Wow.

Since I just finished the Lacy Hug-Me-Tight, I'm down to one project on the needles (that would be the Opulent Raglan, which only needs sleeves). I prefer to have only one or two projects going at a time, otherwise I start to feel overwhelmed. (Sort of why I only have two kids, come to think of it.) But with only the one, and only a few days of knitting to finish it, I'm starting to itch for my next project.

So I put in a little quality time with my Ravelry queue. I find the queue function useful, not so much to plan what I'm going to knit when (because I'm way too fickle for that), but just to have a list of things I like and might want to knit or use as inspiration for something to knit. I do have some specific projects in mind, including the Winter Wonderland coat, Silver Belle, and Shirley Paden's Pewter Coat, (all Ravelry links, sorry!) just to name a few, with yarn waiting in the stash for each of them. And I do plan to knit them all this fall/winter. I was just clicking around, trying to decide which one appeals to me the most right now this second, when the doorbell rang.

Sometimes fate sounds just like a ringing doorbell.

I opened it to find a box full of this:

This is Beaverslide McTaggart Tweed in Arrowleaf Balsamroot (it's green, I swear, but I can't convince my camera--click on the color name to see the real color), which I couldn't resist ordering after reading Jared waxing poetic about it one more time. I tried. I really did. I visited the website at least six times in three days, each time adding yarn to my cart and then closing my browser without hitting the "submit" button. But, weakness, thy name is yarn--and I finally couldn't stand it anymore.

I popped open the box and pulled out the first skein...and all I could say was, "Wow."

It's gorgeous. Nubby and rich and tweedy, of course, but also soft. Much softer than I ever thought a wool tweed could be. And when I--the queen of all wool wimps--can call it soft with sincerity, that means you could knit a bra out of it and not be sorry. (At least about the texture. I can't speak to the issue of support, never having had anything that required support myself.) This is wool, no doubt about it, with a delightfully rustic, "mule spun" texture, and subtle sheepy fragrance, but it feels almost like a cotton or silk blend. I keep squeezing it and rubbing it against my neck, just to see if I'm mistaken about its softness.

I was immediately possessed with the need to cast on with this stuff. Unfortunately, I bought it without an actual project in mind. (Bad Yarnhog!) There isn't anything in my queue that calls for this weight of yarn either. But there is a project in my favorites that has been haunting me for a while now. It's another knitter's own creation (Ravelry link here), so there is no pattern, but it shouldn't be hard to figure out. For those of you who aren't on Ravelry, it's a top down, hip length, swingy jacket in an aran weight tweed. The yoke is done in garter stitch, as are deep bands around the cuffs and bottom. The rest is stockinette. Very simple and totally appealing. Also perfect for wearing around the house, working at my desk, taking the kids to school, running out to the grocery store, and a multitude of other daily activities, which most of my sweaters are not, since I tend to knit projects that require an outfit to look good.

And it just screams for a soft, nubby tweed. So if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of sleeve knitting to get through before I can cast on for my new project. If you need me, I'll be in my butt groove.