A New Project

 Since last week when I distributed 8 cubic feet of yarn to my friends, John did not mind me starting a new shawl instead of grabbing and finishing a UFO.  I was at three different combinations of yarn and John chose the colors he liked.  I spent the evening winding 4 new cakes of yarn. The first skein was knotty. When the forth skein when the yarn started getting wonky, I used my right knee to keep the yarn on the squirrel cage. I am going to knit my pattern Grandmas Summer Shawl, this time in a DK weight since the pattern knit up so well with a worsted weight and U.S. size 10.5 by 50 inch circular knitting needles.  I am thinking about a U.S. size 7 for the new shawl.  

I know that I said I would not start a new project until all the UFO’s were finished.  However all I have are summer weather shawls in progress.  It is now frequently getting below 70° and I need some warmer shawls that fit me. I distributed all the shawls that were too big so now I only have one winter shawl.  I will need at least 2.  Hence the new project.  

Providence and the Recycling Fairies

 It is a special moment in this house when the divine recycling fairies and providence meet up. It has happened a couple of times in the last 24 hours here.  The first time was when I found a skein of yarn that I absolutely love on a pattern that was proving a little difficult for me.  So I tinked the shawl and put the pattern in time out. I find this a perfectly reasonable alternative to throwing away the pattern.  A few hours later I was reading about how a knitwear designer sometimes tries a pattern that she designed and used a different weight yarn to see the difference and possibly come up with a different pattern.  My aha moment sent the yarn on a collision course with my all time favorite pattern that I designed, Grandma’s Summer Shawl.  Of course a summer shawl pattern in Tucson is never ever knit with worsted weight wool yarn for very obvious reasons.  

So with vintage worsted weight yarn from My 8 Kids Farm and U.S. size 10.5 ChiaoGoo Twist with the SWIV360 cables knitting needles the adventure began.  I am so happy with the results so far that I might just find a current worsted weight yarn I like and tweak the pattern for a winter shoulder covering.  Tell me what you think of it. 

The second moment of Devine recycling came this morning.  A couple of months ago, another family member was doing some deep cleaning.  This gray box found its way into my knitting room. It has been taking up floor space ever since. I thought it was my taller half’s, but he said it was not his.  So I opened the box and found that our darling daughter had left it behind in 2008 when she left for grad school.  This very obviously was a little past the 10 year mark when anything left at home was up for grabs.  

I did fail to mention that at the time I was working on a huge paper and book pile and needed some place to put all the patterns. So I cleaned out the box and turned it around because darling daughter’s college course work needed different labels than the patterns.  I felt like I broke my brain by going through the 15 inch pile in about a hour.  I also filled another recycling bag to take out.  I can now see more table.  

I do love how the recycling fairies live by the model reduced, reuse and recycle. I an so glad that they came and helped find such grand solutions.  I am hoping to have the knitting / spinning room fully functional by the end of the year.  I would not mind additional visits from the recycling fairies.  

The Picture

 The picture of Grandma’s Summer Shawl in yarn I spun.  Fiber from Cloudlover in 50 % merino and 50% silk. I also won yarn chicken.  The tiny ball in the center is all the yarn I have left.  The pattern is available on Raverly and Love Crafts dot com.  

The Shawlette is Finished

 I finished the shawlette at 9pm tonight. Alas it was to dark to take pictures.  I also won yarn chicken.  I did not even have enough yarn left over for an extra row.  

I also did something I have not done since March of 2020. I went to Starbucks, ordered a tea. Yes I sat on the lovely patio in the shade.  I had the patio to myself.  I listened to my book and got a whole lot of knitting done.  I also got to the post office and gas station.  The gas was down to $4.79 a gallon.  Then it was time to go home and do a couple of loads of laundry.  A little picking up too.  

This Much Left

 There is an old adage in knitting circles.  When a project looks almost finished. When someone asks how much more knitting do you have to go? The response is always holding up the last of the yarn and saying this much.  Well tonight is my this much moment on Grandmas Summer Shawl in my own hand spun yarn.  Ooo’s and awe’s welcome.  Tomorrow morning I will finish it and block it.