More Wordless Handspun Romney Shawl

After while, crocodile...

Sit down...

Are you sat?

I've been knitting...

I know, whoda thunk? But I have proof.

 The Kristie Lee socks, colorway named after my friend Kris, who dyed the sock blank when she was here in October.

 The Jane Liz socks, colorway named after another friend, who wasn't in New Jersey when I dyed the yarn in my workshop.

 The Katie Mittens. Katie also wasn't in New Jersey. I love how the colors progress.

There was just enough of the Katie yarn left to do accent stripes in another pair of mittens.

But even more shocking than knitting, I've been doing some crocheting!

A friend posted this pic on my Facebook page, #1 because she knows adorable when she sees it, and #2, she thought I might be interested in making them.

My good friend Google provided the pattern link, which I posted on Facebook. I really wasn't interested in making those specific booties, but other friends were.

Though I wasn't interested in making those booties, because, you know, I don't crochet very much, the stitch intrigued me. And it kept intrigueing me, until I gave in yesterday and swatched...

 The written stitch pattern that I found wasn't very good- it left out steps and was, in general, confusing, so I'm not going to link to it (or name the author). I was able to figure it out pretty well on my own, and there are You Tube videos for the stitch. My Crocodile Scales aren't staggered, but still, they came out well.

The scales are heavy and time consuming, but oh so cute. I decided to work 3 rows of 6 scales for a mitten cuff, then I sewed the cuff together, and picked up 48 sts and finished knitting the mitten in my usual way.

I'm delighted. And after I finish the mate, I'm going to try some more scaley designs.

Oh the yarn- it's Decadent Fibers Cookie Dough in the Salsa colorway- wool and mohair. Totally yummy.

I got nothin'

I made some progress on the Netherfield mate, but it looks just like the first one (beautiful, but not beautiful enough to document every inch for you), I cranked out 1,600 words on the YA Fantasy (!!), and I managed to walk a slow mile on the treadmill without losing a lung (it was necessary- I've been getting charley horses- yes plural. My legs do not like this inactivity). But none of that is photo worthy.

In the absence of anything reportable on my end, here's a very cool commercial (from Israel, I suspect). My guess is that they covered the items with crochet first, and then unraveled it, and then edited and reversed the order. No matter how they did it, it's cool.

And if this doesn't make you smile on a dreary Monday, nothing will.

The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion

I don't crochet often, but I jumped at the chance to contribute a shawl to Taunton's new The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion, edited by Janet Bristow and Victoria A. Cole-Gallo, the founders of the Prayer Shawl Ministry. I got my contributor copies a week ago or so, and though it's not slated for release for another week, I see that Amazon has it in stock.

As with The Prayer Shawl Companion, this new book is full of beautiful shawls, each with an uplifting story, and an accompanying blessing or prayer.

My design is dedicated to my daughter-in-law Genevieve.

I am honored to be included in this lovely book.