Finished!*

The Candle Flame Shawl is finished!*

I have not yet cast on for Holiday Gift #1 because it requires a provisional crochet cast-on and I've never done that before and didn't feel like attempting it at too-late-for-this-little-working-girl last night. But I have a crochet hook (don't ask about size.. I have no idea) and some smooth waste yarn (some leftover Noro Lily, actually) and will attempt to cast on tonight. Wish me luck ('cause, you know, it says to pick up and knit through the bottom of the crochet stitches and how do you tell the top from the bottom?)!

I'm still trying to figure out how I want to do mom's wrap. The pattern calls for 2 24-inch circs in the same size (a size I don't even have 1 24-inch circ in at the moment), but really only because it has you working each "sleeve" flat to the center and then doing a 3-needle bind off and seams for the arms. I'm not fond of the idea of a 3-needle bind off in the center of the back, but I'm also not fond of grafting the length of the back either. (Nor am I fond of the idea of working the bulk of the piece flat when it could just as easily be done in the round, but I can modify the pattern to make that happen.) So I'm trying to come to a decision as to how to proceed on that one. In the mean time, I'll work on Holiday Gift #1.

Did I mention I have patterns picked out for Holiday Gifts #2 thru #4 (and pr'bly #5 and #6 as well)? I have to wait until next month to order yarn, though. Oh, and I challenged the members of the Board of Directors of HCWR to sell raffle tickets by promising to make a hand knit scarf (either winter-scarf-style or lacy (goodness help me, what was I thinking?)), hat, mittens or gloves to the person who sells the most raffle tickets (with a minimum of 30 tickets sold). So yeah.. I think I'm out of the knitting slump and have lots of things to work on.

OH! And I almost forgot that I confirmed that I am getting a Clun Forest lamb fleece (I think it's a hogget - it's the first shearing of a lamb born this past spring) next weekend. *bounce* It has a shorter staple than adult Clun Forest (which is about 4-inches, I think), but not so short I won't be able to spin with it. I *so* can't wait. My first *whole fleece*!

(*Except for blocking. So there are no pictures because right now it's just a pile of string that sort of, almost, if you stretch it out, looks like it might be something you might find at the bottom of a laundry hamper.)