Kathy B. asked that I post a photo of the newly-finished baby blanket, so I am complying, even though it is really just a very, very large Grandma's washcloth.
As I said in my earlier post, its best qualities are that it will be a) highly washable, b) versatile (I posed the blankie on an unmade double bed in our upstairs guest room so you could see that it is quite large), and c) that it was made by grandmama.
I was so very gratified to be done with this blanket that I pulled out two other UFOs to work on last week.
Sweet Pea (Rav link), the crocheted shawl made using mostly double treble stitch is still hard on my hands, and will grow very slowly, though I am really looking forward to wearing the finishing product.
The shawl starts at the long top edge and loses a large shell on each side every second row, so will grow pretty quickly once these long rows in the early stage are behind me.
I like the TLC Cotton Plus yarn, even though it is cheap, craft store stuff!
The other shawl, Gaia Shoulder Hug, is very close to the finish line, and should be off the needles soon. Stephanie and I are both doing these, and discussed on the phone yesterday afternoon how we had both gotten to the boring stage of this project.... the pattern stitch, alternating rows of stockinette, reverse stockinette, and eyelet, no longer is keeping either of us excited. Since I chose to make my version out of Schaefer Nichole sock yarn instead of the Noro Kureyon, I will probably run out of yarn before she does, and finally get to do that nice picot stitch bind off!
As you can see, that tiny ball posed on a kitchen chairseat, is all that stands between me and the finish line. I don't know about the rest of you, but sometimes my motivation starts to wane a bit too early in the process... I love the colors and will be happy with the shawlette when done, but these last, now-long rows aren't too thrilling.
It probably doesn't help that I already have a new shawl pattern picked out and waiting, along with two colors from my stash... Ulmus will be next on the needles.
Same chair seat... featuring Meilenweit MegaBoots in browns and Isager Alpaca 2 in pale sage green. The Isager yarn was from a ripped lace project earlier this spring, so it is only fitting that I re-purpose it into a nice and cuddly shawl.
On a separate note, Fibers, the LYS where I work, has been hard at work making and dyeing sock blanks for our store's booth at Sock Summit. I don't think I will be there, unless some unexpected windfall of funds allows me to purchase air tickets and a room, but look for Allison, the owner, who will! More details to follow.
