Up To No Good

Well, I've been up to no good this week. I started crocheting a shawl. Yes, I started a new shawl when I still haven't yet finished Aestlight. I'm bad, I know this. But I am in love with this new shawl too.  This shawl is actually really a scarf. The Fall Floaty Scarf to be exact. (rav link) I first saw this pattern when I picked up my first ever issue of Crochet Today. So I have pretty much wanted to crochet it since then. Well, I got the thread for it last Monday and started crocheting away. Almost one week later, a little bit less than, I have about 4 rows left and the border. This baby is super duper fast and the best part? Portable and lightweight the whole entire time. Also, doesn't require too much attention and thus, is relaxing and meditative to work on.

As promised...

...

and

and

From the top: Manos Del Uraguay Silk Blend, Malabrigo Sock in Azule, and an adorable little knit kit complete with enough wool, bells, and organic cat nip to make five toy mice. The Manos is purely stash enrichment, though I am pondering a cute crocheted Spring hat. The blue Malabrigo was purchased with intentions of another Aeslight. Don't know when or why, just cause. The toy mice will be for the three cats at Andrew's house and my friend Dana's brood of feline friends.

Aestlight is still in progress. Tough thing about the border is that there are constantly live stitches on both needles making the shawl really un-portable. But I am not discouraged, the shawl will just take a little longer than originally planned.

Day Five of My Aestlight-a-thon

Here I am on day five of my Aestlight week long knitting extravaganza.

This was taken right outside Faneueil Hall yesterday. Andrew and myself took a quick little day trip in for a

an art project I had to do involving visiting Institute of Contemporary Art Boston. Then we hopped back on the red line, switched over and got off at Government Center. There we had lunch, walked around, knit (on my part), and read (on his part). After talking to a friend Andrew found a new series to dig his teeth into by James Patterson. He seems to be enjoying quite a bit, which makes me happy. As for Aestlight? I am making good timing. I finished the lace panel an am ready to start the border with two days to go.

Naturally I begged Andrew to let me go into Windsor Button. It is torture (is it not?) to drag a yarn craft loving girl with no LYS besides Michaels and AC Moore into a city dancing with yarn stores and tell her she can't go into to even one. Even one that is one the way to the same stop she will be boarding to go home. Clearly Andrew shares the same sentiment. So as not to disapoint him ("What we went all the way into this yarn store and you didn't even buy anything?) I walked out with a slight plethora of yarn and yarn related items. Of said yarn and yarn related items there is:  another skein of Malabrigo sock , a skein of Manos silk blend, size 4 circulars, and a knit kit. But what? I'm not going to share colorways, intended projects, or share pictures? No, no. In a sad and slightly deranged attempt to keep anyone out their reading I will wait until my next post to share that information with you. (Insert maniacal laugh here)

Instead I leave you with this

And so it begins....

I cast on for Aestlight yesterday morning. I am so happy, relieved, and excited to finally be knittting this after almost a month of planning to knit it. It is worked in a traditional shetland method (from the point up) and in three peices. I'm sure that's all I can say without breaking copyright. But you can find more info on this page of Gudrun Johnston's blog. So as of yesterday morning, about five minutes into my knitting of the shawl here is where I was.

Thus is the huble beginnings of my very own Aestlight Shawl. I actually really like this photo. It was taken at Andrews and those wooden floors are in his living room. I think this picture really shows the beauty of their floors. And of course, the beauty of that Malabrigo. Which is so beautiful and lovely to knit with I must say.

So, in case you forgot I am attempting to knit this shawl in one week. Sunday to Sunday, minus Saturday (I'm working a double). Now this may not be anything big for all you accomplished knitters out there but I have personally not knit anything inside a week besides, maybe, a hat. So yesterday I knit like a madwoman. In the car on the way to Grammie's, while playing UpWords at Grammie's, on the car ride home from Grammie's, at Barnes and Noble while Andrew tried -unsuccesfully- to pick out a new series for himself, (If anyone knows of a good sci-fi or fantasy series hit me up!) , and during the previews at the movies. Like I said. A madwoman. But the good news is now I am almost done with the body of the shawl!

And apparently I'm not the only one who is enjoying this shawl.

At Last!

So about three weeks ago I posted about my new, lovely, green Malabrigo so lovingly purchased for me by my wonderful Andrew for Valentine's Day to knit Aestlight. Well it occurred to me after said yarn was purchased that I would need to wind it into a ball. Call me a pansy but I didn't want to use my hands and someone else's. Plus the cute little yarn cakes you get with a ball winder are so much more visually pleasing. So I called a semi-LYS (there are no LYS where I am from) and though they were out of stock they ordered some more on the spot that were to be in by Friday. And they took my number to call me when they arrived. Two Fridays later, nothing. I finally got a call today and made my way over on the way home from school.

As you can see, the yarn was a mess from hanging (literally) around as an unwound hank for three weeks. It only took me to tries to get these bad boys going and before I knew it....

...I was crusin' along and there wasn't much to it. Excuse the messy table and poor photo quality. ( I won't insult my nine year old brother's photo skills but I will tell you that just like in the last post there still no sun.) These are so easy to use. And a little bit fun. But that could be the nubile naivety talking there. Anywho. I'm happy. Though this was a pricey buy, definitely qualifying as a splurge, I think it is worth it. I know I'll be buying more hank yarns in the future so they will get good use. Before I leave I want to leave you with two more lovely pics. The first taken by my brother again; he really wanted to get a picture of the "contraption" in motion.

It was going pretty fast. The last one is the piece de resistance. The masterpiece. The reason I patiently waited for my winder and swift to arrive, albeit it taking three times longer than it should have. I give you.......the yarn cake.

Isn't s/he perfect? Of course s/he is.

The good news is: the Irish Hiking Scarf is crusin' and I have decided to cast on for Aestlight on my Spring break and just knit the crap out of it all week long.

It gives me shivers just to think about it. One week. No work. No class.

Just. Knitting.