I FINALLY started my Legends of the Shetland Seas (LotSS) shawl! I gave battle to the mind monster created by the pattern's printed warning: "For ADVANCED lace knitters" and conquered my trepidation!



I've done three repeats of chart A and two repeats of chart B. Unfortunately, I've noticed my design is growing. The first repeats went slower than the latter. As my knitting speed increased, my stitches loosened up. I sure hope blocking will resolve my knitting inconsistencies!

I also started a new Incredible Sweater Machine (ISM) sweater for Gregory.



Kurt brought some more yarn home from work (Thrift Store) in colors he liked and I designed this sweater based on pattern recommendations for yarn quantities. (I'm so excited Kurt has jumped on the yarn scavenging "band wagon" and keeps his eyes open now for good finds at work!) Unfortunately, it looks like I won't have enough blue to finish. I've stalled out waiting for a solution to present itself to my troubled brain.

Gregory drew a robot picture that I scanned and overlayed with graph paper. My thought was to knit his robot in intarsia on the front panel of the sweater. But before I try this feat, I need to figure out what to do about the blue issue. I'm not likely to find more of this color yarn in the Fall.

I threw my two COTR shawls over some branches on my magnolia tree to take pictures.



The rose colored one is the shawl I made for my Grandmother. I love the way the beads cause this one to drape. The grayer shawl is my COTR.



My COTR is a little bit heavier than my grandmothers. Both are made from homespun Ashland Bay merino and silk. My shawl contains about 5 ounces of fiber whereas my grandmother's contains about 4 ounces.

Hung on the tree they look ghostly. I also realized after pulling the shawls done that I am allergic to magnolia, but there is no way I am rewashing and reblocking my shawl yet!