Unnecessary Roughness

Gruesome, isn't it?  I wasn't even reefing on it - honest.  I was minding my own business, lever knitting on my ubiquitous 1 x 1 scarf (note how much longer than last time it isn't), when all of a sudden the end of the needle was pointing to a totally different part of the room than the point of it.  I was Horrified.  Stunned.  Made a number of (presumeably) strange faces while I opened and closed my mouth, carp-like, in disbelief.  Imagine my chagrin when Phillip laughed his butt off and accused me of Full Contact Knitting.  He has taken to asking me how many needles I have left each day.  I don't know why it tickles him so, but he is delighted by my accidental display of brute force.  That's when I remembered:  Dude did NOT produce a Valentine this year.  Or even an apology.  Just plain blew it off.  Guess what he's giving me for a belated present:

Yep, they're Signatures, and they're on their way to my house Right Now.  I have been resistant to metal needles since about day one, but I think the problem is that I never liked the feel of "swinging" them as I throw all my stitches right-handed.  I also have had problems with the slipperiness of metals I've tried in the past.  But since my rosewood size three's clearly cannot take the heat required for me to learn lever knitting on this particular 1 x 1 rib scarf, it's time to bust out some heavy artillery.  Plus, they are dead sexy - even if I don't like knitting with them, I'm still gonna dig looking at them.  And Phillip got me a killer Valentine, even if he doesn't know it yet (yes; I DID give him a present - Brooks Brothers necktie, thank you very much).  I'm thinking that if my spouse Amnesias enough special occasions, I could have the whole set in no time.  While I'm waiting for the goods, I started to swatch a new confection for Black Water Abbey:

That's a beautiful swatch, right there; I don't care who you are.  I didn't do the color any favors with this shot, but believe me when I tell you that Old Purple Rocks.  This is gonna be just the thing to bring the Spring!