Summer Dreams

Whoops, it's been a while since I last blogged. I didn't mean for such a huge gap to be created.

Well, I frogged my camp headband. I wasn't able to finish it before camp started (because I was lazy) and then I didn't really care about making it anymore.

I did, however, start one of my summer projects: the Muir shawl. So far, it is gorgeous, if I do say so myself.  At this point, I've done just over two repeats of the chart (pattern calls for 13 pattern repeats).  The yarn, Wetterhoff Silvia, is a joy to work with, and the color, descriptively named "921," is perfect for the leaf motif of the shawl.

I found this yarn in my LYS after a rather disappointing search.  Don't get me wrong, Eva's Needlework is a wonderful store with a marvelous selection, but all the laceweights that I was looking at were the wrong color compared to what was in my head.  By some happy chance, I found a single skein of the Silvia, mentioning to my friends that this yarn would be perfect, if there was more of it.  It seems the knitting fates didn't want me to walk out of the store empty handed because while digging around other skeins of Silvia in beautiful colors, I found another skein in "921".

With bated breath, I checked the yardage required for the Muir Shawl, saved in a note on my iPod, and then compared it with the combined yardage of the two skeins.  It was like fate, with the Silvia having only slightly more yardage than the recommended yarn's total for the project.  I happily purchased the yarn for my summer dream project.

Of course, starting the Muir Shawl was as much of an epic as finding the yarn for it.  The pattern calls of a provisional cast-on so the border can be knit seamlessly from the beginning of the shawl.  Not knowing how to crochet a chain, I attempted a different provisional cast on, one that did not work.  Pulling out one of my books, I taught myself how to chain.  (I will not go over to the dark side, I will not go over to the dark side, they don't have DPNs.)

Even before that, I had to wind the yarn into a center pull ball (My aunt rules.  She bought me a ball winder and swift for my birthday and Christmas.).  Easier said than done.  The yarn didn't have knots in it, but it was, at random points, twisted underneath itself tin a way that made it impossible to continue winding without adjusting the yarn.  First time I tried to adjust it, I took the ball off the ball winder, maneuvered the yarn, then began winding again from the center pull ball.  After several minutes of frustration where something would go wrong, I finally had a nice cake of yarn.  I can only hope that the second skein will be less troublesome.

Wow, I meant for this to be a quickie post, but I suppose this is what happens when I wait almost a month before blogging again.

See ya,

Sami

P.S. My flowers are blooming nice and pretty! 

 French Marigolds, grown from seeds, picture taken on July 9, 2009

Pot Marigolds, grown from seeds, picture taken on July 9, 2009

Who knows?

It's been at least a week since these events happened, so things aren't totally fresh in my mind.  Last Monday, I went to Jo-Ann's and got some T-pins for blocking.  I blocked out Sierra's shawl that night on my bedroom floor on top of large beach towels.  I was able to give it to her on Tuesday, and she loved it.  I think that she is wearing it to school today, if it's warm enough so that she doesn't need a sweater.

Anyways, I love the way the Ocean Tide Shawl looks when it's blocked, all fine and ethereal.  That's when I decided that I needed to buckle down and finish the Mystic Light shawl.

At that time, I still has around 17 charted rows plus two uncharted rows and then the bind-off left.  I procrastinated (big surprise) a bit so that when it became Thursday after school, I still had a hell of a lot of knitting to do.

Six hours of work and a few hours of rest later, the complete Mystic Light shawl lay on my floor, drying with the help of my ceiling fan.  I had knit until my hands ached, and then I had knit some more, but I had finished Kierstyn's shawl.

I gave it to her the next morning, wrapped up in a gift bag.  She didn't open it in front of me, so I didn't get her first reaction.  And she hasn't gotten in contact with me yet, so I still don't know what she thinks about it.  I admit, I'm too chicken to text her or walk up to her at school and ask her what she thought of the shawl.

Last night, I started a little project, a headband out of Rowan Lightweight DK.  The yarn is kind of a mustard yellow, but I'm thinking that it will work with my hair color and my camp T-shirt (I'm a counselor of sorts at a Girl Scout Camp next week).

Well, today is the last day of school.  I'm not sure if I'm going to wear anything that I've knit, but if I do, it will most likely be my Malabrigo Moebius scarf.

Peace out,

Sami

A Cure

If one is in need of a cure for startitis, I have found one.  I'm probably not the first one to discover this, nor will I be the last, but I felt that I had to share.  Guilt.

I have been looking (and almost stalking, but I'm not quite there yet) the Saoirse Shawl from IK Spring 2009.  It is soooo pretty, and as I'm beginning to focus on redoing my wardrobe, it's something I'd love to have.  However, thanks to my near pattern stalking, I've learned that towards the end, it takes over an hour and a half to work one row, which is worse that my Mystic Light!

Which brings me to why I haven't cast on the Saoirse Shawl or something else that would use my Karabella Aurora 8 in Oxford Grey.  The Mystic Light shawl.  It was supposed to be a Yule present (though I say Christmas most of the time, we're not Christian) for my blood sister, Kierstyn.  It is nearly June, and it's not done.  While that alone would put some pressure on me, I have a little internal deadline.

Next Friday (June 5), is the anniversary of Kierstyn's boyfriend's suicide.  As the Mystic Light was first intended to be a prayer shawl (well, something with similar purpose), I want her to have it on that day.  However, I don't have the means to block the shawl, so even if I finish it in time, I doubt I'd be able to block and dry it in time.

Of course, the Ocean Tide Shawl needs to be blocked, too.  That was meant as a prayer shawl for Sierra, and I also wish that I could have it blocked by Friday.  The guy that committed suicide was Sierra's ex-boyfriend.  So there is a lot of trauma around, and I'm nervous about Friday.  I think I will breathe a bit easier after Saturday, but I think I will always tense up around this time of year.

Oops, that was supposed to be about knitting, not my crazy life.  Well, the guilt from not having the Mystic Light shawl done is preventing me from casting on with the Aurora 8 (which is sooo soft, as it is 100% merino(!!!)), but I managed to side step it for long enough to start the Evenstar Gloves.

I am a total Lord of the Rings dork, with all the books (read the series only twice, but I will start it again soon), all the extended editions of the movies (watched those innumerable times), and all the soundtracks, though I really want the complete recordings of all three as well.  Any knitting pattern that has to do with LotR goes into my queue, including A Cardigan for Arwen, Eowyn (those are fingerless gloves), and the Rivendell Socks.

I am now done with the first cable repeat on the first glove, but the Mystic Light is nagging me.  I have 24 rows left, but each takes me anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes (or perhaps longer, I haven't timed it).  The length of each row, though I know that it's nothing compared to the Ocean Tide Shawl is really putting me off.  At least in the Ocean Tide Shawl, I had memorized the pattern, which was really simple.  I have to have the chart with me when I work on the Mystic Light.

Well, at 3 o'clock today, I go over to Diana's house to help set up for her birthday party later tonight.  I don't have a gift for her, but I have an idea of what to make her, even though she is capable of making it herself =].  Lots of dancing will happen, but it will cut into my knitting time.  Oh wells, I still can't wait for the party.

Hmm, I meant to work out this morning, but I'd rather take a shower right now....  I'll figure something out =]

-Sami