On of the nicest things I do in the mornings when getting my bag ready for work is to plan what knitting I will take to do on my commute - my commute can be up to 1 1/2 hours each way, so theoretically I can get a lot of knitting done (my projects don't seem to grow that quickly though!).

Yesterday I packed the Central Park Hoodie, of which I only have the rest of the second sleeve to do before blocking it, sewing it, and finishing it with the hood and button bands. I really want to get to the blocking/sewing stage by the end of this weekend coming (I am BORED with this project now - dangerous, as startitis beckons).

But when I came to pull it out, I realised I had left the pattern notes and cable needle back at home. Luckily I could pretty much remember the pattern, up to the point at which I would need to shape the sleeve caps and I was a little way off that, but I did need the cable needle. However, inspired by my mother who manages to turn out beautiful, complex knits without stitch markers or holders, or cable needles, or indeed any of the fancy notions I use all the time, I rummaged in my bag and found a large paperclip, and so it had to do, bent into a kind of cable needle shape. And it worked fine, so fine that I didn't even bother bringing my cable needle today.

On another note, Spring/Summer Knitty is up, and I want to do two patterns from it - Buttonheads, and the Torreyana shoulderette; I will just have to be strong and hold off starting until I finish the Central Park Hoodie's second sleeve...