48 Hours to GO....

Yep, it is now less than 48 hours until B and I leave for the long awaited Purl Jam Event! My knitting bags (note the plural...I have 3 ) are packed & ready to go. My "homework" is done...including blocked and ends woven in. I even will have an unfinished item for the finishing class! The Chicknits Ribby Shell is done except for the shoulder seams. I figured I'd take it with me and see what seaming Cornelia would recommend using on joining the shoulders.

So excited about the upcoming weekend. So many people I've met through Raverly to put names & faces together. A fun weekend of knitting, talking, eating, learning, ......the list is almost endless.

Three Down and Three to Go

I've completed 3 of the 6 squares I need for my Fear of Finishing class at Purl Jam next week. So far I've got a garter square, a moss square, and a just finished stockinette square. Three more to go before I head off next Thursday...should not say that it's a piece of cake...don't want to get those Knitting Gods worked up do we? Nope, I've got to decided what other patterning I need to have so I can learn how to finish off more professionally.

I'm leaning towards a basketweave of some kind due to a long hibernating pattern for a "jacket" called Nichole by Jane Ellison I found in the Queensland Collection Book 1 over a year...or maybe 2 years ago. Can that be right? I've had the yarn & book for ages so it could be 2 years. Anyway it could prove helpful to see how to seam up a basketweave if/when I knit the Nichole Jacket.

The last 2 squares have not been decided...one will have some yo's and be more lacy and the last one may be the patterning for another future project (Etrusca swatch) so I better get back to it...

18 Repeats and Still Going

I have now completed a total of 18 pattern repeats on my Lace Ribbon Wrap and still have a good bit of yarn left. My plan is to continue knitting until I've used all the Blue Heron. I see no good reason to stop until then. The wrap is now 58 inches unblocked and I'm hoping to get another 12 inches or more out of what I have left. This last bit of yarn doesn't seem to getting any smaller...my DH keeps asking if I'm knitting because the yarn doesn't appear to be getting any smaller.

I still have no idea how many more repeats it will take to finish, but I'm still enjoying the knitting on this project. This should be done by the Purl Jam Event next month. I cannot wait to see everyone else's scarves/wraps...the Mosaic Maniacs should be a site to see if everyone can get them done for the big event.

New WIP...swatch at least

Graduation is now a done deal...was a very nice weekend spent in Blacksburg with my boys. The weather turned out better that I had hoped. Friday we ran around all day in cool and drizzly conditions...then friday evening for the graduation events in Lane Stadium we had clear skies and a moonlit evening to walk back to the car with the Grad! Saturday was sun shiney and perfect...so no ruined pics or clothes. My oldest is now a Graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. A real mouthful of a name for what most call Virginia Tech, but that's the name on the diploma. Now proud Mom's off the soapbox and back to talking about knitting.....

While in Blacksburg I was given an early Mother's Day gift...a certificate to Mosaic from my oldest. After an early dinner he said that "you really want my gift now"...then it struck me what it could be. I was so very pleased for the thoughful gift from him. My DH and I headed off to Mosaic to check out the possibilites while my oldest got ready for graduation. Of course my DH took a nap in the car while I shopped & gabbed...I was even able to get a cup of coffee and due to the kindness of a knitter's offer of a needle knit on a swatch for a bit before he came to get me.

I ended up buying 4 skeins of Rowan Calmer in Slosh a nice smokey blue and 2 skeins of Fleece Artisit's Sea Wool in Mermaid (I think based on color descriptions). I started swatching for the Angela Hahn's Etrusca while I waited for DH's naptime to end. I only got a few rows before it was time to head on off to pick up my son and his girlfriend for the night's big event. Last night I started the second swatch in the ebellished garter stitch as the designer recommended to verify all is well with the selection...it's looking as if size 7 needles will be the choice. I have to finish a bit more to check the row and block to see how the Calmer is going to do, but so far I'm spot on gauge. I love the soft feel of the Calmer...the first time I have used this yarn. I hope to cast on this week for the tank because I'd love to wear it next month to Mosaic's Purl Jam . If interested check out the link quick since there are only a few spots left!