Winter Returns?

It's been cold and drizzly and damp, and yucky today (yesterday was sunny and cold), and it looks as if our spring has retreated. Of course, in these parts, it's kinda normal. Sometimes I think Arizona or Hawaii would be a nicer place for someone with Lupus...at least the change of seasons' ups and downs would be easier on the joint pain...

This was a work day for me, the fabrics for bags being cut and assembled for the first steps of creating a Nana Sadie Rose original...and lots of mundane tasks, laundry mostly, fixing a batch of baked chicken to add to a variety of meals during the week, including a variation of "grilled chicken Caesar salad" that includes my all time favorite dressing, Kraft's Fat Free Ceasar Italian.

But I couldn't resist working on this:

I'm not sure I like where I placed this next "log" of curry (the gold), but I'm already working on the next color, the mid-range purple. I am thoroughly enjoying (ok, addicted to) the cushy feel of this Mission Falls 1824 Wool. No question that part of the reason I worked on it was the fact that it's almost lap size now and it was a tad on the chilly side today - so this was welcome warmth! (Big Sis's second sock has also turned the heel and I'm starting on the patterning of the cuff, but that's boring so I won't show it yet...)

Dear Daughter stopped by for a bit, bringing my replacement MP3 player - the first one didn't work with my new laptop (not exactly sure why) and so this was the solution...she showed me how to "rip" music and "sinc" it to the MP3 player (if I'm not saying this right, forgive me, I'm new to it all...)

My Michael Buble and Mandy Patinkin CDs are now on my playlist.
;)
She also kindly took me to Panera Bread for a late lunch, with a decaf mocha latte. I'm so going to pay for that. But you know, we had a good time, which is a major thing for us...(actually if you leave us to ourselves, we usually do okay, it's when we have an audience that things seem to deteriorate quickly!)

Tonight, watching Keith Olbermann's 5 year anniversary show on NBC, The Meezer decided to make a claim for my lap...Oddly enough, my lap isn't quite big enough for the "portly" Miss Meeze...

How could you say such a thing, Mommie? Portly?

It takes one to know one, I guess, huh?
(sigh)
So true, Miss Meeze...heft seems to run in our family.

Oh geeze. It's almost Monday again. And I guess I'd better go get the last load of laundry out of the dryer.

It's Spring - There's No Doubt

These are popping up all over the front yard - they were one of my mom's favorites and I must admit that I love them, too!

Another sure sign of spring? Well...more Posies! (you may click to embiggen)

(If you love blue & white china as I do, this might be the one for you...)

But I am also partial to Spectator pumps and black and white!

And I couldn't resist this one. Most nana's love sock monkeys, I think.

These three have gone down to the Knitter's Knook. But if you absolutely have to have one, I suspect I can get it back! Or make more.

Why, um, yes. I did go to the Knitter's Knook today. Yes, I did buy more yarn...what? You want to know what I bought? Well, two more skeins of black and one of taupe Mission Falls 1824 Wool for the Log Cabin blanket. I hadn't realized how this was going to soak up yarn like a sponge does water.

*wink*

Still, it's going to be a yummy addition to my office. Now, if I can just find a nice chair for my knitting room/office - something to recline in. That's my next project.

I will tell you that I was very very good. I had a chance to buy enough Noro Silk Garden to make another Clapotis. I declined. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I had no idea how yummy Silk Garden is.

Of course, Becky did tell me all I had to do was pick up the phone and she'd hold it for me.

That Becky. She's such a good enabler...
:)
And I'm really really trying to keep my mind on my priorities. Chateau Morrisette next weekend with the Virginia Fiber Folk from Ravelry, and the Yarn Harlot in Charlotte NC the following week. Oh. And that reclining knitting chair, too.

But still...that was gorgeous Silk Garden...
(((hugs)))

Take An Hour for the Earth...

I was reminded again by visiting Deb today, so I posted a reminder on Nana Sadie's blog and will do so here, too! Since I've not mentioned it here before.

Please turn your lights off at 8p.m. for an hour tomorrow night? Here's why.

And I have another request. While you do that? Since you'll probably be lighting a candle at the same time? Would you think of, say a prayer for, just remember my friend's son, Lee? He left this plane a year ago tomorrow, and my friend is asking anyone whose life was touched by him to do this. If you know me? You know someone who was touched by him and his family. And since there's really only 6 degrees of separation between any of us, you probably know someone else.

