It's been a busy week!

I decided midweek that (needing some knitting therapy) I would use the left over skein of Lucia Carnival from http://www.poshyarn.co.uk/index.html to make another shawl. I enjoyed knitting the last one so much. I like Dee's yarn more and more and I think I am becoming an unofficial storage facility for her stuff.

This needed to be a smaller project as i only had one skein.
Forest Canopy http://ma2ut.blogspot.com/2006/09/forest-canopy-shoulder-shawl.html seemed the ideal thing. This is a great project for anyone doing their first lace shawl, nice clear easy to read instructions and charts and it goes quickly.

The finished piece is described as a shoulder shawl. I meant to take a pre-blocking photo but didn't remember until the shawl was soaking in the sink, here she is.

I did remember to measure it though :o) Pre blocking 32" across the top and 14" down to the pint.

It seems tiny!

EEEeeeck!

But it will grow.

How much remains to be seen.

In our present climate another scarf wont go amiss, will it?! Fingers crossed it will be big enough.

I followed the pattern exactly and ended up with 35gms of my yarn left.

I dithered briefly about frogging the edging and adding another repeat but DD said "No, it'll be great!"

I am not a total fool!

I do know she wants me to get on with making some wrist warmers the same as the ones I made for her cousin!

But I also wanted to get finished tonight. :o) So I cast off.

I still enjoyed knitting with the Lucia but I didn't enjoy the pattern as much, it is very similar to the last shawl although simplified which is what makes it easier for beginners, of course. More of a speedy knit than a challenge, but after a rather emotional weekend I doubt I was up to much of a challenge anyway.

I also bought lots of lovely yarn in the PY sale, didn't mean to, emergency money saving/making measures now in place to compensate VBG But it's yummy nonetheless. Whilst I am confessing I ought to tell you about these.

Knit Picks Options I knitted the Forest Canopy on 4,5mm needles from this set. The best needles I have ever used, bar none. My Boyes are up for sale. Sorry Boyes! I'm keeping the Denises for now as a less slippy alternative. I only managed to get these because someone very kind allowed me to join my order to hers, aren't internet forums great? Yes they are! So her friend sent two sets over from America.

The KnitPicks are only available to US residents at the moment. Hope that will change very soon. I am going to add a smaller needle and a longer cord to the set at a later date. Check out their website, the yarn is yum too. But you need a friend in the USA. http://www.knitpicks.com/needles/Needles_Options.aspx

That's not the end of the goodies though. Another lady on the forum sells these beautiful handcrafted swifts. This really is a joy to use and to look at, and my favourite purchase of the year so far. I really need to sort out my ball winder before I tackle the hank of Celestial I have in my stash. The one I have just doesn't work, or I don't, but either way, one of us will have to go and it can't be me, I've got too much knitting to do!

Plans for the latest PY purchases include, Shoalwater Shawl in Frost Flowers

This beautiful purple laceweight is so soft I should let you come round just to stroke it, form an orderly queue please! Something from VLT I think.

Continuing a purpleish theme I got this, at DK the thickest thing to enter the stash for quite a while - something warm and neck wooly with this. Again softness to die for.

and last but not least we have this beauty, maybe my purple thang is coming to an end after all, yeah right!

This colour is called Sweetie, and isn't it? Loved it so I got it. Er too much SEX anyone?

One more beauty this time from Hipknits. Kerrie is running a contest to design something in lace/ with lace, details are here http://www.hipknits.co.uk/shop.php?crn=244&rn=488&action=show_detail

I received this beauty to design something with/for.

What shall I make? It's silk, it's gorgeous and there's 180yds (could be meters, I'll check later) Hmmm!

I also bought a copy of Hidcote Garden Shawl - lots of charts and a little daunting, but I can do charts, right? And I like a challenge, right? Yeah I can do this one too, but maybe not in time for next Friday. :o)

http://www.hipknits.co.uk/shop.php?crn=229&rn=460&action=show_detail I may use the Celestial for this. Hmmm! Some more hmmm!