Close Encounters Of A Finished Kind

First off, here's the shawl. Eight hundred yards of yarn. I wish the shawl was bigger, actually. I must have broad shoulders because this feels a little small to me. If I were to do it again (and I might...I loved the pattern), I would add more rows.

Love the colors!

And, just in time for the baby shower tomorrow, here's Harriet the Hippo. She's pretty cute, though I think she would be cuter with safety eyes. But safety eyes are a no-no for babies. She has a cute little tail that you can't see here.

What's Next? Volcanoes?

So, after a week with an earthquake and a hurricane, what do I have to blog about? My shawl! After hours of casting off...literally, hours...the shawl is finished and blocked and so pretty. Though I wish it was a little bigger. I will try to get Mr. Pointy Sticks to help me take some pictures this evening. Or will do that myself. So...pictures soon.

The hurricane was relatively uneventful though we did lose power last night about 10 p.m. and got it back around 4 p.m. today. A hearty thank you to all the crews out working today. I think the crews on our street were from Indiana...we certainly appreciate their hard work.

I did manage to read Laura Lippman's newest book, The Most Dangerous Thing, today. Very, very good it was, too. So there's a recommendation for you.

Whew!

Made it to 80 percent tonight though it was close! In the middle of the last row of the last openwork section, I dropped stitches...about four or five stitches that fell down about 4 rows. I was either going to have to rip out those rows or slit my throat...or figure out how to reknit them. Which I did, though I think not perfectly. Not too badly though because I can't see where I did it. Of course, the shawl is very scrunched up on the needles. It will probably be obvious when it's blocking. Oh well. At least I didn't have to rip out and reknit 2,000 stitches!

Thirty Percent

I did get another ten percent of the shawl done yesterday, but there was no big change to photograph. Just squint your eyes and imagine another inch or so on the bottom. The progress, she is slow.

Twenty Percent

May not look a whole lot different, but there are a lot more stitches here now. Over 9,000.

I am loving this.

Ten Percent

According to the pattern, that's how much of the shawl I've done so far. Got a way to go.

But no more tonight. I had part two of the root canal this afternoon and my tooth is...not comfortable. I'm off to bed.

Weekend Wrap Up

Much excitement here in the House of the Pointy Sticks. Tomorrow is August 15th and that means that I can finally start Camp Loopy Project Three! You can bet I'll be starting it in the car tomorrow morning on the way to work!

I've got my pattern and a new Chiaogoo needle.


I've got my yarn all wound and I've even knitted a swatch (and then unknitted it).


I've also slightly over-anticipated the completion of the shawl...I was in The Black Sheep on Saturday, having a delightful afternoon with Tracy et al. and saw a shawl pin...the perfect shawl pin...a shawl pin that I fell in love with.

So it came home with me.


I've finished the first of Mr. Pointy Sticks' pair of socks and have started the second.


I asked him if I couldn't just do a little something special at the cuff. He agreed as long as it "wasn't too fancy." So I just reversed the ribbing for the last six rows.


I like it...and he didn't think it was too fancy.

On Thursday I started a Harriet the Hippo for an upcoming baby shower. I've gotten the body and the tail knit...just have to do two arms and two ears. I was hoping to finish all the knitting this weekend but alas, I pooped out. Pictures when she's all done.

Read A Story At Book Balloon!

Katharine Weber is going to be hosting a discussion of various short stories on Book Balloon...you're all invited! She says:

I am delighted to be curating and leading the new One Story at a Time discussion here at BookBalloon. Our intention is to have a focused conversation about each story in the series over the course of approximately two weeks. We will announce each selection well in advance of the scheduled discussion, and there will be a link to each story (every selected story will be available online). One Story at a Time will offer a rare opportunity to stay focused on this one topic so we can bear down on it collectively. In this time of fractured and atomised focus, it has become rare to the point of quaint to do just one thing at a time.

There are no requirements about participation. You are welcome to be present for one story at a time, as it suits your inclination, taste, and availability.

The first story up for discussion will be Flannery O'Connor's "Everything That Rises Must Converge." Katharine calls it "a terrific narrative condensation of O'Connor's strange and intoxicating literary legacy. It's a magnificent story to analyze and appreciate, a story about which there is always more to say, and it promises a great first discussion to launch One Story at a Time."

Join us beginning Monday, August 22. If you are not already a member of the Forum, registration is free.

Ooooh, Exciting!

Katharine Weber, author of a number of great novels and a wonderful memoir, will be hosting a short-story discussion over at Book Balloon, starting on the 22nd of August!

Here's what she has to say about it:

I am delighted to be curating and leading the new One Story at a Time discussion here at BookBalloon. Our intention is to have a focused conversation about each story in the series over the course of approximately two weeks. We will announce each selection well in advance of the scheduled discussion, and there will be a link to each story (every selected story will be available online). One Story at a Time will offer a rare opportunity to stay focused on this one topic so we can bear down on it collectively. In this time of fractured and atomised focus, it has become rare to the point of quaint to do just one thing at a time.

There are no requirements about participation. You are welcome to be present for one story at a time, as it suits your inclination, taste, and availability.

The first story up for discussion will be Flannery O'Connor's "Everything That Rises Must Converge." Katharine calls it "a terrific narrative condensation of O'Connor's strange and intoxicating literary legacy. It's a magnificent story to analyze and appreciate, a story about which there is always more to say, and it promises a great first discussion to launch One Story at a Time."

If you like short stories, or discussing writing, why not join us beginning Monday, August 22. If you are not already a member of the Forum, registration is free.

Damn Teeth

This'll be a short post as I had root canal this afternoon (one of my molars, so a four-root jobbie) and I am feeling sort of sore right now. And my gum is rather nastily swollen...bleah. Stupid teeth.

But look -- some finished objects.

My Jolly July socks...


My Spruce Tree mittens for Camp Loopy. I'm not terribly happy with these. I could have done better.


While I wait for the start date of our third, and last, camp project (we have to knit something using 800 yards of yarn...I'm going to be doing another shawl), I started yet another pair of socks.

What? You think they don't look as bright as my usual socks? Look at these pretty colors!


But I cannot tell a lie. They aren't for me. I was thrilled when Mr. Pointy Sticks mentioned that perhaps I could knit him a pair of socks. And he liked this yarn!

Now my tooth and I are hitting the aspirin and then, perhaps, the bed.