Ain't it purty?

I come back to blogland after a stressful and challenging week of video production. Gotta pay those yarn bills. My beads arrived yesterday from EarthFaire and they go perfectly with the Schaefer Laurel Catherine the Great colorway. I had ordered some beads from another source and the color just didn't work, but these are great. They kindly provided a dental floss threader and I was able to thread the beads without too much trouble, and have now done six rows of my Amazing Lace project, "Variations on a Frill." This was my first time working with beads. I ordered "megatamas" which have the hole slightly off center which positions them differently (and nicely I think) for garments. I am imagining all kinds of uses - I really like this idea of beading on the cast-on and want to start investigating other fun ways to incorporate beads into the knitting. I got some other beads in other colors: a lovely gold, peony pink, chartreuse, and ice/silver

Also pictured is the "right half" of the front of my Victorian Jacket in Great Adirondack. I have six pattern blocks to go, then the sleeves and then the lace edging and finishing.

I have completed the third of my cable strips for the throw, and ordered two additional colors of Cashmerino Chunky so I have all my supplies. I got coral and teal - I think it will be beautiful. I expect to receive my Vogue cable stitchionary any day now so maybe I'll find some cool cables to try out.