For those who can't wait

You know who you are (mom).

I finished my shawl on Sunday night.  Right now it's blocking and I will post a full post about it once it's dry.  Here's a sneak peek.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="333" caption="Ishbel Unblocked"][/caption]

I have yet to finish my other main project, the Uhura tank top.  I'm still working on the back, but here's the latest:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Uhura's latest progress"][/caption]

Well, that's probably the shortest post ever.  Sorry Mom.

Fresh Kicks (as the kids would say) and new shawls

It's a sad fact, at least for Loops, but when we go shoe shopping for him, I am the one who ends up with new shoes.  I got two pairs this time while he didn't get a single pair.  Mine are great, especially my sneakers.  Here's the view I've been staring at all day.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="385" caption="My colorful new shoes!"][/caption]

I can't stop looking down at them.  They're so fun.

I also started my Ishbel shawl that I wrote about in the previous journal.  It is FLYING off the needles.  Just this weekend I've done almost all of the first section, which is all stockinette stitch.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Ishbel Started"][/caption]

Once I do the last few rows of this section, I will start the lace charts.  It will probably slow me down a bit, but I still feel like I'll be finishing this project in record time.

Winding and winding and winding and...

I guess you get the point.  Since Loops is working late again (I swear he only does it for the free supper!), I thought I'd get out the Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine that I purchased a while back and wind it up.  That's 433 yards of fingering weight yarn.  We won't even get into the tangled mess the hank was in.  I think I've untangled it all though and it should be smooth winding from now on.  It will still take forever to do by hand though.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="357" caption="Getting ready to knit Ishbel"][/caption]

It was purchased to make the lovely and super popular Ishbel Shawl from Ysolda Teague.  The pattern can be purchased from her website as either the single pattern or it can be found within her new book, Whimsical Little Knits, if you're interested.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="357" caption="Whimsical Little Knits by Ysolda Teague"][/caption]

It's a great little book.  I really like all the patterns and will get around to knitting a lot of them in the future.

I'm still knitting steadily on my other project, Uhura.  There's not enough done to show any real progress yet, but hopefully I'll be able to show you more soon.

And then there were two...

Completed tops, that is.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="324" caption="U-Neck Tunic Complete!"][/caption]

Pattern: Deep U-Neck Tunic by Stefanie Japel from Glam Knits

Yarn: Dark Horse Fantasy

Needles: US 8 and US 6

More details… here (ravelry link)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="333" caption="U-Neck Tunic upclose"][/caption]

The whole top down knitting thing was fun and made it so easy to try it on as I went.  I was loving the top until I went to pick up stitches for the trim around the neck.  I did it twice and still had some puckering.  After the second attempt, I decided it was good enough and just left it as you see it.  Hopefully, I'll get better at the whole picking up stitches thing as the new pattern I just started involves a lot of it.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Uhura started"][/caption]