A Butterfly Garden

My latest project. A butterfly garden square shawl. I hunted around looking for this yarn. I knew what I was looking for and (finally) found a yarn in the proper color with the proper properties. I bought enough to (hopefully) finish my project, brought the yarn home where it sat for a week while I finished the project that was on the needles I needed for the shawl (one would think that I'd own more than one pair of this size needle...and I do....but we have our favorites don't we?). I had cast on a couple of times and was flummoxed at the fact that the needle size seemed all wrong. I swore up and down (okay, I didn't "swear"...I just thought I was losing my mind) that I'd bought worsted weight yarn. I know that's what the ball band said in the store. Well, in the store it may have said "worsted weight" on the ball band, but at home it said "sport weight" (which is just a thinner yarn). Oy! But the color is perfect! I've cast on several times with one of the skeins, so I'm not returning the yarn. Did I mention, the color? It's perfect. So I finish up Katherine's sweater and cast on the shawl. Perfect. I've not knit a square shawl before (tho I've knit many many things in the round) always rectangular or triangular so it will be interesting to see how this goes, especially the edging.

Something to show

I had cast on the blue scarf with no idea who it would be for, but one thing I knew, I was not for me. No matter how much I like it (a little voice told me it was not for me). So I cast on and started knitting. Then my neighbor called me. Her husband was at work and could I come over quickly and take her to the doctor. Another neighbor appeared to take this woman's daughter. So I went. My neighbor had just had a biopsy and was awaiting the results (which was not the reason she called, but it's all related). She commented on the shawl and asked who it was for. Not knowing I told her "a friend". A few days later she called to tell me that the biopsy came back as cancer. I knew then who the shawl was for. I picked up the pace so that it would be done before her mastectomy. I finished it a couple of days ago, she will have surgery hopefully next week. It looks lovely on her and I am grateful for the little nagging voice that said "knit a shawl, someone close to you will need it".

On the non-knitting front. My kids take their lunches to school every day. They don't like paper napkins and so I thought that a few cloth ones would be fitting.

Still knitting

But not much to show for it!

It's not that I'm in an after holiday slump, really I'm not. But you know somehow some projects just don't lend themselves to photography until they're completed and blocked. And with 3 kids at home and two dogs, one of which is a puppy who just loves to carry off projects. knitting and getting knitted items photographed isn't happening on a regular basis around here.

That said. My neighbor was diagnosed last week with breast cancer. I had cast on a shawl with no idea who it would be for, but a nagging little voice told me that there was someone meant for this shawl (which will really be about the size of a scarf), just cast on and knit. Sure enough when my neighbor called me with her news I knew at once who the scarf is for. There will soon be a photo for both Ravelry and for here, but in the meantime just know I've not quit knitting.

On needles right now: Leaf Lace (at least I think that's the pattern, I'm too lazy to get up and wander over to my knitting to look at the pattern) shawl, knit in blue Cherry Tree hill Supersock merino.

Monkey Socks first sock is on the needles Cherry Tree hill Sockittome in cherry blossom.

A pink raglan sleeve sweater for girl child knit out of some cheap-o supersoft red heart (only because the yarn is 1. super soft 2. pink 3. washable and 4. so cheap I won't have an attack if it gets lost/ruined on the school playground....at 6 she's not the most careful about her clothing...but she's getting there.