Merry Christmas!

Love, Peace, Joy, Hope, and a Merry Christmas to you and yours!  xoxoxoxo

 

Wednesday Weaving: SurpriseBlameStaceyEdition

Long ago, (not really, I just don't remember, and if I look it up, the blogging will never happen) Stacey mentioned weaving kits from Spunky Eclectic and that they have a club.  I loved what she had woven, and for the first time, the idea of a club appealed to me.  I'm still new to weaving, and the club is for the rigid heddle loom.  I looked at kits.  I thought about joining the club.  I considered colors.  Then, I bought nothing.  I looked again and convinced myself not to get anything.  I made some sort of comment about the budget.  Stacey responded that $33 every-other-month probably wouldn't break the budget.  Still, I had to think about it.  Then I decided to go for it.  I decided to really go for it by not selecting a color family, but instead, choosing the Surprise option.  Then, I waited.  

Finally, the day arrived, and I had my first club shipment.  I looked at its bright loveliness, and worked to clear a spot on life and loom to weave it.  Then, life was in full swing, and it was, well, it was kind of killing me.  But we're not talking about that, and really, that kind of stuff is boring.  

Anyway, let's just fast-forward to the weaving part.  I loved playing with this kit.  It is not something I would have chosen on my own; not the pairing of yarns, not the colors, but it was perfect.  To me, it is candy corn, autumn, and sunshine.  I decided to not make it a scarf as the pattern intended, but instead I turned it into a möbius cowl.  I later found what would probably be a better way to do this, but I still think it turned out well.  The weaving was fast with the big, lumpy, bumpy, thick-and-thin, this-will-not-be-even-so-no-need-to-try yarn for the weft that was so freeing.  Then of course, there was the fun of the silver sparkle in the warp yarn that I just loved.

This is going to be either a birthday or Christmas present for the daughter, (she's a Christmas Eve baby) depending on the wrapping paper situation. 

Now, I wait patiently for the next club shipment.  Being open to whatever arrives is a good thing.   

November Goals: Evaluation Time

Since I set goals over at CrankyPants for November, that makes the first post of December an easy one.  I said I would weave two things, finish and mail a baby blanket, finish the garter center of the Bridgewater I have been knitting, crochet a doll, sew an animal backpack, make a decision about making Christmas gifts.  I did it all, although the mailing of the baby blanket was not until December 1.  Let's see how I do with December, eh?

 

Mochimochiland Modification Monday

 
So, did you try to Catch 'em All with that game?  Are you still playing?  Did someone show you that you can knit/crochet 'em all?  I caught some, still play a little, and knit only a couple.  I used my past experience and various patterns from Anna Hrachovec to guide me in the process, and that felt pretty good.  For a moment I had ideas of making many and giving them as gifts because several people in the family played the game, but my enthusiasm for doing that went away a little quicker than their interest in continuing with the game.  I think I might make more if/when the mood strikes, (I might even have part of one waiting for that mood) but for now, these two are it.     

Swap it Up

So, along with my return to blogging, I ventured into the world of swapping.  I stress about swaps, so I only plan to do a little, but if I could afford it and if they were all as great as this latest, I would swap all the time.  I played it safe with a swap over on Ravelry in Team Crankypants hosted by Cookie.  She did a great job organizing the swap.  She kept it simple, made the rules straightforward, and set a short, but reasonable timetable from sign up to mailing.  I loved the whole experience, had fun putting together a parcel for my partner, (forgot to take a picture) and love everything I received from my partner. 

 

Weaving Wednesday

What do we talk about on Wednesdays?  That's right, weaving.  Do I have it in me to carry on a weekly blog topic for the foreseeable future?  Have you been here before?  So, no, I probably won't have weaving to show every Wednesday, but that's what day it is today, and as it happens, I have weaving to show.  

 
Today I have a scarf to show.  I wove this for my brother mostly from the yarn he brought back from Iceland last year.  To add a bit more color, I also used some Lion Brand Amazing in the Arcadia colorway.  I like the scarf, and had it ready to go for my brother's birthday and his trip with his family to Shenandoah.  The yellow bit is probably my favorite, and it was totally unplanned.  That might be what makes it best.  I just loaded up the warping board and then moved it to the loom, and when I saw that yellow, I knew it would be good.  After that, I just wound stick shuttles and wove, changing colors randomly until I reached the end.  I think my brother liked it, and that is the best of all!  

