To Be, Or Gnat To Be

Sorry Wil, but I had to do it. It's all these dratted gnats here in Tifton. They don't bite, so that's good, but I've accidentally eaten more than my share this week. I know, I know, if I would keep my mouth closed, that wouldn't happen.

I finished off the Mango Salsa surprise last night. It's soaking in the sink right now, (and where do I think I'm going to block it in this little teeny tiny apt?). I did take some pics to show you how I went about it. Oh, and you'll get to see what it is!Okay, so I've been knitting and knitting 880 yrds of laceweight in the round, and finally the day has come when I get to cast off. My first 10 or so attempts didn't hack it - too inflexible, too tight. I'm in Tifton, which means I don't have my arsenal of knitting tools with me, so I ended up using 2 needles together for a VERY loose edge.I realize you're getting this entire project backwards, but free your mind and let's move on. Okay, so this next pic shows you where I unraveled my 20 stitches between my markers. What markers? Well, let me back up. I cast on about 250 or so stitches, and trust me, the exact number is not crucial. I even ended up with them being twisted, which is no big deal either, since you cut it apart, but it does get unwieldy when it starts getting long. No,wide. But I digress. Okay, so you knit and knit and knit and knit, placing 2 markers approx. 20 stitches apart. I twisted the stitch before and after each marker, kind of like on the the famous Clapotis, so the entire thing doesn't fall apart. Sooo, when I got to the last of my never-ending 880 yrds. of lace weight (yes, I'm bitter, it took forever), I carefully, ever so carefully bound off, very loosely, all stitches but the ones between the markers. Those I left live, and then unraveled them down. The twisted stitches keep them from coming loose at each edge. Notice how twisted it is - there was no way I was taking the time to make sure over 200 stitches weren't twisted if it didn't matter in the end.Ah, the satisfaction of cutting the little b*st*rd up. Way too much agression against a defenseless shawl, don't you think? Oh, that's right, it's a shawl! Almost forgot to tell you! Here's the almost final shot, draping ever so gracefully over the Big Lots recliner in the dirty little apt., right before it got a bath. I'll have to vaccuum the floor here, and just spread it out, because I don't have any pins or wire. And no, I'm not going to buy any.
So,that's the story of the Mango Salsa shawl, from ending to beginning. I wanted to make a shawl out of the hand-painted yarn, but I so didn't want to make it anything complicated. I googled a few times and came up with this pattern. Well, not a pattern, but ideas. It took about 6 sites and some guess work, but I got what I wanted. I see now that there's a site that sells a similar pattern and the yarn to go with it, really good looking yarn. But better than my own handiwork? I don't think so. I will hook you up with a link that helped me get started. Here's the blog and here's the pattern. Thanks Maia, you rock. The Clapotis pattern helped, too. About halfway through the process I came across this blog again. I used to read her all the time and somehow got out of the habit. Shame, shame, shame. Anyway, she made one like it - in blues, verrryyy nice.

I know this has gone on long enough, but let me leave you with a conversation I had with #1 grandson the other day (he's 7, oh wait, 7 and a HALF! - he's at that age).
Grandson: Oh my God.
Grandmother: Don't say that, say Oh my goodness, or good gravy!
Grandson: Why? Oh, that's right, we don't want to take the Lord's name in, um ....
Grandmother: Vain. In vain. It means don't use God's name to swear.
Grandson: Oh. Or Jesus' name, right?
Grandmother: Right
Grandson: Or George Bush's.
Grandmother: (speechless)
I can't wait to tell his liberal democrat parents about this one.
Oh. My. Dubya.