Darn Near Perfect

This evening is darn near perfect. The work week is done, I have a Netflix movie to watch, and I'm working on a knitting project I'm really enjoying!

I wanted to knit something for a friend who's retiring soon. I had two gorgeous balls of yarn that I'd been saving for some special project that were a colorway that I knew my friend would really like.

So, what could I do with 440 yards of fingering weight yarn? I knew the yarn would make a beautiful scarf, but I had knit a scarf for her for Christmas last year. Hmmmm. How about a shawl?

Happily I hopped onto the internet and searched Ravelry for something appropriate. I found lots of beautiful patterns, but most of them required at least 600 yards of fingering weight yarn. Phooey. I would need another ball of this yarn, and I've had this yarn long enough that the odds are against getting another ball of it at this point.

I narrowed my search to the yardage I have available. Nothing really struck my fancy. I perused the patterns I had on hand. Again, nothing really grabbed me.

Then it occurred to me that maybe I could work a feather and fan pattern into a shawl. Sure, why not? Just start with three repeats of feather and fan, and increase it each row until it's the width I want.

So far I've worked about six inches from the beginning, and I've increased enough on each side of the "center 3" repeats of feather and fan to make another repeat on each side (a total of 5 repeats now).

I've used about half of my first ball of yarn, so this may turn out to be a "shawlette" instead of a shawl, but it's looking really pretty. I'll give you updates as it goes along.

As for now, I'm going to pop in my Netflix DVD and get back to my sticks and string. Happy Friday, everyone!

Semi-Normal

At long last, life at the office is back to semi-normal. The workload is still terrible and the new computer system is still a nightmare, but at least my hours are back to 40 hours a week. I must confess that the past few months have taken a toll. Hopefully now I can begin to get my life back in order.

For awhile I was forced to cut my beloved knitting back drastically. I was just too exhausted after work to even pick up the knitting needles. As the hours gradually approached a near-normal work week again, I actually FORCED myself to pick up a fairly mindless project for at least a half-hour in the evenings. It helps quiet my mind and center my emotions. Thank goodness for the "granny dishcloth" pattern. Nothing to think about, busy hands, quiet mind, useful end product!

There have been many times in the recent past that I've been grateful that I learned to knit. To paraphrase the Yarn Harlot, I don't knit because I'm patient, I'm patient because I knit.

I've also started knitting some grocery bag dispensers (early start on Christmas gifts). I adapted the pattern from several other patterns I found on Ravelry and other internet sites. I've posted my version in the "freebies" section (see the link on the right) if you'd like to try one. It's a simple project that knits up quickly. Sometimes it's good to work on an "instant gratification" project. :-)

Have a great weekend, fellow knitsters!