Knitting Little Big Things (and crocheting, too)

And that's all I have to say about that. 

Do You Have Your Costume?

So, these were actually made back in the spring when I was thinking of giving them to my nephew for his birthday.  I wasn't sure whether they would be sturdy enough for a preschooler, I did not complete as many as I had planned, and then they just went to live in my craft room.  I'll probably add them to the collection of toys for the kids to play with when they visit; I just haven't gotten around to it.  

However, there is one that will not be handed over to the babies.  I knit the Prince as Batman/Joker when Prince died.  It still makes me a little bit sad, but knitting this little finger puppet helped. 

Weft Behind

The poor wittle blog, all by itself, so lonesome, waiting so long for new posts and comment love.  So, I decide to return to it, and as soon as I begin adding tags for the first post, there is eye rolling and an exasperated sigh.  The blog wants to protest the manner of my return, but fears another long silence, abandonment, or, deletion.  Still, I hear the sullen mutterings.  It wonders whether I deliberately chose the return post topic deliberately in an attempt to find out if we will truly hear crickets chirping in the silence after clicking the publish button.  It wonders if I had considered less popular, more repelling topics such as religion, politics, crafting my own reusable LadyDays products, or an extreme frugality that eschews toilet paper.  

Ah, but this space has never been about popularity, so I carry on with the topic lying at my feet.  What, not the topic at hand?  No, that will have to wait for me to finish some mittens.  I'm talking about weaving, and not just any weaving, but rugs.  I decided to try out weft-faced (though I keep embarrassingly and erroneously typing warp-faced, even though I do know the difference) weaving.  The purple and navy rug goes in the downstairs bathroom.  The other one goes beside Bruce's side of the bed because he has wanted a rug there and he likes this one. 

I ended up with two rugs because I was both stupid and lucky.  I was stupid to charge ahead with something new without carefully reading the directions.  What was my mistake?  I was supposed to thread every other slot/hole spot on the reed instead of every slot/hole across.  I remedied that by clipping the extra warp ends and tossing them over the back.  Then when I finished the first rug, I re-threaded the reed as well as I could, and wove the second rug.  That I was able to weave two rugs is the lucky part.  

As far as the yarn deets, the purple yarn is Cascade Pastaza (discontinued yarn, and longtime stash resident) and I think the navy is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride and Manos del Uruguay.  That I was able to use up the Pastaza and some leftover random navy yarns is another way I was lucky.  The other rug is Lion Brand Amazing in Glacier Bay.  Perhaps we will talk more about that yarn later, but it may be one of those things that we will declare never happened.  Anyway, now I just have to work up the nerve to put these rugs on the floor and use them.  Actually, that does not bother me too much.  I have made them to be used, I enjoyed making them, and if they need replacing, I will make more.  I do have some yarn.         

Thirty-Six

Well, the Rata Lace Scarf is returning to stash form.  It's fine, really.  I might give the pattern another go with different yarn sometime, but for now, it's best to just try to put it out of my mind.  I'm not without lace on the needles though.  My secret lace project has over 200 stitches per row, but it doesn't feel like it.  I think I am going to transfer the yarn to the yarn bowl, because it has probably become an at-home only project.  In other not-news, I could not come up with a picture today.  We'll try again tomorrow, eh?     

Thirty-Five

Why knit when you can look at patterns?  Yeah, I have a new book, New Lace Knitting by Rosemary (Romi) Hill.  Wendy reviewed and gave away a copy a while back.  When I entered the drawing I decided that if I did not win, I would get it.  I didn't, so I did.  While I've only given it a quick scan, I see some patterns I think I would knit and even some I would keep and wear.  I really like that there are sweater patterns written for lightweight yarns.  I am tempted to just knit a quick cowl or two, but I'm going to try to stick with what I have on the needles for now.  However, that doesn't mean I can't flip through the book and mentally go through the stash, pairing patterns and yarn.   

