When cameras have batteries

Take photographs!

To the left, you see the Lady Eleanor Stole, from Scarf Style. I altered the pattern slightly, adding several tiers and widening it by one square. The yarn is Noro Silk Garden, color 239 Lot A - I used 11 balls on Size 10 US needles, and am expecting to be able to fringe it with the miscellaneous pieces I have from trying to match color changes.

Size? The stole is being blocked on two bath towels - not the gigantic beach towels, but nice, standard bath towels. It's however wide those are, and roughly 72 inches long. That's a 24" quilting ruler you see to the lower right of the picture.

Apart from knots (which were one per skein for the first 6 skeins, and none thereafter), the thing I found most awkward about Noro was the fact that each ball starts with a different color, and ends with yet another color. As I came close to the end of each skein, I'd start frittering away valuable knitting time by examining my remaining skeins, trying to figure out which color each started with, and which would be the best match to continue knitting in. A few times, I'd make my selection, only to discover that there were 5 yards or so of yarn BEFORE the desired color showed up ... so I wound off those chunks, and put them aside for later finaglings. Only once in the Entire Shawl did I have to end in one color, and start up with another hue. It was at the beginning of a block, so you don't notice it unless you reeeeeeeally look for it. There is onedrastic color change in the middle of a block, but that was Entirely The Yarn's Fault. Believe me, I looked and looked for knots, but there were none. The yarn just switched color over the distance of 1 inch. You can see that if you look for it too, but I'd prefer you didn't unless you're bored.

Later today, I'll be fringing the shawl. Mom and I have decided to try a 10" knotted fringe instead of the 20" fringe suggested in the book.

I've also been knitting socks. Not too much lately, but I'm behind on sock photos, so here are some. The threesome are in KnitPicks yarn - Gumballs (sport weight), and two colors of Dancing. The sock in progress is Ladybug. I really don't knit with the needles that way, but that's how the project came out of my sock bag for photos.

The heel is a close-up of my standard work-as-you-go heel. I've done a few afterthought heels for this style of yarn, but as I really enjoy being done with a sock when I cast off, and find picking up the stitches a bit fussy for road projects, I tried working them my normal way. I liked how the colors worked out, and haven't gone back to afterthoughts.

My workbasket currently looks like the blue mass. There's some leftover Noro, and the beginnings of the Trellis Scarf. I am beginning to reconcile myself to the K7tog-yo-K7tog-yo-K7tog stitch (same 7 stitches each time), although I wonder if this is the excuse I've been looking for to try KP Options. Anyone know if the Options are pointier than a well-used needle from a 1985 Boye Needlemaster kit?

Two miscellaneous photos:
Here is a picture of the basement excavations. A few weeks ago, the whole area was gravel ... no window well, no ladder, no conveyor belt, and certainly no 6x6' hole cut into a 22" thick foundation. Contruction proceeds as time allows now ... the main thing is to get into an insulatable state. One does not particularly want to send one's children to the basement to build snowmen all winter. Our heater probably wouldn't like being covered in snow, either.

And, to show that Rosemary isn't the only one who can make useful things from K'Nex, I'd like to introduce the Trampoline Tower Shawl Pin. Directions available upon request. This pin is GUARANTEED not to sever delicate lace threads, or cause damaging snags to your knits.

And in a special addendum for Penny, here's the fringe.