Anyway. The two can easily be combined! And I think that's kinda cool, too...Save the earth. And also remember a special soul.

(Can you imagine how much electricity will be saved by ONE HOUR across the globe...???)
Me? I'm gonna knit!

Only Mid-Week? (sigh)

Wow. By Wednesday, I'm really wiped out now that the first three nights of the week are devoted to daycare duties. DGS#1 is heading to kindergarten in the fall, and he's not as far along as I'd surely like him to be, so we spend time each evening doing some of the little things (that hold his interest) that will help. But it's tiring after a full day of work, and then there's the fixing dinner, and settling him down for the night. When he's not in the mood - for anything, and that happens some times - it can be a real trial. Tonight he was wired from a wonderfully sunny day and did not want to come off the pre-school playground.

I'm not as young as I used to be. I can't run after him (and don't think I should, anyway). But he really is hard to corral! So our evening started on a less than happy note. Fortunately I had a couple of errands to run, and his mood improved a little when we had to wait in line at Barnes & Noble and he could look at the bookmarks...(Please, to any of the Gods and Goddesses listening - I do tend to cover my bases, doncha know? - would you make sure this young man becomes a reader?)

Last night we read one of my favorite children's books, The Mousehole Cat(pronounced Mowzel), and he seemed to enjoy it even tho' I'm sure he has no idea what a "stargazy pie" is!

He also surprised me last night (at a stoplight) that he could do some simple math - holding 5 fingers, take away 3, what's left? Two. Had a moment's hesitation when I held up 4 fingers and took away 2. What's left? giggle. What's left? Count my fingers? Two??
:)

Anyway, he did go down to sleep earlier tonight so I was able to go into the sewing room and make this for Sydney! Her prize for winning my contest last week:

I wanted to make sure that her case had the closure Glady will have for everyone. And I also added a little "nicety" to this one that has improved the case overall...
Each of the circular pockets are secured with velcro.

When I first started making bags, everyone told me I should use a velcro closure and I refused. Because in a knitting bag that can be a problem. Yarn snags hard on velcro.

But. The Glady is a different animal all together! Those six pockets are closed with the velcro down INSIDE the pockets...and then the open edge of the pockets are folded into the center fold of the case, then the case is tri-folded yet again. Yarn will be hard-pressed to get to that velcro! I think it's safe...

So why did I stop at B&N tonight? I called this a.m. to reserve a copy of the Yarn Harlot's new book, and was told it would be 3-5 business days before it arrived. Later this afternoon, they phoned to let me know it had arrived...
I can't think of a better way to recouperate once the young one has gone home...a glass of Merlot and a book of laughter...

From what I can tell? She's got another winner on her hands! Three cheers, Stephanie!

Six Word Memoir

I was browsing blogs today thru bloglines, and lo and behold discovered I'd been tagged by Melanie for this 6 word memoir...let me tell you this was hard! But for my image, I picked
this by Mary Baxter St. Clair:

because my memoir is this:

"Flower Child, forever replanting her garden."

If you stop by Amazon you can see a short You-Tube video of some that are included in the book Not Quite What I Was Planning,. Here are the directions for the meme:

1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.


Now I'm actually going to tag five people as I'm supposed to: Birdsong, Jane, Pam, Nikki, and Ariel!

Have fun gals...

Happy Easter! We Have A Winner!

Everyone has a different way of doing a random drawing. I wasn't sure this one would work and couldn't actually get the camera to click at the precise moment...but perhaps this photo indicates what I did?

All names were input into Excel, the printout was then cut into strips with a single name on them, folded in half to make them all the same size, and then put in the vintage 1980s Tupperware canister. I then offered it to The Meezer. She wasn't quite sure what I wanted at first. Then decided (upon my shaking the canister and making the papers rustle) that perhaps there was something interesting inside, after all.

When she stuck her nose inside? One stuck to it. (yes, The Meezer has a sweet wet nose)

And the name on the piece of paper?

Sydney!

Congratulations, Sydney! I've already emailed you...

And thank you for everyone who entered and commented on the closure for Glady.

OH! Which closure won? Well, the count went like this:
Ribbon: 13
Fabric: 9
Elastic: 27
(and there was one vote for an option I didn't offer!)

Which is a really good thing. I agree with the elastic votes! (After all, I'd already been using that closure on Rose and Oressa, so it must be one I like!)

