One Done

Finally, I finished something! Even better, finally I finished this shawl, this endless endless shawl. As you can see from the picture, the edges need blocking (I hope that works -- can you block superwash and have it stay that way? Otherwise Aunt Fran is getting a seriously wiggly-edged shawl.)

This was a straightforward knit, but I got bored -- the pattern is either too busy or too abstract so that I couldn't see it forming as I knit, which made it less fun for me. But I like the way it looks, and it is a nice three-dimensional pattern, very warm and snuggly. It was good TV knitting.

Against doctor's orders, I stopped after 55". (Though if it hadn't been for the advice I got, I would have stopped 10" earlier than that, so I'm not completely unresponsive.:) My great-aunt is very small, so I didn't want it to overwhelm her. I may be wrong, though.

The Cascade 220 Superwash was very nice to work with, though a less solid-colored yarn might have helped with the boredom.

Pattern: Cozy, from Knitty
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, about 3.5 skeins
Needles: Knitpicks Options US 9
Modifications: Shortened it.

It's My Birthday

and I'll Cry If I Want To ... my Options needles haven't arrived. Not that I was really expecting them to be here by now, but it would be fun if they were. Also, the longer I go without them of course the clearer it is that I could manage on straight needles (these are Susan Bates from my mother's long ago foray into knitting) ... but the pattern calls for circulars! I have to do what it says, right? :) It will be nice to have this shawl spread out on circulars instead of jammed together as it is now. And I'm sure I will find many more uses for my new needles.

My birthday was very low-key but pleasant. I took Eli out to buy an expensive new bike and a new mitt. Auden gave me a very sweet little pin she made at pre-school, and Will brought me flowers and chocolate cake. Yum. My lovely sisters-in-law gave me a cover-up and sandals for our beach vacation this summer we were treated to delicious gourmet leftovers for dinner by No. 1 (chronologically – I could NEVER rank my sisters-in-law!) Sister-in-Law.

And now, having done almost nothing all day, I am too tired to do anything but sit and knit. And it's my birthday, so I'm gonna.

The Next Big Thing

My new project: a Cozy shawl for my Great-Aunt Fran in Cascade 220 Superwash.

Fran has always been one of the most vibrant and caring people I know. She and my Great-Uncle Matt, who died not long before Will and I married, hold a very special place in the hearts of everyone in their extended clan. Fran, who I believe is 90-something, remains lovely and engaged and has given me (and my children) many many thoughtful gifts over the almost 43 years we have been on this planet together. It's about time I returned the favor!

I probably should not have been surprised (but I was) that the Superwash gauge changed not one bit when washed*, unlike its non-Superwash sibling, the regular Cascade 220. Maybe that's why they call it Superwash. *lightbulb*

It's very soft and I think it will make a nice warm wrap. Of course, it is summer and Fran lives in California ... but air-conditioning can be chilly and wool just seemed like the way to go.

When I bought the wool Monday I was pleased that for once I did not need to purchase new needles for a project. But as soon as I started knitting last night I realized that the regular Addis were not going to work – way too dull – and that I was close to insane using them for just four rows. So I ordered not just new needles but the whole Options set from Knitpicks. (Because that will save me money in the long run, right?) It was a BIRTHDAY present. My parents sent me BIRTHDAY money, and I didn't even spend half of it, even if a sock book did sneak itself into my shopping cart. And I've been eyeing interchangeable needles for a while. Now I just want them to get here!


*Yes, I washed my gauge swatch, for the third project in a row! It's the new me.