Show and Tell

Finally - some much-overdue pictures!

First up: a posed shot of the alpaca Highland Triangle Shawl.
And then a glamour shot of my Shetland shawl:
New Finished object!!
Socks! (you're surprised, right? no?? At least pretend, then, k?)

My notebook doesn't say when I started them, but it does mention that one was completed on May 25th of this year. The second one was done on July 19th. I finally grafted off the last top over the weekend. I think that says something about my love for this yarn: not happening. Not so much. So, stats:

• yarn: Lana Grossa Meilenweitt Stretch.
• pattern: my toe-up generic sock pattern
• started: mid-May 2007
• finished: mid-August 2007

OK. Moving on to better things...

Yarn!!!
I've been spinning.
Lots.

My notes show there are about 520 yards in this 8 ounces of superwash wool I picked up in Beth's shop. It had the shop label, and is in shades of blue, purple, and dark red. It was fun to spin, drafted quite smoothly after predrafting, and made a fluffy, soft, squooshy 2-ply yarn. Almost, but not quite, what I was trying to spin. I got the desired texture in some areas of the skein(s), but not throughout. But I have to admit my spinning is getting markedly better.

I also finished another pair of socks recently: another pair of Sockotta. It's really rather hard to take pictures of your own feet.

Now, I really need to mention that I don't particularly care for knitting with Sockotta yarn. But man, the socks are comfy, my feet don't sweat or feel wet, and they wear like IRON! They really are some of may favorites for ease of care (throw in washer and dryer), comfort (warm, dry, comfy, not too thick), and durability (a pair finished 2 years ago still look new!). The cotton in them is hard on my hands to knit, but they are my favorite summer socks to wear.

That's it for today. I have more things to post, more ideas, cool things to share, and much to do. But I'm updating Ravelry with projects as I go, and really enjoying both venues: Ravelry for the nitty gritty little details, and here for the ideas and such that are running around in my head. I'll throw them out and let you play with them for a while! And posting might (probably will) get a bit more frequent as I get moving and write up some thoughts. So keep watching this space - it'll change a bit more frequently than before. And take a gander over at Wardrobe Refashion. My posts are turning into essays on simplifying and paring down, finding the essential things and making life easier!