Placeholder (of sorts.)

i'm knitting Birch (again.) i say "again" not because i've already knit a complete Birch, but because my last attempt only got this far:



before something...odd happened. i got angry and frogged--successfully, too--the entire thing (all TWO reps of it.) then, looking at the bedraggled ball of Kidsilk Night (colour: Moonlight) resting on my lap i grew even more angry. stomping over to the computer (it was about midnight at this point) i promptly ordered a replacement ball of Kidsilk Night (even though i was on the verge of swearing off mohair forever.) in bed that night i was largely unsuccessful at dispelling visions of Kidsilk carnage from my mind's eye. Birch was shelved; it was a project to be undertaken after an indeterminate amount of time, if ever. this all went down about a month ago.

about a week ago a package turned up in the mail from elann.com. among its contents numbered four balls of Super Kydd (colour: Mist Green) and a pair of 14" US 8 Bryspun straights. it happened much sooner than i thought it would but here i was, about to have another stab (if it came to that,) at Birch.

casting on took for-FREAKING-ever due to the sheer number of stitches (all 299 of the little darlings) but learning--and USING--the lace cast on this time made me feel really good. at present i'm sitting at the end of the first repeat, which also took for-FREAKING-ever (and will continue to do so until i get through a few more.)

there will be pictures of this new incarnation of Birch when there is more of it to see, which will hopefully be soon.

Gothic Leaf Stole, so far.

for the curious, here are some pictures of my Gothic Leaf Stole in progress:


a rather unimaginative shot, taken this morning in bright sunlight. just ignore that and check out how the lace pattern is shaping up. i cannot stress how much i love this yarn (Rowanspun 4 ply in Sludge--such a Nigella-esque name!) or how much i love this large-motif lace. somehow working a rectangular piece of lacy fabric is more relaxed and relaxing than an ever-growing shawl (which is never a garment to be taken too lightly.) i find my sleepy brain longing for the satisfaction of experiencing another row of neatly ordered, well-spaced holes.


here's the stole in front of the window, so that the pattern might be better visible. i know i'm not going to get a good look at the true nature of the stole until it's happily blocked, but this is a hint of things to come.

Fickle Fingers, FO.

Yarn: Noro Blossom 15, three skeins
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo straights, US 9
Pattern: Fickle Fingers (Fat Fingers Variation) by Gayle Roehm from Winter 2006 IK
Started: 20 Janaury, 2007
Finished: 1 February, 2007

Notes: i love scarves like this--simple and quick but never boring. definitely another keeper much like Edgar. it's ideal for gifting and the perfect antidote to endless rows of lace. i opted for the Fat Fingers variation since i preferred its look.

Fun Fact: this scarf is longer than i am tall! since i'm only 5'2", this isn't that remarkable--lots of things are bigger than me.

six weird things, finally.

because i can't put it off any longer and because i was tagged (those darn nice people!) here's my six weird things:

1. gold leaf is one of my favourite garnishes. flower petals also rank very high on the list.

2. i love little tins and boxes to distraction. the tinier the better. i will agonize over what to put in them and eventually leave them empty because i can't find the right things to put in them.

3. lately i've been dealing with this overpowering obsession with toile. my house is not a Toile House. seeking out a toile-ful B&B is becoming a priority.

4. exactly one year ago last week i had the opportunity to sing (and dance to) "Stop! in the Name of Love" at the Motown Historical Museum in Studio A, standing where Diana Ross stood when she recorded it back in 1965. Miss Ross faces no threat from me, let me tell you.

5. i have a...thing for the scent and flavour of ginger. when i put my mind to it i can consume ginger at every meal and slather myself with ginger body products all day long.

6. i used to think that knitting patterns were confusing numbered lists of word snippets that could never ever make sense to me. this dates back to the days when cross stitch was my craft and i felt more comfortable embellishing a piece of fabric rather than creating it. it's safe to say that those days are long past.

on a totally unrelated note, here's whats been keeping me busy this week:


ten skeins of Rowanspun 4 ply in Sludge are currently being coaxed into a Gothic Leaf Stole. i've done the math and so far i've knit 4% of the finished product. we have a ways to go.