I hope everyone's Easter was a lovely, family-filled day, and I hope you got in some knitting time! (I did...)

Yarn..Yarn Harlot...Kitties!

Or I could have called this "Misellanea Saturday" - but that goes better with "Monday" don't you think?

Today, pal Lynette and I trundled down the pike to Knitters' Knook...She was dropping off a few bars of her Enchanted Forest Soaps to see how folks like them, and I was in need of - yeah, you guessed it - MORE YARN!

It took a long time and a lot of trial and error, but Becky, Lynette and I finally decided to add these colors of Mission Falls 1824 Wool to my Log Cabin blanket. I think they'll be wonderful, don't you? (I also think we tried every single color - there are no others that would really work well with what I started out with!) This makes 4 shades of purple/lavender, two of blue, three of green, two of burgundy, the gold, the beige, the black - there are 14 different colors in all...I LOVE Mission Falls 1824 Wool. LOVE.IT.

And tho' it was very hard, I walked away without any more sock yarn, and no laceweight - that was so hard, because Becky has gotten Jojoland Harmony Laceweight. OH.MY! But I can go back, it will be there, or some will...yes...it will. Promise. (sigh)

She's also gotten in Louet. And Euroflax. And more Trekking. And Cascade 220 is coming. Ok...back to the blog. (sigh)

I'd asked our local knitting group if anyone would want to join me in a road trip to Charlotte NC on April 8 to see the Yarn Harlot. I'd been pretty disconcerted with the response - only a couple of people seemed interested, one of which couldn't go because of her work schedule (don't you know this is a TUESDAY NIGHT?). Charlotte isn't far, but it's still a 3 hour drive, and there's no way I can afford to stay the night right now. So we'll have to drive right back - it's going to be a hard trip, no doubt about it. So it looked like it was just going to be me and possibly one more, but that's an expensive trip with gas over $3 a gallon these days, so I wasn't holding out hope for this excursion...

But then at Knitters Knook today? Becky said, "Are you still looking for people to go?" And don't you know, she wanted to tag along. And then Lynette did. So the four seats of my car are now full! I'm tickled to death.

I simply adore Stephanie and have so wanted to see her. This is the closest she's come in all the times she's been on tour!

There will be a couple of folks who aren't very happy about this - it's going to disrupt their dinner schedules, you see...
Canned food is my favorite and it comes to my dish between 7 and 8 p.m. every night without fail
Yes...except when she's not here, CC, remember? We don't like it when she's not here!

Do you think I'm going to be in the doghouse on the evening of April 8/9?

Yup. Me, too.
(oh...contest results tomorrow, as promised! We do have a winner!)

Wow. Sock Yarn. Oh MY!

Pam got me started thinking about just how much sock yarn I had, and today, when my most recent Roxie purchase arrived in the mail, I thought, I've got a lot of Zen Yarn Garden yarn...

Not that that's even remotely a bad thing - it's definitely not! See how pretty?

And there's more of it on the way, too!

So I got to wondering just how many pairs of socks I could make with ALL the yarn I currently have (not just Zen Yarn Garden yarn)...Pam put hers in small brown sacks...I'm not going to do that, tho' I could.

How about (with the two pair on the needles and April's Art Walk selection soon to arrive) 30 pair? Okay. One of those is my sister's socks...

But that's still a lotta sock yarn. Pam's still ahead of me, tho'.

And I'm keeping what I have (for now). I'm not going to make socks out of all of it, either. I have at least one Chevron Scarf and one Feather and Fan scarf in mind for some of this.

Oh...the newest arrival? My own Gigi? She looks JUST like the photo below. Lovely! And not quite as deep as the true VA Tech colors! But if I have to wear something to show my allegiance to my grad school alma mater? Well, these will do!

After all, sock yarn doesn't count...and I'm stashing for retirement in my 401(k)nit account! lolol!

(don't forget - you have till midnight tonight to vote in my contest!)

Just a Few More Hours to Vote!

I'm still here...been really busy with work and my visit with Big Sis this week! But I'm reading all your comments on the contest. If you haven't voted, scroll down a couple of entries and let me know what you think on the closure for the new Glady interchangeable needle case!

And I'll touch base soon - tomorrow or Saturday, for sure.

A shout-out to the Barnes & Noble Knit Night gals - it was such fun to see everyone - and a real pleasure to see Gina, Mosaic's shining star! She drove in all the way from Blacksburg - okay, it's really only about an hour's drive, but still...

