Bristow: on to the sleeves!

Makes it sound more exciting than it really is, eh? I finished the right front. Woo.

Actually, I'm feeling really hopeful at how quickly Bristow is moving along. I feel like I kind of "get" the pattern now. I'm hoping to knit both sleeves together, once I get past the cuffs (which, on my size 4s, are just too wide to knit at the same time). Then they'll be the same length... be it short or long! I cast on one sleeve at noon today. Funny how I don't mind seed stitch when it's just 7 rows and it's for me me me.

I also got lots done on a new washcloth for Rabbitch's drive. It's from the rest of my Peaches & Cream that I used for my string bag (which I still love but it's holding all that Calmer I bought at the garage sale; I need to stash that so I can use the bag again!). I'm making one of those basic biased garter-stitch washcloths with the yo increases till you get halfway across (I'm going to weigh the yarn to try to use it all up), and it's now my waiting-in-the-car project, since I just finished my other one.

I still haven't started a new lace project... odd, isn't it? I'm once again eyeing Birch, to see if I can master her after all. (There is just no way to write that without it sounding like a sex thing. Or maybe it's just me.)

This monogamy is new

I'm not usually a monogamous knitter--and strictly speaking, I haven't been entirely monogamous. But I have been largely only working on the Olive Bristow sweater, and it is really coming right along! I'm about 2/3 done with the right front, and the left front and the back are already done. I may block them as I start the sleeves. Then, button bands and finishing, and--voilà!--sweater.

Right front of Bristow

Left front of Bristow

Back of Bristow

And then I can get started on Christmas knitting...!

Still loving the olive sweater

I am 9" up the back on the Olive sweater already. Had some things to juggle, as her length is way longer than I need, and some increases had to be done by her 14" (my 11") mark, so instead of every 6 rows, I'm increasing every 3 rows (which means I have to increase on the purl side every other time; thank goodness for the increase Dharma taught me, where I knit/purl into the shoulder of the stitch below--no holes!). The drape is lovely, the color gorgeous, and the sheen entrancing.

And oh my god I could actually be finished in a matter of weeks.

Plus, don't drop your coffee, I got some knitting done on Clapotis, too. I do like it still. (Wish I didn't have to pay attention quite so much, though.)

The one where I am not thinking

Since I'm still having trouble with finishing the Child's First Socks, I had a thought this morning: why not finish the cuffs early and they'll just be short socks?

Answer: because they're top-down, dummy.

OK, so next coping strategy is to rip back to the heel and finish the foot part plain. Because I have screwed something up, since the foot is supposed to have 3.5 repeats and one foot has 4 and the other, well, not 3.5, anyway.

sigh

And now, to enjoy it.

Swallowtail Shawl
Originally uploaded by RenaissanceWomn

Absolutely, truly, finally done. Blocked. Dried. Ends woven in. Lifelines out, blocking unwaxed dental floss out.

I'm still in heaven.

Swallowtail Shawl
Originally uploaded by RenaissanceWomn

There she lies.

Swallowtail, blocking
Originally uploaded by RenaissanceWomn

She's almost dry, already. And so gorgeous! And the dogs have not managed to sleep on her yet!

But WTF is up with my "100" blocking pins, of which I have 43???

Who cares, I have a beautiful shawl...

Done! Done, done, DONE!

Finished binding off the Swallowtail Shawl just minutes before leaving for hockey last night. I at least was sensible enough not to try to block her before bed (since I got back at 10:30). She is lovely, even unblocked. If you hold her up to the light--breathtaking.

And my mom says, this morning, well, it's more of a scarf... does she not KNOW about blocking? (This, with the added repeats.)

I'm going to have a block-o-rama: I'll block Swallowtail, re-block my Leaf Lace Shawl that got oddly fuzzy and smaller after its romp in the dryer with a dryer sheet (trying to get it less itchy), and finally block Backyard Leaves. Whee!

Soooo close.

I'm on row 15 of 16 of the Peaked Edging. Then I have one row of, I think K2togs and stuff, one row plain knit, then a special bind-off. Nearly stayed up to finish it, but I'm glad I didn't; I was tired.

I didn't really appreciate the Lily of the Valley pattern until Sunday, when I held it up to the light and found it is really lovely. Dharma was being tortured taught to spin at the time, so I don't think she was able to catch a glimpse.

After all I've put into this shawl, the fineness of the laceweight still stuns me. The fact that it is two-ply, of even finer threads, even more so. It is so soft that I'd love a bed of unblocked Budding Lace. People feel it, their faces register shock, and they go on petting even though they've passed the socially acceptable length of time for petting someone else's project.

I think I'll love this one.

Filati in Rocklin

Apparently, I never blogged about my visit to Filati Fine Yarns in Rocklin last July. They do have some store photos, but somehow have failed to capture the appearance of the store. People, the store is bigger than WEBS (OK, sans warehouse). They do have an incredible selection.

But really? The draw is the eye candy. When you enter the store, the racks in front of you are beautifully, tastefully organized by color--by someone who has an incredible eye for color. It ends up being stunning and seductive... absolutely enchanting. You might think that finding this yarn in that color would end up being challenging, but it seemed like you could pretty easily find a specific yarn--and if not, the salesfolk were quite happy to help out. Helpful but not intrusive.

Many of the arranged yarns were high-quality yarns, at pretty close to the expected prices. But they did have plenty of Plymouth Encore and the like, for good yarns on a budget. G was particularly taken with the button array. An incredible variety of creative, playful, and lovely buttons.

I can't wait to go back.

(spluttering) 1 Week!?!

I was hunting around blogs last night to check up on modifications I might have to make to my Swallowtail Shawl (thought I had to decrease 2 stitches on Lily of the Valley Lace II; maybe not), and found one gal who finished it in one week.

I'm going on four months! Aaagh.

OTOH, I'm unreasonably pleased to have finished the Lily of the Valley Lace I as of last night. Gleeful, even.

But don't take that to mean I didn't put in another lifeline. I'm gleeful, not drunk. (I leave that to Rabbitch.)

The end is in sight!

Adding: I switched to the size 4 Addi Lace Needles for this. Am loving them.