Evenstar Shawl - Clue 6 - Done!

Well, I finally finished clue 6.  After clue 5, this one was pretty easy.  Now I just have to do the border and then the shawl will be done.  I used not quite 1 skein of my Blue Moon Fiber Arts Silk Thread II on the shawl.  I am starting the border with the second skein so I won't run out part way through.

Evenstar Shawl - Clue 5 - Done!

I finally finished up Clue 5.  No more twisted stitches.  Easy knitting now.  This shawl has been a bit tedious to knit.  I think that is partly because of the yarn.  Pure silk, while fun to fondle, is not as fun to knit as a silk/merino blend.  The yarn doesn't stretch, it just doesn't feel as alive as a wool.  The twisted stitches have also been a bit tiresome.  You have to remember which ones are twisted and which ones aren't and they are just more awkward to knit.  But the results are quite stunning.  Forgive the pink background.  I am at my parents' house and don't have any blocking mats with me.  I am on vacation!  My annual trip to Milwaukee for the Bead & Button show.  Tomorrow I hit the road again.  Five days of fun and hard work with my sister in the Beadcats booth, and then I head home again.

Unique Sheep Wonderland Sock Club

Apparently a common business practice for artisan dyers and designers is to offer clubs.  It is a great way to get customers to try new products and to get exposure for your designs.  This year I have joined several.  This is the first shipment from the Wonderland Sock Club offered by The Unique Sheep.  All of the sock designs are inspired by Alice in Wonderland.  How could I resist.  I was not, however, expecting such a wonderful kit.  It makes me want to brew a cup, eat my Snickerdoodles, and cast on.

So what are the advantages of joining a club?  Well, often the yarns/colorways are exclusive, sometimes the patterns are, and then there are the little extras that you may receive.  And don't underestimate the surprise factor.  Plus, it helps you to stretch yourself as a knitter by trying patterns and colorways that you might not have considered.

Calla Lilly Socks - Finished!

My first pair of socks.  Well, actually, my second pair.  The first pair ended up being too big and I gave them to Bruce.  But that was several years ago.  I've gotten better at getting gauge since then.  I can really understand this sock fascination, though.  They are a lot of fun to knit.  And to wear.

Tools of the Trade - Project Caddy

And speaking of too many projects on the needles, here is a peek into my Project Caddy.  I have been trying to control some of the clutter and had bought this caddy a while back, and it had been sitting mostly empty for some time while my works in progress were scattered around the room on convenient flat spots that were more or less out of the reach of the kitty.  Jasmine (my cat) is actually extremely well-behaved around yarn.  When I first got her she went after a ball of yarn and I told her that if she did that again I would send her back to the rescue shelter I had rescued her from.

This past weekend I went on a bit of a cleaning frenzy (I even mopped the kitchen floor and we won't talk about how long it has been since I had done that) and I gathered up all of my works in progress that were sitting around and put them in the caddy.  That is four lace shawls that you see in there, plus yarn for two more, the socks (the dark bit in the upper left hand corner) and the first ZenGoddess Lace yarn (the other darker yarn in the bottom center).  The little metal boxes hold beads for those shawls that take beads.

This is the exterior view.  The charts and directions for all of the projects are sitting on top.  It is very sturdy.  The only down side is the velcro on the lid (velcro being death to yarn), but it has not been an issue as long as I am careful taking things out of the caddy.  It has pockets on the front side, as well as the interior, to stash your notions in.

Calla Lilly Socks - One Sock Complete!

I finished up one of the socks this evening.  I was motivated by the arrival of the second sock pattern in the Decadently Dark Sock Club, and the PayPal email telling me that the yarn was on its way.  It fits pretty well, but I can tell that I have a lot to learn about socks, fortunately I have some very good books on the subject.  For now I am knitting them according to the pattern and not doing anything too fancy.  I can understand their appeal, they can be a very quick project, if you don't have lots of other things on your needles...I have already cast on the other sock and done a couple of rows.

Mystery Shawl 17 - Clue 1

Yes, another mystery shawl by Goddess Knits.  I know, I'm out of control here, but they are just so much fun!  This one has beads.