Too Excited To Wait Till Tomorrow!

Big Sis got in today...and received her 60th birthday gift (about 18 months late!) - I'd promised you a fully blocked and modeled photo of Catharina...so here she is!
(click to embiggen)
I'm so proud.

And Big Sis was almost speechless!
**grins**

Contest Clarification?

There are three options:
1. Ribbon
2. Fabric Loop
3. Elastic Loop

I think I didn't do a good job of making that clear. (just chaulk it up to a Monday night post and being really tired, and please forgive me, okay?)

Thanks! (Make sure to leave your comments on the post below to be considered for the contest!)
(((hugs)))

A Contest and A Vote!

Everyone got to see Glady in her debut over the weekend, and I hinted that I'd be asking your opinion on my rethinking of the closure. I'm going to make this into a contest, so please read everything before you do anything! Don't want you to miss my fine print (which isn't all that fine, it's the same sized font! lolol)

So here you go. First I'd like you to vote in the comments for one of three options for the closure...the first choice is this one below - it's the ribbon closure.

Then, the second choice is the fabric loop closure which is the same style I use on the majority of the bags I make:

Finally, it was suggested to me today (Thanks, Melanie!) that I use the same elastic loop and small button closure that I use on the Oressa and Rose needle cases...which is something I'd not even considered. So that's option number 3:


Now. Once you've decided what your vote will be, (everyone seems to be doing this lately, and it's not a bad idea, so I'm going to try it, too!)

Let your blog readers know about the contest on your blog and put a link to your post in your vote comment here so I can go look at it. If you do, I'll put your name in the hat twice!

I'll leave the contest running until Friday night at midnight EST. Then give myself over the weekend to get everyone into the hat the right number of times and get a totally impartial someone to draw the winning name. Then I'll post the winner later on Sunday night.

What will you win? How about Glady?
;)

Art Walk Sock Yarn Club March Selection!

I'm told it's okay to post this now....isn't it gorgeous? Remember THIS? I think Roxanne did an amazing job dyeing the yarn for the Almond Branches painting, don't you? She always does, but each month she outdoes herself!

Oh...and come back in a day or so? I think I'm going to have a contest. Hmmm...now what might that be?
*wink*

A Glady to Welcome Spring?

Ever since I got my Knitpicks Harmony Interchangeables Set I've been thinking of a case to keep them in. Frankly, I think the zippered bag they come in is pretty - eh - well, let's say less than appealing...

So last night I pulled some fabric (spring-time stuff, no?) and started playing around ... after several fits and starts, this is what I devloped:

A tri-fold case with ribbon & button closure. (approx. 8x5.5x2 inches folded)

With enough graduated needles slots for all the tips in the set, and a couple of extras, in the event you want to add the larger sizes KP sells separately. And then behind that, 3 cable/accessory pockets. At the "top" of the case, another set of 3 cable pockets. All those should give you storage space for end caps, extra cables, needle sizers, even the odd fixed circ, too...just about anything you could need to keep with your interchangeables.

So once I had the basic set down, I made myself one...

Of course, you should probably have figured I'd use a cat print?

The case folds in half, top to bottom, before you tri-fold it to close...

And all the pockets are made of flannel to protect the lovely pointy needle tips! (you can click on any of these photos to embiggen)

I'd love your feedback on this...and let me know if you'd like one for your very own interchangeables?

The Glady should be suitable for any interchangeables set - Denise, Boyes or bamboos... and the case will fit nicely into the pocket of your Mavis, Sadie, Grand Mera, or Knitnana bag! I'd be happy to coordinate the fabrics for a set, too!

(((hugs)))

Thursday Recouperation

I could have sworn I said last week that things were going to be calming down, didn't I? Work is hectic!

*wink*
Oh well...c'est la vie! I am so grateful for my job, and the great folks I work with (and I 'aint just sayin' that, it's really true!)

It's not been calmer, but busy, busy, busy. DGS #1 has only been here two nights this week (DD had some major dental work and was home on Monday, and yes, she's better now), but he's being more his normal self, rather than being on his best behavior now that he's "used to Nana." lol

And so he wears his Nana out!

The rivalry of the resident felines continues, too...

Mommie washed my bed...it's about time, but oh it's so nice now...

