I got my knitting needles and started my second Creatures of the Reef Shawl this week. Boy do I love this shawl! If I let myself, I could knit it again and again. But since I have so much more I want to learn, I won't.



I love beads so naturally I had to "bead up" the shell edging. I sure hope my grandmother likes beads since this one is for her!

In order to complete the things I start, I give myself a quota. I must do a certain number of rows on each knitting project per day in order to end the day working on whatever I want. What I want to do right now is this shawl. My two row quota on this has been easy to do.

I am stilling working on the bobble sweater. My quota for this project is four rows per day. It works. The front is almost finished.



I hope that by next week I will be working on the bottom edging. Of course that will depend upon how distracted I get with my new project, the LotSS.

I finally gave in and joined the Legends of the Shetland Sea Shawl Knit Along. I couldn't stand hearing Dot talk about how much fun she was having working on it when I wasn't doing it too. Since the kit was only $20 and since I had just had a good run of Mary Kay sales, I went ahead and ordered it from Blackberry Ridge. I've heard great things about the yarn in this kit, but I will admit when I saw it, I thought I could have spun a more consistent single. I guess that means my spinning skills are improving.

Naturally, the LotSS needs a set of knitting needles in a size I do not have, so I ordered them. They should be in this week and then I fear I will have yet another project on the needles. Sigh. It stresses me out to have so much unfinished work in progress. But then studies have shown that knitting is relaxing so it should all balance out in the long run.

I finished Gabrielle's ISM sweater finally.



It took 2 weeks.



It turned out better than I originally thought it would, but it sure doesn't have much growing room in it. I am going to have to start swatching!

Gabrielle is so tough to photograph. She won't stand still and she has no clue how to smile for a camera.



While this is not the greatest picture of Gabrielle, I had to post it because she looks like my sister Wendy in it. My daughter resembles my sister quite a bit, but rarely do I capture whatever it is that reflects Wendy in a picture. Well Wendy, what do you think?

Speaking of swatching, I am a convert! I started knitting socks for Kurt out of the Shetland. After 4 days of 10 rows minimum per day, I realized my hastily knitted swatch had been inadequate and the first sock was WAY too big. Of course I was to the heel flap before I broke down and slipped on my husband's leg. So I had to frog the whole thing and start over. I spent the rest of the evening trying to make up for the lost time by reknitting as much as I could.



I did pretty good for a couple of hours, but I am not even close to where I was. On the bright side, I am now working with fewer stitches so it should go faster. I am using a cool software pattern Nannette told me about called The Sole Solution. You just plug in your measurements and the (correct) gauge and it spits out a pattern. Pretty cool!

I finished sewing each of the kids some sweats. They look like pajamas to me, but the kids like them and they are comfortable.



At least there is plenty of growing room with these.



The kids love to model their new clothes.



Unfortunately, after the pictures, the kids wanted to wear these clothes to church. They would have melted! I did finally get them dressed in more appropriate summer clothes.

I started spinning some kelp colored Wensleydale I had for another pair of socks for Kurt. I am still not in love with the Shetland yarn with all of its nubbs so I wanted a back-up.



As I spun up the Wensleydale, I realized how gorgeous it is. Look at those beautiful colors! The greens and blues remind me of the sea. Of course, that makes me think of the pattern for the Creatures of the Reef shawl.



I certainly don't need to do another COTR so I will have to think of something else. Perhaps a second Legends of the Shetland Seas stole???

I've never worn a shawl or a stole in my life and now I'm trying to fill my closet with them. I sure hope I enjoy wearing these things as much as I enjoy making them!