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!

FO, for a reason

I'm on the 13th repeat of Backyard Leaves, but left off to finish the Tigger sweater for my son (knit and attach ears--that's all that was left).

The occasion? He finally lost his first tooth! He was so proud. Unfortunately, his belief in the tooth fairy has already fled, so he asked me to put something under his pillow. "Or if it's a toy or something, Mom, put it right here by my bed, OK?"

He has a Sacagawea dollar under his pillow and a finished Tigger sweater next to it.

(The ears turned out cute. I cast on 5 stitches, kfb at each RS row end for 2 rows, then started short-row shaping on the next WS row: I purled across 5 [of 9] stitches, wrapped the next stitch and turned, repeating for maybe 4 rows. k2tog at each end of RS rows twice, then bound off all. They're nicely cupped.)

Discount cashmere sweater, meet your un-maker

Went to Goodwill, hoping against hope to find a cheap, great condition spinning wheel today. No such luck (that would be, as my son says, hecka luck).

But I did find a 100% cashmere sweater in a charming brown color. Didn't realize till I spread it out for photographing that it's a size XXL! I may be able to make an entire me-sized sweater with this. The photo has the sleeve pointing toward the one moth hole I found. With the last sweater I took apart that had moth holes, I only lost a bit to them. Yippee!










I've already started to take apart one seam. It really is easy-peasy, and rather addictive once you get the ball winder fired up and the unraveling item thumbtacked to the bulletin board.









I also am working on the 6th repeat (of prescribed 11) for the Backyard Leaves scarf. It is not a mindless knit for me, as I have to keep my eyes on the pattern quite a lot. I may do a couple extra repeats, since I technically have extra yardage, and won't have to estimate for the "other half" since I'm doing both at once. It really is sensational.

Pretty-much FO and (you're not surprised) new UFO

Keeping G home yesterday enabled me to finish his Tigger sweater, all ends woven in, except for the ears. Turns out he doesn't want very big ears (held his fingers 1" apart), so that won't take long. He didn't like my idea of attaching them with buttons so they could be easily removed. Still wants to wear the sweater for Halloween. Not fixated with the matching pants (phew). Photo up soon now.


My pouty model.










And... because I have two skeins of Cascade 220 in a gorgeous green, I just had to start Backyard Leaves, which I've wanted to make forever. IK put the pattern in their Holiday 2006 issue so I didn't have to buy the back issue it first appeared in. The pattern calls for Malabrigo, about 400 yds, so the 220 should be fine. I think I started it 5 times, though. It is confusing that the startup row is a wrongside row, and the pattern is on every row, so you don't just purl back on the wrong side. The directions have you do two halves, then sew them together. I've changed that to casting-on with a provisional crochet chain, which I hope to do a 3-needle bind-off or some such for a better seam, and I'm doing the two at once on straight needles. I've done 2 of 11 repeats and it really is entrancing the way the leaves leap out at you.









I also felted the next 4 coasters. I only have a smidge of the first ball left and want to do some potholders next. It is so fun!