Hmmm...What have you got there, CC?
If you like it, then it must be MINE

Meezer! Be Good.

grumps

So instead of pestering the elder stateswoman kitty, she "helped" me take a couple of photos of Helsinki instead...

She won't notice if I take off with this piece of yarn, now will she?

A Moment on Tangent...For a Good Cause

Most everyone in blogland and Ravelry-dom is aware that we lost an amazing lady in Momma Monkey. Almost everyone knows she died of the disease I share with her, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - a killer for many (sob!), a daily health challenge for some of us (grumble! but still, thankfully, not so severe for me - yet).

Now, someone near and dear to my heart has created a tribute to Momma Monkey and is donating to the Lupus Foundation of America in her honor. I happen to know that first of all Roxanne's yarn is scrumptious and gorgeous, having been an original member of her Art Walk Sock Yarn Club since it's inception. And one of her earliest customers to boot.


Roxie is going to donate $5 for every skein of Gigi's colorway purchased to the Lupus Foundation. You can read about it here. I've already bought mine. Go.Buy.Yours.NOW. I know you'll love the yarn, love the colors...

And be helping a wonderful cause in honor of another amazing Lupie at the same time!

(And those of you who are VA Tech fans? Hmm...these colors look awfully familiar! Just sayin')

Meezer's Don't Like Change...

Back to work today...and somehow, so far, it hasn't been a huge problem for me (I know, I'm going to jinx it by saying that). Usually Daylight Savings Time throws me for a loop. Well, we'll see how it goes later in the week!

I missed showing you the Rose case I made over the weekend - this for a lady who received a matching Mavis and coordinating Posy during the holidays...

Can you tell she likes Terriers? Frankly, I love this houndstooth!

Then tonight I finished this custom order - the light probably doesn't show it well, but that's a cocoa colored background! Quite unusual - most of these skull fabrics are on black. But you know, Alexander Henry doesn't mind doing interesting combinations...and speaking of "cocoa..."

She's ignoring us. It might not bother HER to have a time change, but it's sure bothering us. She won't feed us. She says it's not 8 o'clock. I don't know what that means, but we're hungry when we're hungry. haruumph.

And just so you know? That little Miss Priss-pot up there? She's becoming entirely too "fluffy" these days...(or as the vet says, "chubby.")

Who's calling whom fluffy? HARRUMMPH! The Meezer

A Hint of Spring!

Frustratingly, Blogger isn't letting me upload photos tonight, so I'm hoping that using Flickr will be okay...We'll soon see!

I spent the day prewashing fabrics, cutting bags, and doing a bit of knitting...

I've been spending most of my time on Helsinki Hat Scarf (this Lambs Pride Bulky is yummy!) and on Big Sis's sock (well, yes, it's yummy, too!)...

And in the evening before bed, I let myself work a bit on the Moderne Log Cabin in Mission Falls 1824 wool. Hmm...I sense a trend, as this yarn is also yummy as can be...and I just LOVE the garter stitch. Watching a movie on Lifetime tonight, I was able to devote myself completely to the story, and knit away - I got so much done!

In addition, I finally acted on a decision that's been beating around the edges of my mind for months now: I gave up my knails. Yes, they were pretty, yes, I enjoyed them. I won't say I won't go back to them. But I've had them since a week after I quit smoking. Their purpose was served: I remained quit, and I kept having the knails done to ensure it.

There's no longer a doubt in my mind that I will stay quit after 4 years. I've been thru a lot of challenges and smoking didn't lure me back because I finally realized that it didn't help me deal with hard or stressful times, they only compounded them. Go back to cigarettes? *HELL-NO!*

But the amount of time and money it took for me to have the manicure every two to three weeks (and I usually tried to push it to three) was an issue for me. I'd no sooner get the manicure and I'd start working on bags...the steam from the iron would melt the edges of the mani and I'd feel as if the money I'd spent was wasted. It didn't jive with my basic philosophy of voluntary simplicity, and with the cost of everything going up and up every day? Well, I couldn't justify it anymore.

And one main reason? Yarn is more important to me. There. The truth is out. I care more about the fiber running thru my fingers than the fingers being pretty in the process!!! I want the money I spent on my knails to go for knitting!
lolol

Like I said, I might start doing them again sometime. But not right now. After spending the evening soaking all the stuff off and shaping my nails again, well, they deserve a breather. We'll see how I feel down the road! (right now, they just feel tender)

I did walk outside my door once today and took this photo for you...They've been out for about a week, perhaps longer...
I know Jane didn't believe me when I told her about it awhile ago...

