On my needles: the summer dreams edition

This week I have been working on a project from 'way back in last June, when we went to Wisconsin to visit relatives.  Our route took us through Madison, where I conveniently managed to find, right around lunchtime, a charming little yarn store that I can no longer remember the name of nor find on Ravelry -- what a shame!  I purchased some bamboo yarn there to start Claire Montgomerie's "smock top" from Easy Kids Knits for K.  The pattern is adorable, a little airy sleeveless thing with a picot hem and a seed stitch heart adornment, and I am afraid I am not doing it justice, but blocking will tell.  I still have a ways to go on this.

And then there is the ubiquitous Shalom Cardigan, this week in Cascade Yarns Baby Chunky Alpaca, a distinct improvement from the Ecological wool in both texture and stitch definition.  It is creamy-soft and luscious to work with and slips off my addi turbos like a dream.  My hope is that, with excellent yarn and pattern figured out, all will now be smooth sailing.

Look for my elf hat to come off the needles soon.  I am plotting some Pointy Elf Mittens to go with it!