Dracula's Bride!

Sooo...in fall of 2007, when I signed up for Renee Leverington's Halloween Mystery Shawl, I would never have have guessed that it would take me three years and something like 12-15 yarn, needle size and bead combination tries to make the version of the shawl I saw in my head...and then I amazed myself by knitting the shawl in a little over a month!

Here's Dracula's Bride (links connect to Ravelry), knit on US 1.5 needles in Skacel Merino Lace. I used 11/0 miyuki seed beads purchased at the incomprable Caravan Beads in Portland (Maine).

Socks!

I spend most of the winter in boots and knee socks-- thick d'lux cashmere socks that were a gift from a friend with fabulous taste, nylon socks from the Gap, handknit socks from commercial yarn... it was high time I made myself a handspun and handknit pair!

Knee socks, made from an improvised pattern with a, purled "backseam," wide toe and Dutch heel (from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks).

The gorgeous fiber: Merino top from Hedgehog Fibres, colorway Vertigo. I am a great fan of Beakta's color sensibilities, particularly her moodier colorways like this one...specs can be found in my Ravelry entry.





I love the chartreuse with the purple and the flat fountain pen ink-blue!

I'm a relatively new spinner and am still working my way through spending quality time with lots of different fibers, but I get the feeling that Beatka is very particular, and that this is really nice merino!

I love it so much I'm already on my second pair of socks with it (a gift for my Valentine).
Colorway Bitten, a 3-ply rather than a 2 this time, as they're for someone who prefers a thicker sock. (the thin 2-ply I knit the knee socks in is perfect for me, and they're holding up nicely! they've been finshed for awhile and I've worn them many many times).

These are Anne Hanson's Holidazed, originally from the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Club.





I'm in a blue period right now, as I'm spinning this Shetland, (Soil, From the Funky Carolina Fiber Club, September 2009 . This is my first time spinning Shetland and I love it!)



And fondling these (from Moonrover).

Finished!

I am a procrastinator. I work better on a deadline.

I've got about 20 unfinished projects in my queue at the moment--some with only a few hours of knitting left in them. I joined the 10 shawls in 2010 group on Ravelry to impose some deadlines. I'm a sucker for pretty prizes.

So far, it's working! Late January 31, just in time to qualify for January prizes, I finished my first FO of 2010: An Autumn Arbor Stole from my handspun. (Rav details)

(photos hastily taken by my husband before we drowned a cold Sunday afternoon with little bottles of champagne at Portland's wintertime locals-only batcave, then added some starch to the mix.)




and the yarn--over 800 yards of spindlespun love. October sock club batts from Carrie at Funky Carolina.


I'm still not sure what I'm knitting for February (true to type, I've cast on a bunch of shawls and knit a few rows of them...). Most likely Sivia Harding's Belle Nuit from the 2009 M1 Year of Lace. Picot! Beads! Purple!

Sigh. This doesn't solve my FO problem.

I promise I'll spend lots of quality time in February working on my handspun Brora Black Shawl (Rav link), too. Giant, but an easy and enjoyable knit. and the yarn!! My handspun, from Enchanted Knoll Farm Farm Raised Roving--sheepy and sparkly all at once!).

I see myself finishing this shawl at a New Years' Eve party!