But they're real. I just love daffodils. And we have purple crocus, as well as the white ones, too.

Can spring be very far off?

Nana's Got a Brand New Bag...

And since she was running out of aunts to name them for, here's the new Knitnana!

And this one is for me...love the dark purple and plum tones with coppery brown batik...

Here are the insides of this bag - it's made like a Sadie, but smaller. Only 15 inches wide, and as tall as Mera, but the straps drop only 15 inches (Longer than the Mera, shorter than the Sadie). If you'd prefer the 6 pocket style like Mera (and Grand Mera) instead of the additional file-pocket on the back wall, we can do that, too!

I'd had a lot of requests. And I wanted one for myself, too. So finally it's here!

And we've been lucky today - the winds weren't as bad as they could have been, tho' it's been windy. I've kept power all day since early a.m.
(((hugs)))

High Wind Warnings...!

Here we go again. I know it's March but, geesh.

We're under a high wind warning (sustained winds of 40mph and gusts up to 60) from 6 a.m. to midnight, and after yesterday's rain, I suspect downed trees and powerlines again. In fact, our power went out last night during the night and has only just come back on here around 7 a.m.

If you don't hear from me, don't worry! I'll post again as soon as I can...I'm making coffee, taking a shower, and charging up the phone. That and some knitting should get me thru! lololol

Oh...and a hot furry baby who spent most of the night huddled next to Mommie!
((((hugs))))

Long Weekend Ahead!

Tomorrow is my Friday! I'm excited as I've more than earned a day off with all the stuff we've had going on at work lately! :)

So my "holiday" will begin with Knit Night tomorrow night. I finished these tonight:

Yarn: Trekking XXL #160
Pattern: Judy's Magic Cast On, Mock Cable cuff
Needles: KP's Harmony's size 2.5mm, 16-inch circulars

And in preparation for knitting tomorrow night, I cast on the first toe of my Big Sis's requested pair of socks:

C*eye*ber Fiber Augustus (Merino & Tencel) sock yarn...thank you Miss Muffin for modeling...and no joke, this is amazingly scrumptious yarn!

My Big Sis wants the same mock cable cuff for these socks. At least I know it by now!

I've also been sewing, but nothing new. You've seen most of it before...Why bore you?
*wink*
(((hugs)))

Goody Goody!

It was another payroll day so very busy at work, but I was delighted that Carole agreed to let me post this photo of the bag that will be on it's way to her tomorrow:

The Chocoholic Grand Mera! I love the way it turned out!

(I always drool over the fabric - NO, Carole, not literally, I promise! - but the chocolates look so REAL!)

But then I was drooling over something that arrived at my office today that I've waited a long time for. The last two balls of Kidsilk Haze for my own rendition of The Earth Stripe Wrap from Rowan 42:

I've been collecting this yarn a couple of balls at a time since the magazine came out last summer. The two balls of Trance (only one of a couple of the colors I chose that were actually called for in the original design) have been on backorder for almost 2 months! That's what you get, Rowan for creating a design everyone wants to knit!!

(oh, I know, they're crying all the way to the bank!)

What colors did I pick? (You see I look like death warmed over in the greens and browns of the original)
Trance
Smoke
Night
Hurricane
Violet
Dewberry
Mist
Splendor
Candy Girl
Blushes

I'm hoping I can keep myself from starting on this for a bit - I've got to get some socks finished, and Helsinki from the same issue of Rowan Magazine.

Catharina Blocking

It's Sunday. I have a lot to do...catching up since yesterday (my fun-filled, yarny extravaganza) was basically a FUNday! So the washing machine and dryer are going full tilt, I've got bags in process, and of course, I'd planned on blocking Catharina...So here she is Unblocked:

And in her bath...

And fully stretched out...I LOVE my KP Blocking Wires!

And here's one of the scallops...

And then...OMG!

ACK!
I have caught the ends, and will sew them together, but guess what? After I took this? I found another one. (sigh) And I caught those ends and will take care of them too, they're just too far into the shawl to try to repair them in a properly knitterly way. I think thread will be the best method to secure them so they don't pop again. How on earth did I miss these?

I have never claimed to be perfect. Not going to start now!

And I can't wait to take her off the blocking board.