The shawl is preceding apace. For those of you keeping count, I am nearing the end of the fourth row of blocks and about to start the third color change.
You should be able to see the first color change in the above picture though, of course, nothing has been blocked yet and I’m still trying to figure out just how blocking is going to take place. Each block is 17 stitches wide and 34 rows long so whipping out one (or two or three!) in an evening isn’t any big deal and I’m vastly enjoying watching this take shape. Also, while I’m not - and never will be - fond of lengthy cast-ons, there is this to be said for it: every iteration is shorter than the one before. In this case, each row has one block less than the previous row. That gets heady pretty quickly and I imagine as I approach the end of the shawl body, I’ll be racing to the finish line just because it’s getting closer and closer :) Of course I’ll probably also waste time when it comes to picking up the mumblety-hundred stitches for the edging!
I think I’ve mentioned that some of the medication that I’m taking makes my eyes water almost incessantly - which makes reading a real chore. When you read like I do, that becomes a sore spot really, really fast. But I remembered something finally that I had forgotten all about.
Years ago, dad had given me a large (about 4 inch diameter) magnifying lens. It had no handle or frame but was useful all the same and I had kept it in my work bag. I used it mostly to look at fine work - generally to find a mistake that had to be frogged.
Well, I hauled that sucker out and lo and behold, I could read again! But I wanted something nicer to keep it in than the plastic bag it had been living in. So I made a cotton pouch for it.
This way, I can keep it handy and protected. Plus, sliding it in and out of the cotton bag helps clean and polish it. Believe me, I’m glad to have it and can only wonder why it took me so long to remember it was there!
It seems that warmer weather has finally come to stay. The tulips and jonquils over at my dad’s are blooming and forsythia is blossoming all over the place. The cats too, seem to have noticed the difference and there has been a marked upswing in their activity level. Never walk when you can run, never hit the floor if you can jump from one thing to another. There has also been a substantial rise in the incidence of gerbil-watching :)
Finally, a random trip to a local supermarket last week yielded a lovely benefit :)
I would have thought this stuff would have been long gone, but there it was, stacked in a bin at the front of the store for 75% off! That put the price at 50¢ apiece - so I bought 20 packages. Between this and the dye I already have, I should be pretty well set for most of the next year. Yee-hah!
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Don’t you just love a great buy like that!?! Makes my day when that happens.
You are so creative Robbyn! Great job on the magnifying glass case. :)
Lisa - Oh baby, it sure as hell made my day! The sacker at the register asked if I was getting a head start on next Easter. I said, “No - this is to dye yarn with.” The look she gave me left no doubt that she felt I probably had other nasty habits as well :)
Your shawl is really coming along nicely! I just adore the colours.
jade has a look on his face that suggests contemplation of ‘gerbil kabobs’!
lisa is right about the bargains making the day- and i always seem to get a bigger kick out of little ticky-tacky bargains than i do when something really essential goes on sale- there’s just nothing really *fun* about an appliance sale no matter how badly the new freezer or whatever might be needed- however, i can just throw myself into a giddy fit when i find the little unexpected treats- umm, i probably should get out more!!
the colors of the shawl look soothing and calm- what fun to think about finishing it even while you find a way to refuse to count those stitches for the edging- perhaps the finishing elves will locate the project-
stay happy-
Opal - Thanks - it’s fun work. In fact, it doesn’t feel like work at all!
Barb - Jade’s going to her little black bottom booted if she doesn’t stop making the gerbils nervous wrecks! Heh…
Oh man - you are sooo right about buying a washing machine (or similar) not having nearly the gratification of finding Easter egg dye on clearance. For one thing, one doesn’t generally buy appliances for pleasure but for need - and it’s hard to delight in fulfilling a need no matter how good a bargain it is.
And DO you have other nasty habits??? Great haul! And the shawl is looking really good.. what kind of edging are you going to do, or have you thought about that yet?
I would be scared if I was that gerbil.
I can’t wait to see all the dyeing goodness I am sure you have up your sleeve!
Ev - Well, I talk to my car - does that count?
Right now, the general idea is to do a vareigated yarn in tans, creams, dull oranges and yellows and use it for a seed stitch border. I suppose that could change, but unless something really wallops me upside the head, I don’t think it will…
Lisa - LOL! The gerbil tanks are quite secure and the cats can’t get to them. Of course that doesn’t stop the feline blighters from startling the bejeezus out of the little guys whenever they take a notion…
But they really are safe. No gerbil omelettes in this house!
That is a boatload of dye :)
That will keep you busy for quite awhile. The shawl is looking lovely…nice progress. That Jade has a look in her eye.
Maureen - Heh - enough to dye a boat, maybe?
Believe me, Jade’s always got that look in her eye. She’s not evil exactly, just a superb opportunist - which is why we have everything but a padlock on the gerbil tanks :)
