Saturday, August 28, 2010

The carrot and the stick.


Nothing like a little motivation to jump start a two-year-old languishing work in progress. Ten more squares after these dry. I remember now why I stopped working on this.... I loved knitting these squares, but I hate blocking them! At least now I don't have to do them one at a time! I love these mats as blocking boards!!

Friday, August 27, 2010

I just entered the State Fair!

I can't believe I did it!! I will have to take time off to get my entries there and pick them up, but by gosh, I did it! Heck, I have never even BEEN to the state fair! I betcha I go this year!!

So, I entered Fancy Work> Knitting> Shawl, and I think I will choose the Aeolian. I still have some time to get that decision made, but I can't imagine anything prettier than this one.... Though I have Artichaut on the needles, so we shall see!
The REALLY crazy part was this: I entered the Afghan> Squares division. And THIS is the current state of the afghan made of squares.... I have to finish the Lizard Ridge before OCTOBER FIFTH. Five weeks from now. Nothing like a deadline to get ME moving, huh??? I think I need to go block a square....

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Sad, sad shawl.


Not the shawl itself.... the occasion. I love the shawl! It is the Little Arrowhead by Pam Allen (love Pam Allen!) and I think it turned out beautifully. When I started working on it, I thought that it was coming out looking like that 70's wicker lattice print. You know the one I mean, the one on every kitchen chair cover produced in the years 1974-1980? Anyway, it seemed dated to me, and not worthy of its recipient.


But blocking performed its usual miracle.... Look at that! It is made in Rowan Cashsoft 4 Ply, which is much heavier yarn than called for, but so, so soft. Cashmere totally lives up to its reputation! (Imagine that, the proverbial "they" got it right!!)

No, the sadness comes from the occasion. Roberta, my beloved boss at work, is retiring. I am happy for her, but my mean, selfish little heart is grieving! I am a bad person, truely.

I hope this is a good gift for her, that it is enough to say everything I want to say about what she has meant to me. I wonder sometimes if non-knitters understand the love that gets knitted in? I hope so in this case....

Monday, August 23, 2010

So....

How do they get the skins off the mandarin orange sections??

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Cranking 'em out!


I love this pattern! Not only did it take a mere 10 days start to finish, CHECK OUT this detail:

I don't know WHY I love that point so much.... Something about the way that it curls around itself. It is just such a neat, perfect motif!!
This is number six for 10 Shawls in 2010. I didn't really think I could do it, but it is beginning to look pretty good! Numbers seven and eight are on the needles, (though I believe Brandywine is not long for this world. Poor little Brandywine.) and I am already trying to decide what number nine will be. Number nine needs to be a Christmas present.... It is already past that time!! And I still need to get another one over 500 yards done before the end of the year.... Maplewing? Artichaut? Trevi? I so love Anne Hansen's patterns, I feel like it needs to be one of hers next, and Trevi is probably perfect for one of the Alpaca Silk cones I haven't cracked open yet.

I just love being in the position of having yarn and patterns to match! The best decisions in the world!!!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Can you be SAD backwards?

Is there any such thing as Seasonal Affective Disorder in reverse? It is close to 100 degrees here again today, the latest of many such days, and the perceived temp is 105. It is weighing me down, seriously. I can barely function!! How did anyone do this in hoop skirts and corsets??