Thirty-Four

So, maybe FiSweMo?  I'm not really thinking about a deadline or schedule for finishing, but I would like to find out if I have been knitting a sweater I will wear.  Anyway, I'm a bit at loose ends with what to knit now.  My focus is a bit off, so I figure I can spend a bit of time with my Featherweight Wrap to Knit for now.  It is in a long-row stockinette state, so it seems like a good choice for what to work on for now.  So, no NaKniSweMo, and not even the pressure of FiSweMo, but maybe just KniThiSweSoMo.  

And now, because the big brown blob of a sweater is even less photogenic than the last time I showed it, I'll show you a picture I took back in July outside a yarn store in North Carolina.  

 

Thirty-Three

 (Edited to add the picture.  Helps to show the trouble if I need feedback, eh?)

Well, I did not look closely enough to determine whether there was a noticeable difference between the original yarn and the additional yarn for completing the piece.  However, it took less than one repeat of the edging chart to see what I could not see before.  You can see it, too, can't you?  Somewhere in my brain, I must have known this to be true, as I had already been thinking of alternate plans for the yarn.  While I am a little sad about this, this does free me up to pursue other projects.  Still, I'm not quite sure.  I might knit on this a little more before making a final decision.   

Thirty-Two

I had something on my wishlist that my younger brother said he wanted to get for me, but lamented that Amazon had let him down by not being able to get it to me in time.  We'll just gloss over the fact that he waited until the last minute to figure out what to get for me.  Fast-forward to yesterday, and I was in Costco and spotted the very thing in the store.  When said younger brother called to wish me a happy birthday, I told him what I now had.  He asked if I would be making him a Darth Vader for Christmas, and also if the book had a Chewbacca pattern.  I asked him what he was getting me for Christmas.  

  

Thirty-One

Happy Halloween!  

 

Thirty

I received a lovely surprise birthday gift of yarn and the Fall issue of Interweave Knits.  I have been smiling all day just thinking about the name of this colorway.   

Twenty-Nine

I guess it all started with what I thought was an innocuous comment a couple of months ago.  We were talking about upcoming family gatherings.  What is something of a troublesome spot is whether to have the football game on the television or not.  I fall firmly on the not side of things for many reasons.  My birthday begins a cluster of birthdays (mine, a brother-in-law, a niece, a sister-in-law) that occur in the space of ten days, so we usually just have one party.  Anyway, when I joked that there should be no football because it would also be my SuperSpeshulMagicPrincess40thBirthday, I accidentally set something in motion.  My birthday celebration became its own separate party, people decided the details should be a surprise for me, and it just kept growing, with secret Pinterest boards and everything, apparently.  

I only wish my photography skills were up to capturing the wonderful job they did.  We had a great time, and I'm keeping the decorations up at least until the end of the week. 

       
 

Twenty-Eight

Well, I think my lace plan can proceed.  I just need to figure out where I was in the pattern.  It is probably too much to hope that I took notes. 

Twenty-Seven

From time to time I begin to form knitting plans that involve knitting many of one thing or something for several people.  I do not always follow through with the plan.  This is the start of one of those ideas.  I'm not quite sure about it, but I probably need to knit at least one more or sleep before I think about deciding.  Also, it isn't anything I need to figure out any time soon, so that relieves pressure, too.   

Twenty-Six

Choosing a gift for an in-law you do not live nearby or spend much time around can be a challenge.  My birthday gift from my sister-in-law arrived, and she chose well.   

Twenty-Five

The replacement knit for the donuts may be here.  What do you think about pigs with wigs?

   

Twenty-Four

Our former neighbors called us a few days ago to alert me to an estate sale nearby they thought would interest me.  I could see some weaving looms and coned yarn in the photos, so I decided to have a look this morning.  Some things I was interested in checking out were already gone.  There was still an enormous Harrisville Designs million (or maybe just ten--counting is hard) treadle floor loom.  Even if I thought I really wanted it, it is out of my budget and is enormous.  

