Goodbye. Hello.

I planned on posting a blog last night, but when I finally had a minute at 4AM (I'm not getting anywhere on the go-to-bed-earlier front), I decided that it might be better for all involved for me to wait until today to post something that would most definitely be more coherent.


I watched the last sunset of 2009 from the passenger seat of Ben's truck as we returned home after giving a friend a ride to Slidell:



I felt such a sense of contentment as Ben and I cruised down that quiet strip of interstate. My life--all our lives--have improved so much over the past few years, and things are all in place right now.

We headed home to console a somewhat antsy Smokey, who does not like fireworks:






But, the best part of the night was definitely me managing to get my Evil Stepmother into the bath about five minutes before midnight. I hadn't even considered that I would be able to finish it last night until I realized that I had reached the end of the repeats. It took me a very, very long time to get all of the ends weaved in, but I got it underwater at 11:55. I pulled the pins out this morning, and I couldn't be happier with it.

Here's the play-by-play:


Before:


In the bath:



I love this picture.


Blocked. The book's still there for size comparison.



Looking fabulous in the morning light:






Unpinned and ready to go:



Happy! Happy! Happy! I'm really thrilled with the drape. This is my first sock yarn shawl. But, it most certainly won't be my last! They'll be a post soon involving my brainstorms for all of the sock yarn shawls.




The Facts:

Pattern: All Tied Up Version B by Mary Beth Temple

Yarn: KnitPicks Imagination Handpainted Sock (50% Superwash Merino, 25% Superfine Alpaca, 25% Nylon) in Evil Stepmother--2 skeins (438 yds)

Hook: D (3.25mm)

Size: 43" x 15" (after blocking)


I started the next shawl almost as soon as I was done pinning this one out. I'm using a pattern called Magnificent Mantle by Selena K. It's a crocheted version of the Aestlight Shawl. I'm trying to figure out gauge, because her pattern calls for worsted, but I want to use sock.

I ordered a ball of Zauberball in Cranberries



in the hopes that my mock Aestlight comes out looking something like TsunamiTattoo's did.

Still trying to figure out what hook size to use. I hate using huge hooks with fingering weight yarn, so I'm going to probably wind up with a slightly smaller shawl than the pattern dictates. We shall see, we shall see.

I really wanted to get a picture of the "blue moon" last night (the first one on New Year's in nineteen years, I read), but by the time I tried to, it was too cloudy.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful, happy New Year.