Category: Knittastic!

Fine. It’s not Maryland Sheep & Wool. It’s not Rhinebeck. But it should still be fun, right? So who wants to have a meetup at the Kid ‘N Ewe and Llamas Too 2005 sheep & wool festival in Boerne, Texas? Huh? Huh? It is coming up – November 4th – 6th – and my non-blogging knitting mentor Katy & I will be heading over from Houston on Friday for a visit to the festival on Saturday. Is anyone else going?

If nothing else, Brooks Farm will be there. For over 8 months, I have wanted to see their yarns in person. Now I will finally have a chance! Yeah!

I really wish I had graphics software on this computer, I would totally make a button for the festival. Anyone care to hook me up? Please? I neeeeeed a button.

Charlotte’s Web – started in May, 2005, completed July 28, 2005. (Blocked on October 13, 2005.) 5 skeins of Koigu, size 6 Denise needle with a 40″ circular cable. Yarn purchased at Hill Country Weavers in Austin, TX (while at SxSW in March, 2005) and Rosie’s Yarn Cellar, Philadelphia, PA (while visiting Mac in May, 2005).

This was such a fun pattern to knit! It took a few rows to get used to the chart, but once I got that under way it was a dream! Plus working with Koigu is always fabulous. I loved this one so much, yarn for a second shawl has already been purchased!

(I’ll post the second round of photos soon!)

I blocked the shawl last night on Jason’s old twin bed. (Lately he has been sleeping on the queen-sized bed in the guest bedroom. Soon we will move all the beds around and the twin will go into the guest room.) First I hand washed it, then I sent it off for a 10 minute spin cycle in my non-agitating washing machine. That got a lot of water out of it, so I knew it would be dry by this morning. I took a standard size towel up to Jason’s room with me, because I thought I knew how much my Charlotte’s Web would grow when I blocked it.

Boy, was I wrong! It must have grown by at least 10-12 inches in width. I wish I had taken before and after measurements. It looked fabulous – and dry – this morning, and I remembered to take a “blocking” photo before I picked it up.

I wore it to the Mom’s group meeting, and Michelle asked me if it was my Charlotte’s Web, since she has been following my progress on it. It was great to get a chance to share it! It is so soft, and warm but not too hot. I love it. When we went to lunch, I commented that it was going to be too warm to wear it, and since Katy (my knitting guru) didn’t bring a sweater with her and she is always cold, I let her wear it for me. It was so neat to see how it “looks” when worn.

Jason came home from school and noticed that I had left the camera up in his room. He asked, “Mom, are you selling your shawl on Ebay?” I had to laugh. No, no – I just had to take photos of it! (Plus there was the added perk of using his bed to block it so I could shut the door and make sure none of the cats messed with it!)

Photos to come as soon as I find a card reader and download them! It is so nice to finally have this completely finished, since it came off the needles back at the end of July!

Update: When Mike got home, we took the required “holding the shawl out wide” photos, so my photo set of the Web is complete! I’ll upload them soon!

After seeing these images from The ‘Martha’ Show, I’ll have to admit it … I’m seriously considering knitting “The Martha” poncho. Speaking of knitting, I was quite amused by the woman in the front row on the right in the photo captioned “The eager audience” – she is moving those pointy sticks!

My secret pal sock is just short of being done. I turned the heel, so it is just the foot of the sock that I have to crank out. It should make it in the mail tomorrow, and I e-mailed my sockapaltwozaa pal to let her know about the delay of a day. I’m amazed I cranked them out so fast!