Zoning Out

I really thought it would be nice after knitting the Aeolian Shawl to knit some garter stitch, right? And it is...I am loving it. But you know that expression? "Mindless Knitting"? I have been a bit too mindless.


Yes, those are live stitches there. The ones I have had to rip back a couple of rows twice now, because I can't remember to yarn over those two times in the middle of the rows. Only two little yarn overs. Then when I go to fix it without ripping back the entire rows, it stretches the yarn too much and makes it all wonky. UGH!

How is it that I can knit intricate lace without more than a couple of problems the whole time, but a garter stitch shawl trips me up twice already? I think I just zone out while I am knitting it.

Here is my Birthday Present, Lila. She is wondering if Mom is going crazy since I'm muttering to myself the whole time I am ripping.

A New Shawl...New Friends

This is the Multnomah Shawl I began last night while at A Good Yarn in Prescott. The store has a Shawl KAL that began last night. I met some new folks that are wonderful Knitters and enjoyed myself very much. It is nice to have a shawl to work on that isn't too complicated. Something to enjoy without having to pay close attention, really. This shawl was already in my list of "shawls to do", and the store was featuring the pattern. The sample they have there is very pretty. I chose to make it from Elsebeth Lavolds Silky Wool in color 12.

Here is a photo of the progress I am making on the Mystery Stole 4, Serendipity.
You know, I am oddly enjoying this now. I had it in hybrination for a long, long time and really thought I may never finish it. I didn't like working with the Malabrigo lace weight, it's a bit like cotton candy. And I wasn't crazy about the pattern once it was getting along. But I have come to appreciate both and now I am just hoping that I have enough yarn to finish the project. I am well over half way done, but it is making me nervous since you knit both halves from the ends to the middle and then graft. I have nightmares about running out of yarn just as I need to weave the thing together!

I have had more time for knitting since moving to the Southwest. (No job yet) One thing that has done is given me more time for finishing things. I have had a longer attention span, and have been finishing all my UFO's. The Mystery Stole is the last UFO in my possession. Isn't that a hoot? So, 3 projects on the needles, and that is it! A new record for me, I think. I realized that I am more excited about knitting if I am finishing things. For a time there I think I was pretty "scattered"...having projects all over the place and in different stages. I didn't finish anything very often since I had so much going. Some knitters are really motivated by that, but I have found that I am better off with only 2 or 3 things on the needles, with only one of those projects taking the front seat.