I came across a binder of lesson plans for teaching weaving.  I believe I spotted the name of someone I know in the class list from 20-25 years ago.  I found several large boxes of loom waste.  I chuckled to myself about that feeling of being unable to throw away yarn like that, knowing it is useless but convincing yourself it is good and you will figure out something for it.  I don't think anyone else knew what I was talking about, but I was able to identify what they had in those boxes.  I saw a bee smoker, at least five children's sewing machines, and the same bathtub toy kayak my older brother used to own.  

So, with such bountiful treasures, you're probably wondering how I got it all home, eh?  Well, I managed to limit my purchases to a few things that fit in a Rubbermaid shoebox.  I think I found a few useful treasures. 

             

Twenty-Three

 
I just can't seem to help myself.  Before I had finished the first donut I had already started to think about the next one.  By the time I cast on for the second, I already had plans for the third.  The most challenging part of making these is stuffing them.  It takes a lot more fluff than I would have guessed.  I'm sure something else will capture my attention long before I knit a dozen, but for now, I am having fun. 

Twenty-Two

Nobody tells me anything.  How many times have we thought or heard that?  I find myself in a bit of a pile of that lately.  However, I am not really bothered by it.  If I need to know, I will find out eventually, and if people need for me to know sooner, it is their responsibility to tell me.  Truly, though, it is not about me, and there are good reasons why I am not always in the loop.  

For example, sometimes there are secret plans for parties.  My sister has had a growing need to transform our very informal family gatherings into something more elaborate, and she has taken my upcoming birthday as the perfect opportunity to charge full speed ahead.  Nevermind that she is recovering from surgery, feeling tremendous stress in most areas of life, and now warring with her partner in crime for the party.  No let's just forget about that.  All I need to know is that she requires I vacate my home four hours prior to the festivities.  She needs me to come to her house to watch her children.  During this time we are to somehow persuade the toddlers to take naps.  But really, what does she have planned that takes four hours?  I might be a little scared.  

At least I have knitting to calm myself.  And that brings up another reason for secrecy.  I am going to be working on a little bit of sooper-seekrit knitting.  Operating this enormously popular blog means that I must assume that the recipients of these planned projects are reading this and every entry, and therefore, I must keep quiet about the progress.  So, here you go, some yarn that will be part of one of the gifts.  We'll all just have to endure the mystery and intrigue for a bit.  I make no promises not to hint at or blog vaguely about them, but it isn't like I have actual blogging plans.  Shocking, I know.     

Twenty-One

Knitting this would have been much faster if I hadn't had so much help.  I wish I could have captured a photo of my nephew helping me with the process.  He was lying on the couch next to me with his legs in the air and the yarn running between his toes.  To his credit, he did not create a tangled mess, only a small mess. 

Twenty

Well, I am still not quite sure what I will do with this, but learning something new is always good. 

Nineteen

Today I was amazingly productive.  I even managed to locate the pencil box of dpns.  In case you were curious, they were in a box that I walked past countless times.  Anyway, most of my productivity is particularly boring, but it is a good feeling to have those things out of the way.  It let me relax and enjoy knitting time, and allowed me to be productive with that, too.  I finished my qiviut cowl.  I think I like it.  It is still drying, but I can already tell that its dip in the bath made a difference.  Knitting with the yarn did not impress me much.  It was not unpleasant, but just did not seem very special.  It already feels softer and squishier, but I will have to wait for it to dry to know more. 

Eighteen

 
The general consensus for the qiviut yarn was a cowl, so next it was over to Rav to choose a pattern.  After a time, I finally settled on a pattern called Ziyal, and has smocked stitches.  I think this works, and hope my Monday allows me the time to finish it.   

Seventeen

Once upon a time, maybe about six months ago, there was a bit of enabling.  I saw an interesting Kickstarter campaign, was feeling rather lousy, a bit of encouragement from Bruce, and then I promptly forgot about it until summer when there was a project update.  Still, the incentive was not to arrive for a bit, so it flitted back out of my brain.  Then, the updates were more frequent, and soon the shipping had begun.  I checked in on the Rav group to read first impressions and troubleshooting.  I began to get a little excited, but mine was to be in the last shipment.  Then life got in the way, but I look forward to getting to know my Electric Eel Wheel.  I have spent a little bit of time trying it out, but there might need to be a bit of sanding here and there.  Getting right with the tension might take some time.  Reading what other people have found helpful has been good.  I just need to spend some time working on it and with it.  

