Celebrations of sorts (free pattern copy--today only)

Fat Tuesday, a free pattern giveaway, a St. Patrick's Day project...Puff, puff, puff, and an announcement at the end.

You might have heard this already from yesterday evening's post, but I am gifting all of my readers a free copy of my Mardi Gras-inspired socks called "Carnival Socks" (Fat Tuesday was known as "the Carnival" in the Medieval age--you can read up about it on the pattern page) TODAY ONLY, so hurry onto Ravelry and redeem the pattern HERE. Type in the coupon code: MardiGras2014. You can even gift this to your sock knitting friends. Enjoy!

For those who observe this day, it is a day filled with little celebration things like food, drink, beads or just wacky clothing because the day after Fat Tuesday marks a solemn or reflective period of time for Christians.

I also want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with you as well, for reasons that will be discussed at the end of the post.

 I filled the weaving loom with a wee bit of fun.

I finally get to try out my mammoth shuttle sticks that I ordered a while back. It's not that much larger than my 15'' Cricket loom. I think it was 20'' long?

I never tire of these types of photos. I love the intricate details that variegated yarn gives off while woven with another color. I used Hobby Lobby's "I love This Cotton" in Irish colors.

Warps (59): 13 white, 5 Irish, 9 white, 5 Irish, 9 white, 5 Irish, 13 white.

Originally, I meant for it to be a decorative hanging towel.

But it looks so cute as a placemat. I plan on weaving another one because I still have another skein left.

So, on for the announcement. I know I have been really good about posting more regularily now, and it's great for me to be back in the blogging world (I enjoy sharing my adventures with you), but the reason why I am posting about St. Patrick's Day this early is because of what I have decided as my Lenten meditation or goal, if you will: to go the whole Lenten season away from social media. I really feel like (at least Facebook) social media has been consuming my time, and has distracted me from various things in life. Unfortunately, blogging is a form of social media, so I can't give up one without the other. Consider this a fasting of technology to be refreshed. It's a small glimpse of how it used to be in the early 90's. The most internet I will be getting now until Easter is checking my email once in a while (I can't ignore it as a teacher) and paying my bills (that would have been a good excuse for an extension of time, right?). Feel free to email me if something is dire, but don't message me through Ravelry, since I won't be on.

In the meantime, I will be finishing up my shawl, I have yarn on the way for Ysolda's Pumpkin Ale Sweater that I can't wait to get my hands on, I will be spinning a little, and doing bits of things in the background. I plan on refocusing my energies on my family and away from my phone and laptop which is so easy to be on all the time as a stay-at-home mother.

Please feel free to browse older posts, podcasts, tutorials or leave me *happy thoughts* while I'm gone. When I return, it better be Spring! I promise I will be back in April. There will be so much to share. :)

Enjoy the free pattern.

Sincerely,
Anna Maliszewski

WIP: Forget Me Not Shawl (lace border underway)

The "Forget Me Not" (a.k.a Amore Shawl) is undergoing border control. I have labored for a few days to come up with the perfect border, but no matter how I tweaked it on excel, and a zillion swatches later...sometimes you just have to face the cold, hard facts: yarn weight can turn something beautiful into something distorted. I'll just save the border for another shawl project. It obviously prefers something with a heftier weight.

I was so excited to get the provisional cast-on off after years of it waiting patiently to release that first row. I'm not sure if I'm just plain weird for getting giddy at this sort of thing, but it's an odd and pleasant sight to see it gone, and I was getting nostalgic with every unraveled stitch. It's been with me at various important occasions.

I plan on doing something simplier for the border. Actually, the same thing I envisioned in the first place before I got all excel-happy on something that didn't pan out. The pattern is so recognizable, and simple, but beautiful in it's simplicity and a breeze to remember. Who wants fuge a 724+ stitch border anyways? You heard me right.

I decided to go steal from my own store stockpile since I needed 8 stitch markers, and I wanted them to all match because I was in such a good mood. They haven't been on Etsy in a while anyways.

Choices, choices.

 I think the hearts were a good choice for a heart shawl. I love the vintage green beads. :)

I have a small weaving project that is finished and will be posted tomorrow, and for all of my loyal readers, I am gifting a *free pattern* of mine to you at the start of tomorrow to kick off Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday)! It's only valid tomorrow. The coupon code will be revealed in tomorrow's post. ;)
Off to write tomorrow's post early. . .