Pure Joy

After a whirlwind weekend, I'm back at it.  I've already run into numerous glitches this morning, and technology is not my friend, but I'm determined.  Watch out, Monday.

When we left on Friday, I knew it was going to be a mad dash to finish my shawl in time for the wedding on Saturday.  My daughter took the wheel for a bit so I could knit on the road.  Friday night at dinner I was still knitting, but I finished the last row before we contemplated dessert. After dinner amidst a little pre-wedding party, I worked the bind off. 
And before I went to bed, I blocked the shawl.  All in a day's work.

As usual the weather was cool and damp in Downeast Maine.  I was concerned about the drying conditions, so I used the fan for a few hours.

By mid-afternoon on Saturday, the shawl was ready.

Pure Joy.  This design is mostly garter with short row shaping.  Add color combinations and you have a recipe for fun, relaxed knitting.  If I didn't have other pressing projects, I'd cast on another one right away.

The yarn is Lillian Luxe, colorways March Sky and Bee Hive.  There's nothing like a little silk for a special occasion.

And it was a special occasion.

From the setting to the ceremony to the party . . . a lovely, heartwarming celebration.

The Long and Short of It

I have deadline knitting on my needles, and the sprint to the finish line is on.  

Pure Joy.  This garter shawl features wedges created with a combination of increases and short rows.  The good news is I'm working on the final wedge and am finished with the gray.  It's all gold from here on out.

Just to set the record straight, calling rows short can be misleading. With over 350 stitches on my needles, the short rows aren't really all that short and keep getting longer.   I need this shawl for a special celebration this weekend.  Back to my long short rows.

I Should Have Known

The other day I started a new, 2-color project.  After I had both colors in play, I hit the pause button and took a little break.  

This is Pure Joy.  I was pondering the contrast between the two colors. It's subtle, and sometimes subtle is OK.  But is that the look I really wanted?  I took a quick glance at the Ravelry project pages for this pattern.  Often it's helpful to see what others have done . . . it helps me clarify what I do and don't like for a particular pattern.

This project is on a tight deadline.  I hated to interrupt the flow of forward progress, but I've played that denial game before - thinking I'll like it better if I just keep going.  More often than not I'm only delaying the inevitable.  Experience has taught me it's better to deal with it right away so I don't have to rip out hours of work.

After I thought about it for a bit, I made a color substitution.  And guess what.  This was my initial choice for a color combination when I started the project.  I should have known.  

Casapinka has designed a new shawl with Lillian and is hosting a giveaway over on Instagram.  Check it out.  The winners will be chosen on Monday.

Life isn't always like a bowl of cherries, but here they are for this week's color inspiration.

Dazzling reds.