Fin

The purple pewter shawl is complete! And, I have to say, it surpassed my expectations. To be sure, it is a simple lace pattern, but this is the first time that I have made such a large piece using allover lace stitchery. The size turned out perfect (about 56" wide)- my biggest fear was that I would end up with something too big for a kerchief, too small for a shawl! This also marks the most substantial work that I have made with my very own handspun. Below are some pics, pre- and during blocking (I just love the difference some water and pins make):

Yay! Crappy pics taken in low light! My signature look! Fortunately, the shawl dried quickly, so I will be unpinning it this afternoon to take down to the LYS- she has nice full spectrum lights in there that are perfect for photographing the fuzzy stuff. Also, I finished that wavy 'lil Kureyon cap the other day- I will be posting the pattern, but I forgot to take a pic before taking the hat down to the shop! So, later today or tomorrow, I will be putting up the hat pattern- and some decent pics of my proud achievement in all of her glory!

Hats=Crack for Knitters

So, after finishing the Diamusee hat, my needles were beckoning me to cast on yet another! I had no control over the situation- I think I may be a hat addict.

Why I love hats:

• They are quick to knit, even at a fine gauge.


• Everybody loves hats, just about. I know that I can never have too many.


• I can put them on consignment at the LYS and make a profit because of the minimal labor cost.


• If they do not sell at the shop, then they make a great gift. (Yeah, that's tacky. "Ummm, hey, here's a hat, made just for you, that no one else wanted to buy..." What the hell, I am tacky!)


• They are a great use for small quantities of yarn, as shown below:

This is a hat that will (hopefully) use only one ball of Kureyon to knit, using what may be my favorite "mindless-when-I-don't-feel-like-I'm-being-lobotomized-with-stockinette" stitch, Feather and Fan. It' s a simple knit, and I will post the pattern when the knitting is complete. Then, because I have an addictive personality, I will probably start another.

"To think something is not necessarily to say it."

The above quote is paraphrased from one of my favorite books, Wise Child, by the late Monica Furlong. This book, as well as the others in the trilogy (Juniper and Colman) helped shape my core beliefs from a very early age. Although they are generally considered reading for young adults, I still enjoy picking them up and reading them from time to time. It's a nice view into remote Scotland in a time when the region was transitioning from Pagan lifeways to Christian beliefs. And, especially in Juniper, there is much talk of spinning, weaving, and dyeing from a magickal perspective.

But, I'm afraid I thought of this quote for more sundry reasons. Last night, when I was teaching my sock class, I was once again reminded of the very short distance between my mind and mouth. I was discussing with one of the students why ssk and k2tog decreases are both used, as they slant different directions. Because the knitters in the class are fairly new, I wanted to make the point that if it was just easier to use one method of decreasing in their first pair of socks, that no one would fault them for it. I said, and I quote, "You know, that's just kind of an anal thing." Yes, I said, "You know, that's just kind of an anal thing" in the middle of a freaking knitting class. Fortunately, I quickly realized how that sounded, and without missing a beat, I just kept talking, and managed to throw in other words like "retentive" and "perfectionist" to smooth over the fact that I had just used the term "anal" in a sentence during a freaking knitting class. You know, I don't think that I am socially retarded, but I am definitely socially awkward at times. Hmmm... I wonder what kind of people will be visiting my blog after this post? ;-)

Ahem. In other news...

I finished the Diamusee hat... pardon the poor pic quality, but cloudy days in my poorly-lit house translate to yucky pictures. The colors in this yarn are much more subtle than the crayon-like colors which my camera avec flash interpreted:

I'm especially fond of the crown- didn't even plan on the colors working out that way in the bullseye pattern (if you squint I swear you can see it), but it looks like I did. Hmmm... I wonder if this increases my chances of having an eagle poop on my head. One can only hope.

This pattern was a great way to use this yarn- it's a little spendy (but worth it!), and I used all but 2 yds of the ball for the hat. I happily threw the leftover strand of loveliness into my Random Bits of Yarn receptacle to be incorporated into another project.

Pattern: Ela's Favorite Hat from One-Skein Wonders- adapted to include lacy swirl decreases on the crown and purl bands at even intervals.

Yarn: Diakeito Diamusee- 1 ball approx 100 yds (oops- tossed the ball band & can't remember the colorway/exact yardage)

Needles: 5 mm 20" Addis/ Brittany dpns

I seem to be in itty bitty project mode- I also just finished a Kureyon-chan bag for my stepdaughter's b-day. Unfortunately, I sent it off before taking a pic. I like the pattern, pretty much a standard model for the felted purse, but I wish the author had made it such that the pattern uses up more of that "stray skein of Kureyon" for which it was designed. Even after adding about 10 extra rows, I had a bunch left! Also, I adapted the pattern for knitting in a buttonhole rather than cutting one. Dunno why, but that cutting thing always gets under my skin a bit. But really, I'm not being mean- it's a cute design and well worth making. I recommend the pattern, especially for someone new to felting knits, but in the future, I will make the bag larger in diameter. A nice, quick evening knit is always nice...