, it's green!

I do not usually wear green, but this one ..... No idea what to do with it, thought.

What about some finished or current projects? I did finished the pink blanket, but no photo because I left it in Italy with the friend who is having the baby girl. I need to make another one for another friend, so I'll have a photo eventually. The poncho is almost finished!

I need to sew it, make a croquet border and I am done.

Question: what do you do on a 14 hours airplane trip when you cannot knit because needles are not allowed on board? You learn how to croquet, so I present you the first three squares for the Juliana afghan:

Back to the poncho, it was intended for a 18 months old girl, but it is way too big. That means that I'll make another one - yarns and patterns searches are so dangerous. This is a not exhaustive list of yarns I am dying to buy:

1. Tahki Dazzle

2. Tahki Magic 02 Sand N Surf

3. Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky Yarn

4. Debbie Bliss Merino DK

What about the story of the Cascade 220 for the Valerie Poncho?