the snow shawl is enjoying a seat in the timeout chair today. but not for a bad reason.
we had a marathon knitting session all day yesterday. i have a pretty good idea now what the final size will be, and . . . ooops, i think it’s going to be bigger than i wanted.
i know, i know—everyone likes a great big shawl. but when you are talking about a square, you have to be careful. we don’t want it to weigh a ton now, do we?
anyhow, in my zeal to make sure, halfway through, that i had plenty planned to make it to a generous finished size, i think i overdid it.
but it’s totally fixable. i know exactly what to do to tighten things up. there’s an area in the design between the large snowflakes and the tree border that’s been bothering me anyway (and probably i’m the only one who can see it), where i would love tighten things up a bit. no problem—it would be a pleasure to take out 20 rows or so—i don’t even need to make the hard choice of eliminating a whole section or motif. phew.
and no, i am NOT going to rip back and fix it in the shawl; that would mean undoing over a week’s worth of work and i am not that sturdy a woman. it’s ok if my own shawl is a little big. i can adjust the pattern, send it to the test knitters, and then borrow one of theirs for the final pattern photos. it’s possible i could even fudge the photos using my own, but if i can borrow one that is an exact representation of the written pattern, i’d feel better.
since we are not fighting, the shawl also got to visit with me in my office today while i slaved away at the computer writing the pattern.
(hehe—don’t even remark on the irony of my lovely valentine from david sitting amidst the hideous mess of my desk top. sigh; it seems i am always letting something slide these days.)
anyhow, we will be able to send out a pattern to the test knitters tomorrow for the first half of the shawl and i hope to have the complete pattern to them by wednesday.
that way we can all work away on our respective parts while i’m away (i’m going to SPA! i’m getting out of town!). i am pretty sure now that i will be taking the shawl on the road for the finishing. i think i can finish up the body of it before i leave, and then knit the edging while i visit with my mom next week.
what we REALLY need is to decide on the name. i love the snow on cedars name and am trying to think of a good variation on it. i’d like to get pines and snow in there if possible.
so, since i relaxed on my own deadline to have the square finished before i leave (hmmm, it would be almost done NOW if i hadn’t overknit), i decided to give that project a rest for the day.
beckie came over to knit for the afternoon and i worked on gale.
which was so lonely that i found it snuggling up to the candy dish in the classroom, maybe hoping to get get the best seat for garnering attention tomorrow during classes.
i rescued it and gave it another 10 or 12 inches with with to wrap itself around that chocolate; we’ve all been there, right?
and now i have a confession. much as i love the socks and adore the shawls, my eye and mind have been wandering this week. another fetching little beauty has been stealing into my brain at any opportunity, worming its pretty little self into my subconscious and conscious imaginings.
it’s whispering (salaciously), “i wanna be yo’ next little nuthin’, baby.”
and it’s making my fingers itch.
the sly little vixen.
23 thoughts on “my carrot is turquoise”
Is there no rest for the weary? The blocked out snowflake sample is GORGEOUS!! I can’t wait to see this shawl blocked out!
Better too big than too small. At least you know how to fix it. 😉
I still haven’t had more than 2 minutes to work on my shawl. 🙁
Oooh, when are you gonna want that next little nothing test knit? I might be settled in enough to do that by the time you’re ready! Have fun at SPA!!
The personification of the shawl just cracks me up! It’s going to be great, though, and you have to be happy with it. I’m really hooked on the Little Nothings. If you use a heavier weight yarn–even worsted, I guess it wouldn’t be a little nothing, then, would it?! Deb’s yarn is awesome!
Mmmm….turqoise… That is a gorgeous color, and a worthy carrot. I’m sorry about the shawl, but glad that it is eminently fixable! Have a lovely trip out of town, you deserve it 🙂
i’d ask if it’s possible to make a shawl too big, but i’m guessing that if it’s square – or rectangular – and too big, it runs in danger of being called an ‘afghan.’ which just wouldn’t do.
that alpace laceweight IS gorgeous. what agonies you must suffer, having to work with such rich yarns…;)
Of course, I *had* to follow the link to Fearless Fibers, and oooh… she now ships to Canada!
I wanted to attend SPA this year, but unfortunately there’s way too much happening around here right now. I’m looking forward to your report! And I’m also looking forward to the day we’ll be at the same place at the same time… 😉
That fearless fiber is just gorgeous. I love that color! Cant wait to see what you come up with that one.
I’m ready when you are.
Ooh, I can see why that green little thing is whispering in your ear… 🙂
Pine Frost? Frost on Pines? It kind of reminds me of when there’s “Magic Snow” – the kind that sticks to all the branches on every tree, shrub and flower? Winter Magic? Or just Magical Snow?
I love Deb’s stuff, now just to get my hands on some of that alpaca…
All I could think was what I’ve been feeling all winter – I’m “pining for snow”. See what happens when everyone else gets all the fun snow and we get nothin? It looks beautiful. And gust looks beautiful. Have a great trip!
I chuckled when I saw the lacey goodness because just yesterday I gave in myself and ordered 2 skeins. FF yarns are so pretty!
Gust just came off the needles this weekend, she just needs some good blocking. The snow shwal will be georgeous when finished, and better too big than too small 🙂
Oh poor you, now you will have to work with another one of those awesome Fearless Fibers yarns ! I feel so sorry for you !
What is that lace pattern book that is half hiding under the shawl? I don’t know that I have seen it before.
As for names:
Alpine Snow
Snoqualmie–Its the pass just outside Seattle
Winter Pinewoods
If I think of more, I will let you know!
Have a great trip!
Aww you’ll find a use for a generously sized snow shawl, I’m sure 😉 That’s why you have test knitters, now they can make the size you were looking for. I wouldn’t have the heart to rip something so beautiful either. Lovely! Can’t wait to see the finished product.
how about frosted fir? (a little bit of alliteration goes a long way) i found a good picture of real live “frosted firs” that really reminded me of the shawl – http://www.dlund.20m.com/images_new/win013006c.JPG
How about Frosted Pines! I was thinking about it all day. I see someone else is on the same wave. It sure is beautiful! The snowflakes remind me of frost crystals on windows! Good luck with your desion!
Told you it was huge, must have intuitively known. It is looking lovely. Love the new yarn, and gale is rather fetching too. So many beautiful patterns, so little time to knit! Enjoy your time away.
I do love to visit your blog; I know there’s always going to be something delicious to look at. The purple Gale, that luscious skein of turquoise alpaca (BTW, very glad I’m not the only one whose yarn talks dirty), and the snow shawl is beautiful beyond words. As far as names goes, when I look at it, I keep thinking of Peter Hoeg’s novel “Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow”. I don’t know why, as I haven’t thought of that book for years, but it just now popped into my head when I saw the shawl pics.
years ago, dan fogelberg wrote a song about a carpenter who built a house in the piney woods of maine ‘where the ocean meets the land’. how about ‘piney woods snowfall’? something about that word ‘piney’ appeals to the georgia gal in me. 🙂
how about Winter Pine or snow dappled Pines
Have a fabulous time at SPA !
Oooh, so many pretties and yet another to look forward to.
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