Chevron Formation

Ahh, yes. We're welcoming winter back with open arms today. Winter advisory through the evening with 2 to 6 inches of slushy snow to possibly fall. Thus far we've only had rain, but it's coming.

As I walked out the door this morning I had two shawl options: A) Clapotis. I finished on Saturday night. and B) Shadow Shawl, knit 2ish years ago. Which shawl was the winner?

The Shadow Shawl. Knit with Anne and Kid Seta, I just couldn't resist it. So light, soo warm. I love this shawl. Over a year ago I taught a class with this pattern. A number of lovely students referred to the beginning as "Little Mexico".

Exciting work desk shot:

So, pictures of Clapotis will come tomorrow. LR has only one seam remaining... but I've hit a snag.... we'll save it for another day.

Confession Time

I've been a bad, bad girl. Progress, what progress?


An honest update:

LR Seaming- Full stop.
Clapotis- just past 1/2 way mark!


I'll be away this weekend on a knitting retreat, so hopefully LR will receive some well-deserved attention.

Or, Clapotis will be done. One of the two will occur.

R2D2 Gone Postal!

R2D2 mailbox
Originally uploaded by wsh1266.

Have you seen one of these around?

A coworker and I bumped into one yesterday on Kellog in Downtown St. Paul.

They're really cute! I wonder how many are out there.


Photo found via Flickr

Soy Enferma!

What? More yarn?
1. It was on sale.
2. Deepa talked me into it.


(very bad pictures. Blame 5 days of stomach flu!)

Above is Wool/Silk from Mystical Creations Yarn. The yarn is a pleasantly rustic thick/thin shiny, glossy mass. It's described as 'bulky'-- although the thin portions have pushed me toward a #8 needle. The "Cherry Gloss" colorway above is truly different than MCY's website! It's well worth the price-- although here's fair warning-- TAKE HEED when ordering from these folks. From this experience, I can attest that the photos on their site are stock-- and do not reflect their currently dyed skeins. I'm really happy with the colors. It's not what I expected, but quite pretty. (Tiger and Raspberry Jam?)

I'm sure you all know what project it is. Let's hear it, "Oh. Last year's project, huh? You know, everyone's moved onto Lady Eleanor by now".

Toby and Paco don't care, but area starting to wonder when the new afghan will be complete.

First Day of Spring

I often wonder if anyone really likes the sculptures in the lobby.

Found photo & poem

In Arabia it was…
Originally uploaded by BidWiya.

Warning: Absolutely no knitting content below. I'm on a seaming break, folks. 20/23 seams complete on LR.

Ten years ago I traveled in North Africa for six months. How facinating, years later, to see so very little of the majority of Arabian society presented through major US media circuts. Negativity and terror prevail.

Without a doubt, most of the people I met were wonderfully kind and hospitable folk who were absolutely facinated with blue eyes, golden hair, and skin so light that one could trace blue veins nearly to the owner's heart.

In Arabia it was…
Let me for a moment
Take a break from this world
I need time to cherish
To remember the times I had
On those dunes when walking
Across the desert-sea exploring
I can almost sense the feeling
When first my feet sank in…

The warm sand pouring
When held in my hands
The fresh breeze gliding
Through my face
Whispering my ears
My eyes started glittering
My dream was blooming

..and then I fell in love
With Arabia and its people
Its wonderful exploration
Its magical sensation
Its remarkable admiration

Let me for a moment
Return to that land
Let me for a moment
Feel the sand in my hand

- BidWiya 1 Oct '05

Twisted Sisters and Stitches

Last January I started with a UFO goal- work on or rip out one project per month. In February Lizard Ridge unfortunately lead to an abandoned Patrick (He's still on deck, post LR). March, however, was a different story:

This was a mini-clapotis in Twisted Sister's Petite Voodoo, a dk-weight 50/50 silk and merino yarn. I thought I'd knit an 'office width' clapotis. Due to the edge curling, I just never liked it. Clapotis is meant to be a large, flowing scarf/shawl-- and (at least for me) did not translate well into a significantly thinner knit.

Voodoo is a great yarn. It should make a lovely lacey scarf- the verigation is mild enough to work well with patterning.

After seeing Kay's Argosy Wrap, I'm thinking this might be a good fit. Clapotis-esque, yet I can block the heck out of it to make a thinner scarf that won't curl too much. Perhaps another lace pattern would be a better match? At any rate, the knit-from yarn will need to take a little bath in the near future to get it's bounce back!

Twisted Stitches: A few weeks ago the books on the left arrived at my door. Yes, the long-awaited Uberlieferte Strickmuster aus dem Steirischen Ennstal (Traditional Knitting Patterns from the Enns Valley of Styria) by Maria Ehlbacher was sequestered via Marjan at Yarnissima! Thanks again, Marjan for the head's up!!! As some of you know, I've been looking around the globe for months to find them.

#3 was not for sale. It will come someday. I can feel it.

I also purchased New Style of Heirloom Knitting. Take a peek over at Crossed in Translation (a 2006 KAL) to see why!

If you're interested in --or unfortunately obsessed like me with-- twisted stiches, Liesl Fanderl's series is a thorough anthology- and is much easier to find than Maria Ehlbacher's out of print books.