Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Seduced by the Mystery and Socks–

Stole that is – my knitting buddy and friend Hannah, showed me her start of the Mystery Shawl Project 3 that Melanie is doing on the web. There was still time to join, and Hannah’s start was intriguing, and we have learned we tend to like the same lace patterns – so I joined Tuesday night. I found yarn in my stash, wound it (well, my sweet husband wound it for me), and started swatching.

I found the size needles that would do for the yarn (Lorna’s Laces Helen’s Lace, color Black Purl), and then found I had enough beads of a WONDERFUL color to go with the yarn (in my stash too!).

So off I went with Clue #1. The Mystery Stole 3 will be done with seven weekly instalments with charts and clues, but you have no idea what the finish article will look like – the only clues being how MUCH yarn was needed (1250 yardage on Helen’s Lace is perfect), and the lace. What’s really fun is the week the new Harry Potter book is released, the clue will be posted on Thursday instead of Friday, and then there will be a two week break before the next clue, so folks can read the HP book! Works for me for two reasons – reading the HP book AND I’m off to music camp from the 21st to the 29th, and I’m not about to take ANY complicated lace pattern to work on. Here’s where I am at the end of Clue #1.



I’ve printed out Clues #2 & #3, and four comes out this Friday. I’ve had less time to knit on it then I expected – we went to Tennessee to see our son this past weekend (he’s doing great), and we’re off to Camp on Friday, so it’s been socks, socks, socks. Here's Andrew with his birthday present soda -- he's a big Simpsons fan!



I just finished a shawl in the lovely Pure from South West Trading Co. – 100% Soysilk – which is just glorious to knit with (bought at A Tangled Skein,), in a nice faded blue-jean blue, and the pattern is from the Lace Styles book, Tuscany shawl. It’s worked up quickly, and lovely. It’s my contribution to the Auction at the music camp I’m going to.

I finished two pairs of socks last week – one for my friend Lorraine – which were finished in time for her to take them to Nantucket with her last week (and I didn’t get any photos), and on the drive DOWN to TN I finished a pair for my husband, which he immediately wore the next day, so now they’re in the laundry so he can take them to camp.

I also was at A Tangled Skein, for the Friday the 13th Knit-In and Sale – what fun we all had! Nearly 60 folks came over the course of the evening, and many of us stayed for the whole evening. Pictured are my knitting buddies from my Tuesday night group, as well as the additions of Lolly of blog page and Eunny Jang, the new editor of Interweave Knits (she lives in the greater DC metro area!)





My sock passion took over and I finally succumbed to buying the ToFutsies Exclusive Sock Club Yarn . This is a Sock Club (every other month) being done through yarn stores. You buy a skein of the Exclusive color, and get a free pattern. The first pattern is called Wild Kat, and it’s a fun knit! Doesn’t look like much when you just see it hanging from the needles, but when it’s on a foot – the lovely lace pattern shows beautifully.

There’s no AC at camp, so it’ll be a week of socks – unless it gets a little bit cool (camp’s in Plymouth, MA), then I might, if I take it, work on the Koigu sweater.

To end, here's a photo of my sweet Barnum, in one of his crazy sleeping positions. My knitting buddie Tanya complained I didn't run enough photos of my babies, so this one's for her!



Back to the mystery stole AND socks . . . . .