little bit of crazy leaking out

Pattern:  Lace Leaf Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark for Fiber Trends
Yarn:  Mountain Colors, Mountain Goat - 55% Mohair 45% Wool - the colorway is Silverbow (now disc), I bought the yarn on clearance last summer.  I have about 60g (about 135yds) remaining of the 4 100g skeins I started with.
Needles:  Clover Bamboo
Started:  Feb 10th
Finished:  cast off - Feb 24th; blocked - Feb 25th
Notes:  I knit 11 repeats of Chart 2.  This was knit for the Knitting Olympics and the Evelyn Clark KAL.  This was my first shawl and first real lace project.   

I do have to say that this project made me feel more confident about my knitting abilities. I mean, if I can knit a lace shawl in less than 16 days, I can do anything.

ETA: my Gold Medal

Why does it seem all the magazines, I like to pick up, come out all at once?  I had to run to the store to pick up pins to block my shawl, and there they were, four magazines I almost always pick up and one I occasionally buy.  I know, if I am picking up more than half of them a year I should just subscribe, but I haven’t yet.  I also ran thru the pattern section and picked up a booklet on adding crochet edges to fleece baby blankets.

Since I was at the craft store I picked up a package of beading needles so I can start Odessa and some tiny crochet needles for beading Mrs Beeton.

I did get the pins to block the shawl, I have a history of not getting the one thing I went to the store to buy and having to go back . . . and since US Olympic Team Gold Medalists receive performance bonuses I thought I should get one too.

I know opinion varies on this needle set, but (one of) the next projects I am planning calls for a 40″ US11.  I was planning on getting Clover Bamboos, but I have recently been told the join on the 40″ circs were not too good, hmmm.  I looked at AddiTurbos but they scare me because I have a nickle allergy and I don’t want my hands to get red and ichy, I know, I’m picky like that, and I have a fear of buying them and then needing to buy another set because I don’t get gauge with the first ones.  This way I can just switch out tips until I find the one that works.

Here is the shawl, all dry and folded nicely.  The final reveal will be tomorrow when the sun is out and I can get a good pic outside.

I soaked it; I spun out the water in the machine, on gentle; now it is on the bed, blocked to within an inch of its life.

After blocking out this shawl, I can see where blocking wires would come in handy, if you did a lot of lace knitting.

I really like the look of this pattern and I would like to knit it again in a lighter weight yarn, maybe fingering, I’m not sure if I am ready for lace weight. 

. . . she is fini.  The blocking, she is not. 

I spent yesterday at the Seattle Home & Garden Show, with the kids and my folks, good times.  I got lots of ideas, but lost a large amount of knitting time. 

That’s ok, I finished the knitting last night and then bound off this morning.  I will be blocking it tomorrow morning and hoping it dries before bed time, since the bed is the only place I can block the shawl.

I am having to resort to performance enhancing substances.

Caffeine and carb loading, in the form of those huge Costco muffins. I was sitting, knitting, after lunch and started to nod off, guess I’ll be making a 2nd pot of coffee today.

. . . in which, like a fool, I put a countdown timer on my blog.

Nothing like a little pressure.  If I calculated correctly, the flame goes out in Torino at 8pm, which is 11am local time form me. Ok, I can do that . . . knit faster, knit faster, knit faster.

Feb 20 - 1 repeat - 10 rows (128)(-32)
Feb 19 - 1 repeat - 10 rows knit 8 (118)(-32)
Feb 18 - 1 repeat - 10 rows knit 1, rip 6, knit 10 (110)(-30)
Feb 17 - 1 repeat - 10 rows (105)(-25)
Feb 16 - 1 repeat - 10 rows knit 1/2, rip 6.5, knit 5 (95)(-25)
Feb 15 - 1 repeat - 10 rows  knit 3 (96)(-14)
Feb 14 - 1 repeat - 10 rows - knit 11 (93) (-7)
Feb 13 - 1 repeat - 10 rows - knit 9, rip 7, knit 2 (82) (-8)
Feb 12 - 2 repeats - 20 rows - 15 rows (78)(-2)
Feb 11 - 2 repeats - 20 rows - 37 rows (63)(+3)
Feb 10 - Opening Ceremonies - 40 rows - 26 rows (-14)

I think I should clarify what the numbers above mean.  First is the date, number of repeats and equivalent rows I planned to knit.  If I did not knit the planned number of rows that is crossed out and the number of rows I did knit is listed.  The first number in () is the total number of rows knit overall and the second in () is where I am in relation to The Plan. 

Feb 19 - 1 repeat - 10 rows knit 8 (118)(-32)
Feb 18 - 1 repeat - 10 rows knit 1, rip 6, knit 10 (110)(-30)
Feb 17 - 1 repeat - 10 rows (105)(-25)
Feb 16 - 1 repeat - 10 rows knit 1/2, rip 6.5, knit 5 (95)(-25)
Feb 15 - 1 repeat - 10 rows  knit 3 (96)(-14)
Feb 14 - 1 repeat - 10 rows - knit 11 (93) (-7)
Feb 13 - 1 repeat - 10 rows - knit 9, rip 7, knit 2 (82) (-8)
Feb 12 - 2 repeats - 20 rows - 15 rows (78)(-2)
Feb 11 - 2 repeats - 20 rows - 37 rows (63)(+3)
Feb 10 - Opening Ceremonies - 40 rows - 26 rows (-14)