I need your opinion! Mischief Managed!

Has anyone done the "Invisibility Shawl" yet?

Here's the deal-io. I'm using lace-weight in darker colors, because I like the idea of the shawl having the dark colorwork like in the movies.

I'm knitting on size 7 needles, as requested in the book. However, um, it looks too loose! I should just call it the "visibility shawl."

I've been stretching it this way, and that way, pretending to block it, but I really think the needles are too big to hold the integrity of the stockinette patches surrounding the Yo's.

What do YOU think?

Can blocking really salvage something this loose? Or should I just frog it and start on smaller needles? I'd rather it be a faster project...and not with smaller needles, but if it won't look good even after being blocked..it's frogito territory.

Random Friday #1

I very well will be knitting this WIP for the rest of my life, but I thought that this view was pretty interesting, and definitely a photo-taking chance that I couldn't pass up under any circumstances. Cries for more battery juice just had to wait.

Although my empty battery really did shut the camera off right after this shot, I walked home as happy as a drunk, with a nice comparison of my colorway to this seasoning tree.
You can almost hear my sigh of knitterly pleasure...
But, I've got to get a grip of reality. Seriously.
I need to work more diligently on this WIP, so I can finish it before Winter! Part of the whole problem revolves around my insistance on knitting a shawl with small needles. Now, if I were a normal person, which I'm not (lol), I would be knitting this shawl on size 7's or such.
Nope, I'm knitting the dang thing up on size 4's. Tisk Tisk. It better keep me warm.

~the dreaded "senior's project~
As a Religious Studies Major, I'm required to do my "senior's thesis" project (research paper) on a subject of my own particular liking that relates to my professor's theme, "the part and the whole." You can almost laugh at the dramatics of the theme. As you can see, I've already snatched several books at the library. I've decided to do something related to desert fathers or other such persons who seclude themself from society to inhance their spirituality. As you can see, they generally are more in the "part" category, but I've got to somehow figure out to incorporate how their search for salvation through seclusion & feirce deprevational practices connects them to the whole. The quest is on. (later.)

Good thing it's due at the end of the semester. I've got time to procrastinate.

~me writing??~
Speaking of books, I've decided to work more on my own knitting mystery book.
I'm beginning to realize why I insist on reading mystery books lately: I'm in love with good "cozy" mystery books. I don't like the gore, I love the spice of romance, and a dash of supense within...kind of like a "Ross & Rachel" relationship on Friends, and how everything isn't too intense. So, last night, I decided to look up the criteria for a cozy mystery book.
So ok, don't get me wrong, I realize that my book may never actually be published, but I feel this urge to get my "creative writing" tingle out. I may stink at writing clear and concise essays, but I've always had a nack for writing good fiction snipits. Remember, creativity first, grammer later. lol.

"All good things"

I've been a little busy knitting. I've been a little busy designing. I've been a little busy watching Friends. ...But, I would definitely say that I spent more time *writing up sock patterns, changing them, knitting it up, and frogging it again* (rep. *to* several times)....more than anything else!

I'm also working on squares myself. It's a shame that I didn't really bring any Red Heart with me to school. I'm using the yarn from my own aghan... because that's the only bit of Red Heart I packed with me! (...and to think that I have bins full at home...I'm such a dummy.)

I was knitting at Liz's apartment last night, and I forced her to dye up the colorway for the club, since we changed it. See my point, the club starts in a couple of weeks....and I've got nothing knit up yet! lol. Anyways, I did more teaching (her sister) to knit, than actually knitting myself. But, I did get to take home one of my favorite colorways of hers, "Japanese Maple." Yummy.

...and I was already thinking of what to knit my own grandparents soon. This one would be perfect for both of my grandpas. Do you think I have the patience and endurence to knit two of these?

And of course, as soon as you got some inches done on your own fir cone shawl, you see a cooler one on the web. Oi.

A tingle of anticipation for Fall

There is no doubt that Fall is my favorite season.

I love the way that the air turns crisp. After a hot season of Summer, your skin gets a tingle of chill underneath your bones, and you just want to cuddle up...whether underneath your fleece blanket, or with your partner. You finally can wrap that warm knitted scarf around your neck.

I love the way that the air smells of burning wood. The instant that smell reaches my nose, I think of the old-fashioned Halloween "trick-or-treating" at night, or memories of camping...and roasting marshmallows over a campfire.

I love the way that in Fall, the leaves turn gold, maroon, and many other shades of colors...and drop to the ground, for you to trample through, or fall in.

I love the way that in Fall, you can finally cozy up on the couch with a good book, and sip on hot chocolate by the fire.

Finally, I love that in Fall, you can pick apples and pumpkins in an orchard or farm, drink steamy hot apple cider with fingerless gloves, take long hay rides, and stumble through corn mazes, or eat apple turnovers and pumkin spice icecream...

Therefore, I dedicate the premier of my Fall knitting this year to the "Cabin Shawl." That way, I can wrap myself up in the natural glory of Fall itself, the colorful spectrum of leaves, and cozy up with that good novel on a comfy couch and finally wear my warm woolen socks that I knit in the summer.

I love how it's all nubbly on the backside. It's all the little things that make life great.