Some News of the World -- My World, that is...

Yes, I know.  I've been missing in action for awhile.  I know -- since November.  I appreciate all the e-mails, comments, etc.  Sometimes, one simply has 'way too much to do, and the past few months have been one of those times.

My knitting hasn't suffered, though.  In fact, I have a lot of things going on, right now, which motivated me to get back to posting again. 

I finished a bunch of small lace scarves for Christmas presents.  I won't show them all, but here's one:

This is the "Swallowtail Shawl," an Evelyn Clark design that was in a recent Interweave Knits.  I've made three of these now, and enjoyed them all.  I've definitely been "nupped," and I'm warming up for a "Lily of the Valley" shawl in the near future. 

Maybe, just one more:

This is a shortened version of Sharon Miller's "Dove Shawl."  I made this series of shawls (including a couple of "Flower Basket Shawls") for a certain group of five women.  I walked into my boss' office at work one morning and proudly announced that I had all five shawls completed and blocking -- ready to present to the recipients.  She immediately told me that the group had recently increased to six!  What's a knitter to do? 

I thought and I thought (not unlike Pooh,) and it came to me in a momentary flash of clarity that I had most of the Dove Shawl knitted, except I'd made a mistake and laid it aside for awhile, well ok, for a couple of years.  So I got it out, ripped it back past the unsightly mistake, knitted several rows of garter stitch across the top, decreasing some, and bound that baby off!  I love the way it blocked out, and I'm definitely going to do another full-sized one. 

So that was Christmas.  No last-minute family gifts this year.  No rushing to get something done for a trip, etc.  Just lace shawls. 

Currently on my needles, I have 'way too many projects, as usual.  I'm still working on Starmore's Kinsale tunic.  I've discovered that I must work with guernsey yarn on an intermittent basis, because it hurts my hands some.  I've done a bunch of socks.  Maybe we'll have sock night before long.  Some of them have turned out quite well, including about $40 worth of socks made of Colinette yarn that I knit for my grandsons.  Only a really sick person would do that, you know.  I made the center of Sharon Miller's "Rosebud" shawl -- yes again.  I now have a yellow center and a natural center, but that's a post all its own.  I've also made one of Nancy Bush's pretty Estonian lace scarves, and I'm definitely going to make another one, very soon.  (I warned you that I'd been "nupped".)  Oh, and I almost forgot that I have most of the back of Janice Straker's lovely "Shalor" cardigan design. 

That brings me to the weekend just past.  The Central Texas Knitting and Crochet Guild, here in Austin had a two day workshop with Galina Khmeleva.  I had a wonderful time, and got not only additional lace knitting knowledge, but a lot of inspiration, too.  The workshop will be the subject of some upcoming posts. 

So that's pretty much what I've been doing -- besides working really hard at my dayjob.  I appreciate people continuing to tune in, and now I'll try to make it worthwhile.

Good knitting,
MEM

Comments

[joyce w]

Wonderful to have you back blogging. I have missed you!

[alice]

Welcome back! :) The Dove Shawl is just lovely! And I especially look forward to hearing about your workshop with Galina Khmeleva, since I just started knitting one of her designs myself.

[Christine]

Your shawls are beautiful!

[Jean]

Welcome back! I've been waiting and watching. So good to know that all's well, and that knitting goes on regardless. In fact, it's hard to see how you have time for anything else, such as a dayjob.

[Meg in North AL]

Yay! You're back! Such lovely knitting.

[Aarlene]

Oh PS love the new look

[Aarlene]

Wow just on the knitting front alone you've been a busy bee. I'm glad you are back and okay.