Guess What Won?

Christmas Eve found me with a few minutes to spare, and so I cast on for the Lady of the Lake Jacket. This is the project with the recycled yarn from the Garter Stitch Jacket that almost was. As you can see, it is growing quickly. I am much happier with the colour combo this time around. It still needs the sleeves and the collar -- AND to be blocked ... I don't like the length of their model, or the length of the sleeves of their model, so will address some of that in the blocking (and some in the knitting -- sleeves will definitely be longer. It's hard to see the shape and the details -- maybe when it's finished I'll master the fine art of photographing it to better advantage. And when it is done then it will be time for ...... well, I'll wait and see.

I wound the yarn for my Firestarter Socks. Now I really must free up some needles so that I can cast on and begin to knit them. They'll be my first toe up socks, so should be an interesting adventure for the New Year!

I took a picture of Den Fischer Sin Fru Shawl since it is obvious (to me anyway!) that this will not be re-blocked in the foreseeable future. It's still not the best picture since I tossed it down and took the picture without benefit of blcoking wires. But here she is. It has taken me ages to get this photo taken. Tidying up for the New Year!

And now, it's time for me to get back to my knitting needles! Happy New Year! May 2009 be a year rich in blessings.

Finished!

I love the sense of accomplishment that come with a finished object. Today I finished casting off my DaVinci shawl! Isn't she pretty???? That's her undergoing her blocking. This means I can go back to knitting Mystic Ice what has been languishing -- I really don't do well at knitting several lace projects at once.

But I've also given myself permission to start (restart?) my Fleece Artist jacket. I started it a loooooong time ago, but didn't like the way the two mohair yarns worked together - well, I liked the fabric just fine, but not the way the variegated yarns worked together --- waaaaaay outside my comfort zone, so I patiently -- honestly! -- frogged it, and set it aside. But now I have some merino DK from Colourmart, and when i put it and a strand of Naturally Mist together and alternate with CurlyLocks, I like the result. And the kind people at Fleece Artist have provided me with the pattern for Lady of the Lake (I was using the Garter Stitch Jacket pattern). So my Christmas Day project is to play with the jacket ... unless Mystic Ice calls my name more loudly than the new project.

And the socks wait patiently for attention. Soon, I need to finish a pair soon, since Anne and I are going to start Firestarter socks on New Year's using Fleece Artist Trail Socks in blackberry ... and I really do need to finish one pair before I begin another!

My New Year's resolution is to go on a yarn diet until I have completed 3 projects. Yes, it should be more, but let's be realistic here! (And we won't mention the Oceanwind Knits yarn that arrived here today!)

Going Mystic

Well, the yarn won the race, I had the wrong start date, and who can resist one of Anna's KAL's? Someone with more willpower than I have. And so, I'm juggling Mystic Ice with the DaVinci shawl, and have a couple of pairs of socks tossed into the mix for good measure.

I'm finding knitting with tencel different from my usual assortment of wool blends. It took me my first 30 rows or so to become truly comfortable with it, but now it seems to be flowing. Now if only I could juggle the rest of my life so I could just play with my projects, and if someone would toss me a generous measure of self-discipline so I could leave the other distractions (computer games) alone .... perhaps we would see a Finished Object!

But both of these shawls are so pretty it's hard to choose ....

Oh, and somehow I've also added (or more correctly, am in the process of adding) more yarn to the stash ... it would never do to run short, and I understand that I am also improving the R factor for my house -- good multi-purpose insulation!

The Yarn Won!

Well, I was out of town for a week, and came back to find a nice parcel waiting for me! My yarn from Yarntopia is here and ready for the start of Mystic Ice. I love the colour of Silk Socks and am looking forward to knitting with it. I also got a couple of extra colours, just in case I changed my mind ... and because one can never have too much yarn.

But my knitting plans for my time away didn't materialise and so I am not even close to having my Da Vinci shawl finished, though I have started work on Chart 5 -- the final chart. I have also completed two pairs of baby booties -- my first knitted booties ever. One pair has already been given to the expectant grandmother. The other pair is waiting for a little boy's arrival in December (or whenever he decides it is time to appear!)

