I’m back. Again!
Sorry if anyone has had trouble leaving a comment. Apparently our host server had an upgrade, but something in Moveable Type didn’t like the upgrade and there was no access to blogging, commenting, updating or anything else apart from reading.
But I have News! Big News! Wonderful News!!

The feather and fan shawl is off the needles. Yes, you heard correctly, it’s done! Not blocked yet, because the weather has been atrocious. And I have a space problem. I will have to block it on my bed, so I’m hoping for a lovely day so I can block it first thing in the morning, and hopefully it will be done by bedtime.
I had to stop one pattern repeat (four rows) from the end, due to running out of yarn. This is how much yarn I had left.

I used Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in “Horizon”, but I only had 4 skeins. The actual pattern called for more than 2000 yards, so I thought I would run out long before I did. I’m not sure if I did the crochet cast off correctly, because as I may have mentioned in the past, I don’t crochet. At all.
Anyway, it will all come out in the blocking. Including the bits where I fudged the numbers!
So what’s next? Well, dress rehearsal at Em’s studio is in 3 weeks, and I have been very, very lax in getting all the sewing done, so it may be a bit quieter than usual.
However, Mystery Shawl 2 is on the needles. The Vanalinn gloves have been waiting patiently for some attention. The endless sock is nearing the end. At bloody last!! This is the yarn I have left.

Then I have to do the second one! I wish I’d learnt two socks at once. And I bought the pattern for Wendy’s Girlfriend’s School Spirit Sweater for Em.
And I haven’t finished my FCEK Cotton-Ease cardi yet, either.
Once upon a time I used to have a self imposed rule about no more than 3 works in progress at a time. Pfft!

Just how much sock is in a skein of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock anyway?

Still here, slogging along!
The Feather and Fan shawl is growing at a very, very slow pace, but it’s growing. I am about to start the final increase row, which will put me at 1320 stitches per round.
No wonder it takes me all night to do a round!
I gave in to distraction though, and did the second clue of the Mystery Shawl 2.

It’s a miserable, cloudy day today, so the pic isn’t the best, but it’s clue 2 all done. I haven’t touched the gloves, I really am trying to finishe the feather and fan.
The postman came, and he brought good things 🙂

My friend Jill sent me magazines and the new Knitting Pattern A Day calendar. Thank you, Jill!

And a new friend, Joan sent me a new circ when she heard I was having difficulties with my shawl. Thanks, Joan! 🙂
Now I can’t stay here blogging, I have knitting to do!

New project alert!

It’s the Vanalinn Gloves from “A Gathering of Lace”. I seriously love this book! Here are the gloves from the book.

I’m making mine from some Peruvian Collection Baby Cashmere from Elann. (60% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino, 10% Cashmere) I picked this up a while back with the intention of making some lacy gloves, but I hadn’t found a pattern I liked. I started these last week, while the shawl was uncomfortable to work because of the lack of space on the needles. Since I got the longer needle for the shawl, the gloves have been neglected.
I’m still slogging away at the Feather and Fan shawl. I’ve started the last hank of Alpaca Cloud, and I’m up to round 173, 1272 stitches. There’s only 17 rounds to go, but I don’t think I’ll have enough yarn. I’m guessing that I’ll get up to round 186 or so (out of 190). I don’t think 4 rows short will make a huge difference.
I have been wasting inordinate amounts of time watching webcams. No, not those ones!!
Pete’s Pond is a man made pond in Botswana, and there is a 24 hour cam on the pond. It’s fantastic!! There are elephants, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, all sorts of animals coming to the pond each morning.
The other one is Pandacam! Mei Xiang, a giant panda at the Smithsonian National Zoo gave birth to a gorgeous male panda cub around 3 months ago. It is so sweet to watch the mother and baby panda interact. Although lately, as the cub is getting older, Mei Xiang is leaving him alone a lot more. He is starting to get his legs under him now, and he’ll be walking before too much longer.
Our broadband plan gives us a 12gb download limit a month, and we have never come close to using it up. Until now! Apparently if I keep going at this rate, we’ll go over the limit this month 🙂
I finally got around to trying to cut out a few more costumes that I’m supposed to be sewing. Twinkie likes to help.

Not the best kind of help, but the cutest!

It’s school holidays here, so I’m just not getting anything done. No housework (who cares? ;), little knitting, little blogging.
School goes back on Monday, and life may get a little more “normal”.
A lovely friend sent me a gift of a 3.5mm Addi bamboo needle in a 150cm length. So last night I sat down and started to knit the shawl with it. When I got halfway or so around, I spread it out on the bed to get an idea of how it was looking.

I’m very much looking forward to getting it off the needles! But it will take longer than I’d like, because it took an hour to do just one round last night. Things are far more comfortable on the longer needle.

This second picture is more accurate, colour-wise. I love my Addi Turbos, but this is my first time using an Addi Bamboo, and I love it!
We were out at a dancing event all day yesterday, then back there again late yesterday afternoon. Em tried to take a picture of the sunset.

I just liked the bit with Em reflected in the mirror. And ignore the filthy windows, please! We’re in a drought over here, and under strict water restrictions, so I haven’t been washing the car. That’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it like glue!
So here is a better picture of the sunset.

I started something else, too. But I’ll save that for next time 🙂