My Adamas shawl is finished, but I'm certainly not going outside to model it for you -- it's windy and rainy and only 10 degrees out there! (That's 50 American degrees.) So watch for the next post; the shawl is lovely. The colours! The lace! All will be revealed!
That's all, really. I just wanted to check in. OK, I'm going to wrap my chilly fingers around a hot cup of coffee now....
Part 1: Blanket
Bill (from the back porch): Ali, come here!
Me: OK. [Off I go...]
Bill (pointing next door): Look at the crocheted blanket. Isn't it pretty, hanging in the sunlight? I really like it.
Me: I like it, too. And I'm proud of you.
Bill: Why, because I'm showing you a blanket?
Me: No, because you know it's crochet. [pause] Is it legal to photograph your neighbour's laundry? 
Part 2: Tulips
Mooky and I walked around the backyard the other day looking at all the lovely tulips that have burst open recently. 
It almost feels like summer already, but I hope spring stays for a little while.
Lookee what I finished this afternoon! 
Sewing the triangles together into rows was reasonably straightforward, but sewing the rows together got a little tricky; I did quarter-inch seams for all the triangles, but the triangle points got cut off when I sewed the first two rows together with a quarter-inch seam, so I had to use only an eighth of an inch. (Scary! Please don't come apart!) I still lost a few pointy points, but you can't really tell unless you're looking -- which I know you are, so here's a closer shot: 
I would never have thought to use yellows, but Bill's sister (who is an amazing quilter) sent me some fat quarters for Christmas, including the dogs and the sailors. So I found the other yellows in various places, and I'm very pleased. This will be such a cheery little quilt! The yellows are very warm. This is quite a bit bigger than my previous two quilts, but still just crib sized; this top measures about 46 inches by 54 inches. I'm not really looking forward to putting the layers together, because I don't really enjoy crawling around on the floor, but I'll do that next and then start hand-quilting. 
Véronik, coffee, driving, Ottawa, craft sale, cross-stitch pins and buttons, Miss Twiss, Robyn, vegan peanut-butter cups, sunshine, walking, giant used-book store, Byward Market, memories, carrot and celery sticks, more walking, more sunshine, Jennifer, the Manx Pub, beers and smoked-tofu wraps, stories of dogs and cats, talk of books and TV and movies, more coffee, more driving, home, sleep.
I had a great day yesterday. I started doing research for my thesis proposal, searching for sources that will help me put together a proposal about tabloid newspapers (i.e., the "gutter press") published in Canada during the postwar period. After spending nearly the last year (!) chafing against my comps, spending just one day doing library searches related to crime and deviance, media, and the 1940s and '50s felt like settling into a comfortable favourite sweater -- maybe a merino/alpaca blend, a little too big, and, um, with lots of traditional cables. (I'm just trying to help you with a visual. So the sweater is ecru, too. And it looks really good on me. :) I still have to defend my comps, so there's still a small cloud over my head, but I can mostly move on now, and I'm very happy about it. Finally, my own work.
Before getting back to work yesterday, I spent a few days sewing! I set up my machine and retrieved all those little triangles I'd cut out before Christmas (from this fabric), and I sewed them together. I now have the 14 strips done, and once I sew the strips together I'll have a finished Flock of Triangles quilt top! I also went out and bought solid yellow for the binding and a medium grey solid for the back -- but I forgot to buy the batting (duh). I'm planning to quilt this one by hand, so once I put the quilt sandwich together it will probably be a while before it's actually a quilt. Once I get the top together, I'll take some pictures -- I really like how it looks.
It's a beautiful day today, and a friend is coming over later so I can show her how to turn a heel. Another sock knitter is born! How many points do I get?
I've wanted to make Ene's Scarf since I first bought Scarf Style a few years ago. The pattern was a great match for my 3+ balls of thrifted Scheepjes Invicta sock yarn -- I used almost every inch of the yarn, literally. The pattern was written for laceweight yarn on 4.0mm needles; I used a 4.0mm needle, too, and my shawl came out a bit bigger (68" x 35") than the original (56" x 32"). 
Held out full, the dimensions are a bit too Stevie Nicks, but it's a great size for wrapping: 
It's not soft like merino or silk, of course, but it's not a dainty shawl, so the coarser texture of the sock yarn fits the design well, I think. It's substantial and sturdy, but still drapey. Plus it just looks awesome, if I do say so myself. The colour is perfect for its coarseness -- it's like a healthy, whole-grain shawl with lots of (wait for it...) fibre. 
I'm sure my neighbours wondered what on earth I was doing twirling around all by myself in my driveway. I didn't really realize how prominent the garbage cans would be in these shots! Charming, aren't they? Anyway, A+ for Ene's Scarf -- I've already worn it out and about a couple of times, and I'm very happy with it. Plus, it's not so precious that I can't stuff it into my bag when I get somewhere and take it off. (Now I'm knitting Adamas with my Buttercream merino, which is definitely more on the precious side of shawldom.)
