Yarn Along

This week, I’m working with some stash yarn that was intended for another project.  That project was frogged, and I was left with 2 skeins of this gorgeous yarn in hopes of one day finding it’s match of the perfect pattern.  The yarn is Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in “thyme” and I’ve loved it since I got it.  So I’m making a shawl.  I’m trying once again to work through designing a shawl pattern, and I’m hoping this time will be a charm.  I’d say “3rd times a charm” but that would seem to jinx the time I’m on now.

I’m working this one from the bottom up, and I’m going off of a lace stitch called “Versailles” therefore I’m trying to think up a good French name for this pattern.  It’s really pretty, but I’m realizing I should probably pay more attention when working lace.  Already I’ve had to start over after 12 rows, and then after starting over, I got to row 16, and set the shawl down, and one of my kids (who I assumed wasn’t tall enough to reach it…) pulled the needles off of about 4 stitches, and it unraveled about 3 rows back.  I tried so hard to figure out how the lace stitched twisted and turned for those 3 rows in that one little section.  I tried to make do.  I tried to at least get the stitch count at least right, and not worry about that horrid spot in the lace that didn’t look right.  Then I ripped back 2 rows tediously, thinking that would be enough.  It wasn’t.

So now, after spending 2 evenings of knitting time ripping back stitch by stitch and double checking that I have ripped back enough, I think I’m back on track.  This is why I like to use amazing yarn.  It gets you through the tough times.

Don’t ask me what this shawl is for, or even if I wear shawls, what on earth I’d wear it with, or if I plan to keep it or give it away.  The point is I had pretty yarn, and I wanted to try my hand at designing a shawl.  So I’m knitting one.  All those other questions will work themselves out later.

Knut asked me if I’m enjoying knitting/designing without a deadline again…finally.  My answer was a big fat “YES!”  Although it was so much fun working on the magazine design, I’m ready for a no pressure project.  That’s not to say I’ll never submit another pattern again…because I fully intend to…down the road.  😉

I think after this shawl I may work on some baby things, or even this sweater pattern that my aunt on Ravelry just gifted to me because she saw it in my queue and thought I’d look nice in it.  Isn’t it fun?  More practically I should do this one instead since I have already bought the yarn for it last winter. 

For reading, I haven’t finished my fun books from last week, but I have started going through school books for next year.  One of the books on our reading list is Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl Who Ran which I was really excited about because I think it was my favorite book in 3rd grade.  I remember it being the most suspenseful book I had ever read up to that point, and laid awake at night thinking about it.  I’m reading about 3 chapters a night, and I’m so excited for Silje to experience it for the first time.  It’s soooo good.  In theory I should be reading the books for next year that I haven’t read yet.  However, I’m rationalizing that I’m just getting my feet wet in the whole prep-for-next-year summer project, and why not start with my favorite.  Plus, the last time I read it was in 3rd grade, so the details are a bit fuzzy.

Thank you, Ginny, for once again hosting the always-fun Yarn Along.