Sixteen

This evening it became even more apparent to me that I need to spend some time working in the craft room.  I wasted way too much time trying to locate my pencil box of dpns, and never achieved success.  I thought picking out the yarn was going to be the tough part, but I was wrong.  Eventually I decided to give up the search for the night because I just kept retracing my steps.  For a brief moment I tried to think of someone to blame for my predicament, but I am the only person to go in that room.  I still think there is a good chance that the box is hiding in plain sight, but that is really just more reason to walk away for now.  

Well, I am still waiting to see if my lace plans will work, so I do not want to start anything big.  I came across a special skein of yarn, and now I am trying to figure out which pattern to knit.  This is the prize my mom brought back for me from her Big Alaskan Adventure.  I am thinking cowl or mitts, but I haven't figured anything out yet.  

Fifteen

Sometimes, even though it's only a tiny crescent moon, the best thing to do is throw back your head and howl.   

Fourteen

Once again, I have finished a shawl, and it feels like a success.  Why do I take breaks from lace?  Vlad is a nice, easy knit.  I may have plans for my next lace already, but there is a bit of an obstacle in the way.  I will try and take care of it soon, and hope it works.  I know you're all waiting anxiously.  

I hope you're sitting down for this.  I managed to get this in the post already.  I did not procrastinate with hopes of getting better photos.  I did not agonize over writing the right note to accompany it.  You know, getting the note right is what holds up many of my packages and emails.  I try to get it just perfect and become overwhelmed.  It is a bit ridiculous, and I am not very successful in my battles against it.  Anyway, I just jotted down a quick note, packaged it up, and got it out to the post office when I went out on cat duty today.  And while I'm on a roll letting you know how impressive I am, I'll just tell you that I also got Springtime Bandit packaged up and sent on its way, too.   

So, I am hoping for doing as little as possible tomorrow.  I think we may have been rolled over by a tsunami of rude and selfish, but we are trying to give the benefit of the doubt and call it a series of clueless folks with poor communication skills.  We're just not up for translating it.  Let's just spread a big round of Bless Their Hearts all around.         

Thirteen

I know you were starting to think that it was going to be all knitting all the time around here.  Whaddya say we change it up a bit?  I bought a walking stick.  It has a light and a compass and is purple.  I'm getting a FitBit for my birthday later this month, so that and my new stick mean I will totally be taking walks all of the time, right? 

 
    

Twelve

The rain is falling, and so is Bruce's blood sugar.  It's a bit weird, but I suppose with everything else going on, it is not surprising that this is a bit wonky, too.  It does make things a bit more challenging.  He is using the electric carts in the stores so that he can handle being up and about for longer and go where he would like and it helps him to get it a bit more walking from going out on errands with me.  That is good, except for the part where he found a mimosa tree on clearance and it became the only thing he ever wanted.  So, I planted a tree today.  

The next 36 hours or so look to be fuller than I would like.  Next time we're in the hospital, we both ought to have checks to see where your backbones have gone.  Yeah, I'm willing to take part of the responsibility, but I will also say that other people could be more considerate, too.  I need to watch out because I am in danger of popping off at the next person who annoys me.  I think it is time to sit with the quiet and some relaxing essential oils and just breathe.  Never mind, I bought ice cream.  I will take time to take care of myself some other time.  Really, I just need to spend some time chilling like these two.  

 

 

Eleven

What can I say?  Today was a day filled with laundry.  I was a bit strategic with it to minimize the need to fold clothes and maximize the number of loads completed.  I will probably finish my night trying to stream something on Netflix while pairing socks and folding towels.  

I did manage to get rid of a piece of drama furniture.  It is good to have it gone, as it was trouble from the start.  It was one of those things where different expectations could not quite come into alignment.  I hope to have its replacement soon, and that the drama can just be done. 

