Habu birthday to you
Habu birthday to you
Habu birthday, dear Mom
Habu birthday to you!

Back in November, I took Mom to Iris Fine Yarns to see the Habu trunk show.  I knew that my mother would like the Habu "style," and I was right.  She looked great in everything, and she loved every single piece -- it was just a matter of degree!

I tried on a few things, too, and was actually quite surprised at how good they looked!  I wasn't expecting that.  There's very little shaping in any of the garments, no tailoring to speak of, but the fibers, the finished fabrics, the way the garments are put together, the careful result of what little shaping there is -- I'm not saying they'd look good on everyone, but if there's an opportunity to try on these pieces, do it -- it was a happy surprise.

It was a difficult choice, but Mom ordered Kit #68.  I'm doing the knitting for her birthday present.  It came up on Saturday when we were out together -- and I told her that I hadn't started it yet.  Yeah.  The tone of her reply -- "You haven't started it yet!?" -- I was practically casting on while taking off my jacket when I got home!  The luscious Alchemy Monarch project, which had been coming along swimmingly, has been dropped like a hot potato!  I'd just attached the second ball of yarn, too, but it was MOM... the tone, the look, the inflection... oh, how could I be such a terrible, neglectful daughter?

Heh.  There are eight pieces to knit and I'm at about the half-way mark.  It's quick to knit but, man, that chart's a real trip!  This project is going to involve more than the normal amount of sewing up, and I'm just going to have to put my head down and blaze through to the finish.  Maybe I'll get on a roll and sew up Oblique at the same time!  It could happen.  The color differences in Mom's kit are much more subtle than the example on the web (and the one we tried on); the yarns are wonderful to work with.