The return to the real world

I didn't finish the x-back before I left for vacation because I thought a silly thing like packing was more important. So I left it behind so I didn't have to tote along a finished project for my whole trip. This is how it looked when I left, and how it still looks:

 
I did bring the yarn I bought months ago for making my own x-back.

 
This is where I made my first mistake. I brought along the yarn and the needles, thinking I'd make good progress on the plane, and I cast on the stitches and started knitting along, and lo and behold, I could see right through it. That would be a definite problem. I only had one set of needles, and no other yarn, and so I was SOL. No projects to knit. What would I do? Well, I went to a local yarn shop, North West Wool, and bought this:

 
I have a friend expecting a baby, so I bought a Debbie Bliss baby book, and beautiful Debbie Bliss cotton yarn to make a baby jacket, and the cream wool is to make a hat for the friend we were visiting in Oregon, who loves hats. I started the baby jacket.

 
Here's an up-close shot of the stitch:

 
So that's what I've been up to knit-wise, pictures and all. My plan is to finish the x-back this week, and really delve into the baby jacket. It's so tiny! It's so cute! I'm really looking forward to this project, and then I'll knit myself the x-back. Well, maybe I should do my x-back first, so I can wear it, as the baby's not due until December, and I'm knitting the 6 month size. I ordered the Katia yarn before the vacation, but it didn't come before I left, so here it is (it's the same as what Minty bought).

 
I also bought a set of addi turbos for the x-back project, and the Knitters Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, in which I will hopefully find a pattern to make my brother a sweater in the not too distant future. So, that's my last two weeks. Hopefully more knitting updates soon.