It wasn't all fun and games around here.  I did manage to spend some time knitting.  So, here she is, a tiny fairy to bring you peace in your new week.    

 

Ten

Vlad is finished and after a nice soak, it will enjoy its time being pinned out on the blocking squares.  Perhaps it will get its picture taken tomorrow.  A photo shoot is certainly more appealing than housework.  Of course, I might do well with some extra resting tomorrow.  Today was a bit of work out in the yard and on the exterior of the house.  You're jealous, I know.  

I have hopes that this will be a quiet week.  I'll be checking in on and caring for my cat-nephew, or nephew-cat if you prefer.  Or you could just say that my older brother is heading out of town for fun and excitement, and because I have no discernible life, I will be looking in on his cat.  I don't mind.  The cat is deaf and old, and possibly not very bright, but he is nice. 

And now, a little bit of love for this weekend.  I knit these earlier this year.  *mwah* 

 

Nine

Well, after this week, I needed to do something to shake it off a bit.  I wasn't coming up with the right answer until I received an email announcement of some new patterns.  After that, I knew what I needed to do.    

 

Eight

We are so glad to be home.  Now to settle in for some sleep, and then maybe some boring normal.     

Seven

A new stent in an old graft was today's adventure.  My sister is feeling well enough to be grumpy (yeah, she has been in the hospital this week, too) with people.  We have a gremlin in our call button that randomly sends a help request to the nurse, the tech, or even the kitchen. Maintenance has been by a couple of times.  We are all keeping a good sense of humor about it.  We have good reason to hope that we will go home tomorrow.  Access to the innerwebs remains spotty.    

Thank you for sticking with us.  xoxoxoxo

Six

Yeah, that hospital wi-fi I was wondering about yesterday?  Not so much.  Some error banned access for everyone, and after that, it has just been slo-o-ow.  While our current adventure is important and consuming for us, telling others is all rather boring, as most medical things are, and we have another day of it tomorrow.  I thought I was going to make it back to the house today, but that didn't happen.  Maybe we'll get better information tomorrow that will give us some answers.  Maybe not.          

So, no picture for today.  You can picture an almost completed Vlad, if you would like.  I managed a few rows.  I'm on the last charts.        

Five

Not every Monday can be a favorite.  We are fine, even though this isn't how we wanted to spend our time.  Maybe we'll see how the wi-fi is flowing tomorrow.  I think it will be another day of waiting, but this time in an area where I can bring some knitting.  

 

Four

I promise I did finish this yarn, and during the Tour, even, but I just haven't gotten a picture of it.  Let's see if the promised sunshine of this week makes a difference, eh? 

Three

 
You know how it goes.  Your brother vacations in Iceland, he brings you back some yarn, and then he notes with surprise that those are his colors.  Well, I did have a ridiculous idea to make something for everyone for Christmas.  Something about an Icelandic cat of legend, but before I was working the decreases on the first hat, I was over that.  

Anyway, I used the charts from the North Iceland Mittens pattern in Folk Mittens and made this hat for my brother and gave it to him for his birthday today.  It fits, and it even matched the outfit he was wearing.  He declared that it would be the hat to accompany him on his journey to Maine this week.

   

Two

Well, once I finished the last shawl, it was time to knit another.  I wanted to get back to knitting for the friend I was originally knitting for when my plans changed.  So, once again, I went to the stash.  I really wanted to knit with my Knit Picks Aloft because it felt so lovely, and the color seemed perfect.  However, I have never knit for this person before, and I am not always sure about mohair content for the uninitiated.  I finally decided on some Dream in Color Smooshy in Night Watch.  It was a special skein that had been waiting for the right time, and this plus the colors convinced me that this was the yarn for this shawl.  After that I was searching through Ravelry once again for patterns.  I narrowed it down to two, and then to one--Vlad.  

The knitting has been wonderful.  The yarn is so nice and squooshy.  The stitches are flowing, and I am making great progress.  My new early birthday present is adding to the enjoyment, too.  Brucie bought me this lovely HiyaHiya Sharp Interchangeables.  We're also enjoying a delightful change in the weather, and with a little bit of streaming some quality television/movies I should be done soon.  