I saw a suggestion for knitting mini socks and filling them as mini Christmas stockings, but have not yet had the chance, or is it the inclination, or possibly both the time and the inclination, the pattern and the yarn all at the same time.

But really, November 22 is almost upon us, so if I do find the time, I think that Da Vinci should get the attention so that I can begin Mystic Ice with no guilt. Wish me luck -- these rows are taking a little longer now that there's almost 400 stitches on my needles!

Blocked and Ready!

Though I haven't gotten back to Dem Fischer, I did manage to finally get my Silk Chenille Scarf from SweaterKits blocked. It's a gift for a friend -- and I'm visiting said friend in a week's time so thought the blocking was long past overdue. Now it's ready for gifting. And I'm going back to knitting on the DaVinci Shawl ... I'm now more than halfway through Chart 4. Maybe I'll even have it done before it's time to start Anna's Mystic Ice. Of course, I'm also waiting for my 2/10 (10/2 if you prefer) tencel from Yarntopia for Mystic Ice.

Perhaps I should have a race -- who will win? Will the yarn arrive before I finish DaVinci? Will DaVinci be finished before Mystic Ice begins? I'll keep you posted!

Where did the time go?

It's quite apparent that I am not cut out to be a regular blogger. More than a month since last I posted -- closer to two!

But I have been busy, and Dem Fischer is now finished. She's been blocked once, but not satisfactorily -- it was hard for me to figure out exactly how I wanted it shaped, and all that wet wool was not terribly co-operative. Now that the lace has been semi-blocked, I have great plans to repin it into the shape I want and like, and then dampen it to make it change its mind. Now, if I could only find the time and the inclination at the same time!

I started working on Mystic Earth. I love Anna's patterns, but this one isn't calling my name very loudly and so I've put it aside. And then, as I was browsing Ravelry for a lace shawl pattern to work on I discovered the DaVinci Shawl -- two days before the riddles disappeared, and my opportunity to start immediately with it.

With a lot of help from the Ravelry DV crew I found the answers to the riddles -- what a wonderful idea, post a url and when the asterisks are replaced by the right answer a part of the pattern in pdf form appears. And so Mystic Earth will sit, while I work on DaVinci -- I'm on Chart 4 and really enjoying the knitting. No photos so far ... time has been short lately and so the knitting has taken priority! Wonderful design Anja has provided ... and having visited her site I am quite certain that even more of her designs lie in my future. That is -- if I can just find the time!

Oh, and that would probably be after Mystic Ice .... Anna's looks lovely (what is visible so far), and I have my yarn on order. So I must get back to DaVinci! I really must ... even if socks languish ...

A New Venture

Oh dear, it's summer and I've succumbed again .... Last summer my friend Liz -- well I thought she was a friend! -- got me involved in the MS3 -- my first lace knitting project -- and I've never looked back. MS3, which is now known as Swan Lake was a Mysery Stole Knit A Long (MS KAL) -- and a combination of frustration and challenge, and ultimately triumph as I finished the project - a little late, true, but by no means was I the last to finish.

That was fine, but MS3 was followed by Secret of Chryopolis (not quite half finished and still OTN) and then Anna's three "Mystic" Mysteries -- all finished! And just for good measure I tucked in Melanie's (creator of MS3) "Leda's Dream" which was actually MS1 - but I wasn't knitting lace then ...

And now MS4 is in the sign up stage, and of course, my name is on the list -- even though I'm not quite halfway through Moni's Dem Fischer sin Fru shawl .... (Moni's also the creator of Secret of Chrysopolis, and several other lovely designs)

Perhaps instead of "Musings" this should be "Confessions of an MS KAL-aholic!" Whatever else, it guarantees that the summer and fall won't be lacking for knitting stimulus..... Did I mention that I also signed up for Secret of the Stole (SOTS) III??????