I just finished this hat.



I thought about doing the dead eyes option, but then decided I didn't want to make a zombie fish.

Now what? (I actually do have another shawl on the needles now, but I'm still open for other suggestions.)

Yesterday my mom and I went to Lowell Mass. to see the American Textile History Museum and the mills.  
I think we would have gotten more out of the museum if we didn't have a docent playing tour guide, but had just gone on our own. The group I was in didn't even get to see the modern stuff because we ran out of time.  We also thought it was funny that we had to go to Lowell Mass. to see a picture of the Harmony Mills in Cohoes.
After lunch at a nice Greek restaurant we went to the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center to get our Trolley tour.  Ranger Jen was great. She knew her stuff, was cheerful and engaging.  

I finished my Socks that are Bigger on the Inside yesterday, and I have still not decided on a new project.  
I'm leaning towards a hat.

Obviously I've finished another shawl.

It's called Filigrano, and I made it from some really sparkly handspun. 



Since I finished this one, I have yet to cast on for the next one.  I'm not sure what one I want to do yet.  Maybe I'll take a shawl break and knit a hat or something. Until I decide I'll work on the socks I'm almost done with.

What should I knit next?  (Only answer that if you won't be hurt if I don't take your suggestion.)

So... that shawl I ran out of yarn for...

I tinked back a couple round and bound off.

It's my 6th finished shawl of the year, and my 5th out of handspun.



There is more info on it here, but the last picture is not for the faint of heart.
Running out of yarn was not the only issue this sucker threw at me.

Some of you may have seen this shawl when the knitting was done, but lace isn't truly finished until it's been blocked.

I give you my Grape Nebulae.   I know... It's not very purple, but the color name is Rubber Grapes, and I like it.

This is my 5th finished shawl of the year, and my 4th handspun shawl of the year.

It's not life threatening or anything like that.

I just ran out of yarn for a shawl I'm working on, and I don't know what to do.  It's not like I can go buy more.  I spun this and I ran out a row from were I thought I could reasonably cut the pattern short.

My options are:

1. Contact the dyer and ask her very nicely of she'll dye a batt of this color for me so I can spin more.  I should need less than 2 ounces, but the batts she makes are 4 ounces, so I could continue the pattern out a few more rows.
2. Search WEBS for a commercial yarn that will work, and plan a trip there to check. (I've done the search part.)
3. Search the Knitpicks Palette stash for one that will work, and strip it to a single ply.
4. Sit in a corner gibbering like an idiot until such time as the yarn appears in front of me.
5. Frog the whole shawl and start over on a smaller size needle.

I'm looking at 4 as a good choice for a little bit, but I'll figure something out.

So...

A couple of days ago I released my second self published pattern.




Isn't it Charming.  ;)

I really have to thank my friends who let me type up the words while they played with fire.  I think it's what I needed to get it done.

My shawl 4 has been done for a while now, but it was a test knit, so I couldn't post about it.

I now introduce you to Calliope's Odyssey.





She's done in white Icelandic wool, and an indigo dyed Romney cross.
She sits nicely on my shoulders, and is warm.
I'm glad I put the Romney on the edge, as it's rougher. While I was knitting it I swear it took a few layers off one of my fingers. It also being indigo crocked on my hands.

Now I'm working on something that's PINK (though the yarn is finally turning green). I've been wanting to do the pattern for years, and when I was spinning the yarn this last summer I thought immediately of this pattern.

Shortly after I finished Erato I finished another.

This time from my own handspun.

It's All Out of Wack.





I don't know what else to say about it. It was fun to knit, it's done, and it's warm.