knitting update: the Two-Skein Shrug

Not much of a photo, because until recently it was just a big knitted rectangle that rolls at the edges. I'm now about seven rows into the first sleeve. It's Schneeschaf's BambooSilk in the Highlands colorway, so pretty that I really just wanted plain stockinette, so nothing would distract from it.

This is my first shrug. I basically just wanted a set of sleeves joined by a stretch of fabric across the back, and I wasn't sure how much I could get with the amount of yarn I have, so it seemed sensible to knit the sleeves from the top down. So I did a crochet cast-on, and I figured I'd knit up until the piece reaches from my spine to the tip of my clavicle, increase a bit, and join to make a tube. I'll knit down until I'm almost out of yarn, then start the other skein at the invisible cast-on and repeat for the other side. I'll save a bit of yarn for a single-crochet edging around the opening, to keep the fabric from rolling.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

knitting update: Elfine is no longer Elfine.

I decided I needed a sock project for the trip up to the Netherlands, because traveling always seems to require a sock project. I had the Elfine pattern printed out, so that seemed nicely portable. And they're so pretty! And I love Cold Comfort Farm, it's one of the books that I reread every two years or so (the movie is also terrific, which is just so very rare).

The Elfine pattern is fine, but it wasn't grabbing me, for no particular reason. I took these on vacation up to the West Frisian island of Vlieland, and I found myself inspired by the hardy grass that thrives on the dunes, despite the poor sandy soil and ceaseless breeze. After four days of swatching, I had a new stitch pattern (well, new to me), and I'm now back home, reliving my vacation through my knitting. I quite like this one, though I'll probably be thoroughly sick of it by the time I finish.

knitting update: Ysabel

Right, so my computer died! And DrBob went off to Language Boot Camp and left me alone with two stroppy children and I found quite a bit of time to sit around knitting. This is good, because I'm having a serious bout of startitis, and can't seem to just pick something and see it through to the end. Ysabel was so fascinatingly fiddly at first, I couldn't stop working on her because there were all these challenges to work out. Then she turned into miles of stockinette in the round, and became the perfect accompaniment to blog reading, which I was able to do since DrBob was gone and I had the use of his laptop. I'm having a few doubts about the yarn choice, but so far all the problems I've run across look like the sort that can be solved with blocking. Except that I should have put one more diamond on the yoke. Egad, do I frog back to fix that, or accept a slightly higher neckline? Fortunately, it's currently too hot for a lapful of wool again, so I have some time to decide.

setback

Well. My computer's in the shop, so until I get it back, all the projects whose patterns were stored in it are on hold. I am told it will cost €330 to fix it, not including the 19% sales tax, so I'm still deciding whether it's worth it. A lot will depend on whether they can rescue my data. No, I did not back it up. Yes, I am a doink. Don't rub it in.

Sorry, I'm a bit testy lately. Testier, I should probably say. Anyway, Mr. Husband is in Utrecht with his tiny laptop, so I have the use of his other laptop until he gets home. I used some of my computer-less time to organize my stash, and today (and probably tomorrow, and possibly even the next day - gah, how did I end up with so much yarn?) I'm catching up with the photographing and uploading work that I've been putting off for, um, four months I think.

So. Progress.

• Swatch for LYS: Done! Took longer than you'd think, because it was a Kaffe Fasset yarn with über-long color repeats, so it had to be a big swatch. And once I ran out of soccer games to watch I had a hard time making any progress.
• Top Secret Project: Done!
• Muppet Socks: nearly done with the plain part, almost ready to start the Muppet-fur part.
• Ysabel: On hold. It's been hot lately, and I'm not excited about having a lapful of wool.
• Giselle: On hold. Pattern's on the computer. I sure hope it can be rescued.
• Juana La Loca: On hold twice - see above re lapful of wool, and also I need to find the right yarn. But I shouldn't be buying new yarn right now.
• Namarie: On hold. Pattern's in the computer, and I really, really hope this can be rescued. Giselle I can buy again, if I have to, but this one I made up myself, and starting over would be... kinda painful.
• And a new thing, Naiad, which is a summer thing using a cotton-viscose blend. All swatched up, but I only have the one skein that I used for swatching, and would need to buy more. And again, I really shouldn't be buying new yarn.
  

We're going on holiday in two weeks, to a windswept island in the northwestern Netherlands, where the lapful of wool probably won't be such a problem. And I hope I'll have my computer, or at least my data, back before then. So I guess I'll just work on the Muppet Socks until the rest of the problem solves itself.