One

There was a plan to knit a shawl for someone.  I went through the stash.  I considered options, and finally it was the color that called to me.  After that, I searched through patterns on Ravelry, and the pattern I settled on Echo Flowers Shawl.  It had even been in my queue for a bit.  I had not been knitting for very long before I realized that the shawl I was knitting should actually go to someone else.  One evening I was knitting along and admiring the color, when my thoughts turned to my cousin.  She is getting married next month, and one of her colors for her wedding is teal.  From that moment, I knew that this shawl was meant for her.  So, I knit on, thinking good things for her and her wedding and this new chapter in her life.  My cousin has had a different and challenging life, and I have such hopes for her.  It is her turn for some good things.  

Anyway, back to the knitting.  When it came time for the nupps, I decided to substitute beads, and I am really pleased with the decision for a couple of reasons.  First, it looks so lovely.  I used the leftover beads from my Celestarium.  Second, when I finished binding off, I guessed that I would have run short if I had worked the nupps.  I only had a little bit of yarn left, and if I had worked the nupps, I might have run short.  So, it would seem it was the right decision.  Of course, once the shawl was off the needles, I was concerned that it would be a bit small, but it blocked out beautifully, and I feel like it is a nice size.  Now I just need to get an address, and then get it in the post.  

Echo Flowers Shawl (had trouble capturing true color)

 

Le Tour-ish?

Well, it is that time of year, so I have been spinning, but I am not challenging myself in the tradition of Le Tour de Fleece.  I am participating in the way that a member of Team Crankypants does, in that, if I can convince myself it counts, it counts.  I'm spinning Malabrigo Nube in the Plomo colorway.  Note the pin and Labbit, both prizes from Mochimochiland.  I bought the fiber from the grand re-opening/relocation of the lys.  The first bobbin of singles is done, and I am making nice progress on the second.  

A few days into the Tour, we were off touring a different part of the country, exploring possibilities for Taki's probable move.  We checked out possible locations in the area, work things, and just generally got a feel for the area.  It has a lot of potential, plenty to do and see right there, and only a short drive for other adventures.  Three hours from the beach, three hours from the mountains--that's how one person summed up the location.  It was a good trip; we made a lot of progress, got answers, settled some uncertainties, and enjoyed our time away.  As nice as it was, it is good to be home.  

 

Time to Return to the Sweater?

 
Ta-da!  Julia is finished!  I like it, and think it will be a nice addition to the wardrobe for cooler weather.  I -alonged this with Stacey, but I think she might have abandoned hers for now.  I understand, because I needed to take some breaks, too.  Thank you for bringing this pattern to my attention and inviting me to knit it with you, Stacey.  

 
Now that it is done, I need to decide what gets my attention next.  I could return to my socks.  The roller coaster that was May caused me to have something of a gauge issue, and I need to rip back, but I'm not really feeling it.  If I didn't already have the first sock finished, I'd just frog the whole mess and forget about it.  

I could focus (no pun intended) on getting to know my new camera.  It is a hand-me-down from my brother, and there is a lot to learn.  I have had it for a little over one week, and I have been reading, but this is definitely going to be a process for me.  I joked that this nicer camera would mean that my photos would magically become better, but like so many other things in life, it will take time and effort.  The time, I have.  I can put in the work, too, but we are still rather worn out from everything.  

 
So, that leaves the sweater.  The big brown blob waiting for its turn.  The big brown blob getting close (well, it was for a while) for me to decide whether I want to keep the reverse stockinette hem, or opt for something different.  I recall that I was thinking garter stitch, but I don't remember why.  What I do remember is that I wanted to have this sweater finished this summer if possible.  So, I guess that makes the decision for me.  Besides, it's too hot to do anything else besides stay inside--it's sweatering time.  If you have any input on the sweater, please chime in with your opinions.  I only have about ten more rows before it is decision time.  (ETA: the sweater is Featherweight Wrap to Knit)  

Of course, I did pre-order this book and am already enjoying it, so we'll just see what happens.  As you can see, I've already knit a dolphin and a crab.  I love this book, and these cute little creations are perfect for taking a break from those long sweater rows and all the brown.