Friday, March 30, 2007

It's Spring, It's Spring


It is so beautiful out - and the air smells so good. The lilacs are starting to bloom. And I had a visitor this morning. Just here for a rest, but good to see anyway.

The flowers are periwinkle or myrtle - depending on your location. They are blooming on the variegated leafed version and the older dark green leaf version. I think the blooms on the first are larger. I think the swallowtail thinks so too.



On the knitting front, here's a photo of Unst Bridal Shawl from Heirloom Knitting. I couldn't think of a way to pull it out more but I've finished four of 19 repeats for the center square.















From that point, I'll pick up stitches all around and work the first set of borders. The final set is worked perpendicular to the outside edge. Hard to describe, but I'll show photos as I go.

No stitching work to show - I'm still unpacking and sorting my "junk room" and have purchased a 4-drawer file cabinet to keep the projects in. I have some colored expanding pocket folders to hold the projects. I think this will be the easiest way to track what I have and what I need to finish. It might get a bit scary before I'm done.

Final photo from about a week ago - the neighbor's Bradford Pear in full bloom. Sorry there is so much garage door.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

If at first...

I am trying again to become a more frequent blogger. I just keep forgetting.

Little progress on the knitting front. I've received the needles ordered from Halcyon Yarn, but haven't moved my fair isle to the new needles.

BUT I did start the Unst Bridal Shawl pattern from England. I've almost completed the 2nd repeat of the center panel (out of 10 or 11). Lace knitted in cobweb does not look like anything other than a wad of string that the cat finished with - until it's blocked. I'll see if I can pin it out so you can see the pattern - then post it.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the warm weather and the neighbors... who delight in standing in the road, making noise at any car attempting to pass them. Yesterday, there was a large fluffy cat by that clump of grass on the right side. It was in stalk mode for a short time. I think I got a photo of that too - but have to download that one and check it out. The geese were moving so they may not be in the photo - and you won't see the distances involved.






I've also decided to stop on the current bobbin of Crown Mountain's Blue Suede Shoes and Navajo ply it. Then I'll split the rest of the roving and spin each for plying to a 2-ply yarn. Should help reduce the barber-pole look.

Job hunting starts in earnest this week - as there were no responses to my e-mailed resumes.