Math is Hard. Let's Go Shopping.

What you see here is two years and twenty minutes worth of handspun 2-ply laceweight, knitted into a shawl which is 5 rows short of finished.
 

Coincidentally, it's also 5 rows short of yarn.  That's right.  I managed to run out of yarn, in spite of having carefully calculated that I would come out with many yards to spare.

Yardage Fail.

I swear they will inscribe on my headstone "Never Once Calculated Yardage Accurately".  I measured 860 yards of laceweight.  The pattern calls for 760 yards.  Either the pattern is a liar, or I am.  Given my record, I'm pretty sure my pants are on fire.

So what to do, Gentle Readers? 

1.    I considered trying to frog the first part of the shawl, which is crescent-shaped stockinette, to retrieve enough to finish the last five rows.  But I lack sufficient courage to try.  The yarn is a mohair & silk blend, whose frogging potential is not attractive.  I think it would be only a little harder than winding a perfect center-pull ball from an SOS pad. 

2.    I thought about frogging back a couple of rows from the lower edge, and just binding off where I am.  But that seems SO anticlimactic: the lace pattern has all its really sexy action in the last few rows and the picot bindoff.  And you KNOW what a sucker I am for a picot bindoff.

3.    I could try spinning more yarn.  To that end, I looked up the suppliers of the original roving.  Not only do they no longer offer that fiber blend, they don't make that color in anything, AND they aren't even in business together anymore.  That's right:  I took apart two separate websites at a molecular shopping level, with no joy found.

4.    I could add another yarn.  Much as it pains me to say it, I'm going to have to go to my LYS with my unfinished project, and throw myself on their tender mercies.  They are good people, who I know will do their best to help.  But it's embarrassing:  "Oooh, look at the big fancy-pants designer who knows so much!  Can't even finish her shawl!"  Not that I think they would actually taunt me, but my inner critic is having a field day.  When simple arithmatic is your Kryptonite, it's easy to get defensive. 

On the other hand, there is precious little that some time in the yarn store won't fix, including a bad attitude.  Wish me luck finding the right yarn.  Repeat after me: "Be the Laceweight...Be the Laceweight...Be the Laceweight...".


 

A Knitalong and a SALE!

Got your Queen Bee pattern yet?  If you were hesitating, here's all the incentive you need: The fabulous folks at Blue Moon Fiber Arts are throwing a sale on Queen Bee yarn!  From August 1 through September 15, all BFL sport yarn will be 15% off.  Choose the original colors, or select your very own custom combo; just use code "QUEENBEE" at checkout to receive your discount.

And, since you asked, I'm happily hosting a Queen Bee Knitalong, starting on September 1.  CLICK HERE to join in the fun, and be sure to invite your friends!  I'll be on hand to answer questions, offer encouragement, and generally enjoy all the buzz.  And of course, I have been known to award prizes, from time to time...

Oh, and one more thing:  BFL sport yarn comes in HUGE 661-yard skeins.  If you are interested in sharing skeins of the contrast colors with other Queens, be sure to check out the thread for skein-splitting on the KAL group page.  Make a friend, share a skein = Win/Win!

See you at the Knitalong.  It's good to be (a) Queen.
 

Occupational Hazards

So there I was, zapped out of commission for the day by a nasty chest cold:

Phillip said he just had to take this picture because it was obvious that Bailey was trying to figure out how to help me.  Note the knitting clutched in my unconscious hands: Yes, of course I can take to my deathbed AND still get some knitting done...

Today I'm better.  As soon as coffee had happened, I went straight for the handspun shawl project.  Thank you, Gentle Readers, for your great suggestions!  With your help, I landed on this beauty:

"Fragile Heart" Photo by Boo Knits
 

t's "Fragile Heart" by Boo Knits CLICK HERE to get yours.  It's a gorgeous semi-circular bit of fluff, with a garter stitch or stockinette (knitter's choice) beginning, the number of lace repeats you feel like doing, and a deep, sexy border finished with (what else?) a picot bindoff.  Oh, and did I mention beads?  Done and Done. 

I actually cast on for it at some point in my delirium yesterday, and I couldn't wait to see how I'd done, now that I'm cold-medicine free.

Apparently, things got a little wild in the living room while I was under the fog.  My #6 is literally splintered to bits.  Poor, helpless little #6!  In my antihistamine stupor, I left you, unprotected, right there on the sofa cushion.  And certainly, NOBODY in my house would know to check for knitting before taking a seat.  Especially not Phillip, who has been married to a knitter, for like, a kabillion years.  Get a load of the damage that guy's butt can do!  Not just broken, my friends:  Obliterated.  Structural integrity completely compromised.  There's actual sawdust.  And splinters.  As needle destruction goes, it's impressive.  And he even had the good grace to shatter the needle that didn't have the knitting on it.  That's right:  No stitches were dropped during this dangerous stunt.

So while it looks like I did okay with the cast on, despite my Comtrex Coma, I won't be working on it again until a certain needle tip can be replaced.  Unless, of course, this has happened before, with another hapless #6, leaving its mate all alone and waiting to be pressed into service...

Oh wishful thinking, you never cease to amaze!  If anybody needs me, I'll be checking every single needle tip in my collection to see if it's a #6.