Blocking Mats!

I finally broke down and bought some blocking mats. Knit Picks came out with their own brand and I love them. I ordered two sets, there are nine 12" squares to a set. They were easy to use and I think it will speed up the drying time. And I didn't even have to drag out the vacuum cleaner! My Bee Fields shawl had seemed to have shrunk a bit so I reblocked it today. I'll be sure that it is thoroughly dry before taking it off the wires this time. Unfortunately, both Gracie and Charlie love the mats and think they make a great scratching surface! The only problem is where to keep them when I'm not using them because they are very bulky. I don't use them that often so they are going to have to be stored in the attic. Since Knitty came out with two fabulous shawl patterns, Shipwreck and Aeolian, I'll be needing a third set!

...Later the same day:
I just discovered another fabulous feature of the blocking mats. I was tripping over the mats and tempted to take to shawl off, probably too early, when I realized that I could tip the hole thing up and lean it against the wall and window! Vertical blocking! I love these things!

Channeling Penelope

Penelope was the daughter of Icarus and the wife of Odysseus. She tricked her suitors by unraveling her father-in-law's shroud each night, after promising to choose one of them when the shroud was finished. So, yesterday I frogged the Clapotis and started the Bird's Nest. After knitting a little less than a skein I came to the realization that I was not going to have enough yarn. Tried to buy more, but Spinning Yarns didn't have the same dye lot. After frogging the Bird's Nest, I browsed through many projects on Ravelry, but didn't find anything that fit what I was looking for and used four skeins. The Clap started looking a lot better. Hey, 276 knitters have used Malabrigo so it can't be that wrong for the pattern. I cast on again. This time I'm feeling very happy with my decision and trying not to think about how I would be halfway through if I hadn't started doubting myself.

To Frog or Not to Frog, That is the Question

I bought 4 skeins of Malabrigo in Bobby Blue. I cast on for a Clapotis on December 31. I'm now having serious thoughts about the match of yarn and pattern. I was in a rush to cast on before the start of the new year. I know tons of people have done Claps with Malabrigo, but I'm not so sure about how those bars left by the dropped stitch are going to hold up. After reading some Rav posts about this on the Malabrigo Junkies group, I'm even more uncertain. I've just started the second skein, so I'm not even half way through. As an alternative, I'm thinking about the Entrelac Stole from Scarf Style, or the Bird's Nest Shawl from Folk Shawls.
As I research, I'm leaning toward the Bird's Nest. I'd love to learn entrelac, but I don't think I'd like the solidness of the completed fabric. The Bird's Nest will give me some lightness. 346 stitches in a row is a bit daunting, however! Okay, heading off to the frog pond.
On a more positive note, I'm knitting a pair of Pomatomus socks in J. Knits Superwash Me sock, Pueblo colorway. I absolutely love these socks! Can't wait to finish and wear them.
Also started a pair of rpm socks, also from Knitty. I'm using a skein of silk/merino that I dyed with many seacoast knitter friends in September.

Ice Queen

The Ice Queen is finished and we are getting a nice layer of ice on Scituate Pond. We'll be skating soon, hopefully. Our earliest skate date is December 8th. We might beat it this year. Here's hoping that the snow holds off for a long time. I did the garter stitch version with Kidsilk Spray. I have a set of interchangeable crochet hooks that I inherited from my mother, maybe grandmother. It was perfect for adding the beads as I knit. I don't think I would have used beads if I had to string 300 of them before casting on. Now I have to decide who to give it to!
I'm working on several projects, some for Christmas and some for my own pleasure. I finished the two secret projects I was working on, and will be able to add pictures in a couple of weeks. Will be starting a couple of string shopping bags for gifts. They should be quick to knit and something the recipients will use.

3 Day Weekend

We got up early this morning to canoe on the pond. Kenny was taking lots of pictures of the color, I knit and leaf peeped. It was a gorgeous morning. Made me wish I was knitting with orange instead of the black socks I'm working on.

Clearing the Needles

I'm tired of seeing the same WIP projects on my Ravelry project page. So I'm declaring August to be the month to clear the needles. I'd love to start something new, but I'm really trying hold off the urge and stick to this plan.
I did finish my second Laminaria shawl on July 28. A quick knit, started on July 10. I was pretty monogomous on this one. I absolutely love the way it turned out. Can't wait, but I will, to knit another shawl with J. Knits Lace-A-Licious.
Today I finished the main part, no thumb yet, of the right hand Chevalier Mitten.
I was knitting outside and the colors of the VAA Malabrigo are just as verdant as the woods and pond around me. Variations in green and splashes of blue for the sky and water. I really enjoyed getting back to this project. Cast on for the left right away, I'll do both thumbs at the end. These will be a Christmas present for someone, not sure who yet.
The Priscilla's Dream socks, from Favorite Socks, are into the final stretch. I turned the heels yesterday. Interesting toe. Short rows, just the same as the heel, and the seam is at the top of the foot.
I'm anxious to see how they turn out. There is no Sock Knitters Anonymous sockdown challenge for August, thankfully. This pair was part of the June challenge, obviously I didn't make it. I've got this month to finish them and the Bayerische socks that I started in February! I'm hoping that working on the cables of the Chevalier mittens will psyche me up for the cables of Bayerische.
The Lace Ribbon Scarf is gradually growing. I wouldn't say I'm bored with it, but 80 inches is a lot of knitting of the same pattern. I certainly have it memorized. I don't remember the Montego Bay scarves taking this long, but I was probably more monogomous with them and they moved along quicker.
So that's the list for August. I am knitting a swatch of the Berocco Ultra Alpaca for K's Cobblestone, but I'm not casting on yet. Also...I'm going to reknit the button band of my Central Park Hoodie, it's too floppy, and put a new/contrasting neckband on one of K's guernsey sweaters that we bought 23 years ago. It's amazing that the rest of the sweater is in perfect condition, and he wears it a lot.
There are some incredible temptations out there however. I bought several books from Knit Picks (their 40% off sale is a great deal), ordered a couple of DVDs from Lucy Neatby (she actually answered the phone!), the new Rowan magazine arrived (pure porn), and today Twist Collective opened up (fantastic!!!).

Bee Fields Decision

This is one of those decisions that knitters have to make. It's similar to "do I frog back or can I live with this?" but this one is "do I stop now or do I go for the larger size?"
I'm at row 30 in the bee in the field chart of Anne Hanson's Bee Fields Shawl. This is the point where you can stop and knit the final 13 rows for the petite size. Thankfully the amount of yarn is not an issue. I'm using Lisa Souza fingering wool in the jonquil colorway, 1785 yards. The tall version of Bee Fields requires 1100 yards. Although I would love to finish this shawl in 13 rows, I think the shawl really needs a wider section to look proportionally correct. The size of the petite is better for me, but I know I wouldn't be satisfied with the finished piece. I love the look of this motif, the bees with their wings open, it begs to be knit in full with an extra 18 rows of this section. I don't have to block it to the full dimensions.
So I've reset my spreadsheet, and instead of 85% complete I'm back to 75%. But I have a better chance at being 100% happy with the finished shawl.
As I've been knitting this shawl, and others, like Laminaria, I'm considering how I would design a shawl for myself. Both of these designers are incredibly talented and I worship at their alters, but I'd love to have a shawl with a more "mashed up" transition between the motifs, so one would be integrated into the next over many rows, not leaving a "line" (literal or visual) between sections. In Pink Lemon Twist's Hanami shawl, she has a beautiful transition to the cherry blossoms. Maybe that should go into my queue. Chrissy is going to start a lace stole KAL on her Manic Purl podcast. She has knit a beautiful Hanami. It's very tempting...