An FO and a new challenge

The Star Wars scarf is finally complete and blocking. Above is the view as you stare at it, and below is the side view when the text 'magically' appears.

It took 2 balls of white and 2 balls of black Cygnet Superwash DK. Having washed a swatch ... well a mistake actually - a swatch implies every went smoothly. I washed the mistake as I couldn't face a 3rd frogging. Anyway, having washed the 'swatch' I have discovered that this yarn doesn't do well in the 40 degree wash as it's label suggests. It went fuzzy. Whether this is due to the high contrast colours I don't know. Maybe it would be fine if it was just one colour *shrug*

All I know is that I'm going to have to handwash this after all, despite an extensive search for machine washable DK wool *sigh*

Negative aside - I love this. The boy loves it too, and that's the most important thing. Non-knitters are genuinely perplexed by this and have decided it requires lots of maths (it doesn't). Shadow knitting is playing with knit and purl stitches to make stitches 'stick out' so that shapes appear. Wikipedia explains it well.

My pattern was 11 stitches either side to serve as a margin, and 15 in the centre to use for the letters. I got the idea and chart from this Craftster with a slight modification. I was going to do the one side of the scarf with black lettering for the dark side, and one side with white lettering for the light side and sew them together. The fabric turned out quite thick though, and I just don't have it in me to knit another ...

And so onto another project that must be completed by the start of the Beijing Olympics (165 days to go). The Glasgow socks were cast on with too few stitches - it wasn't my fault. The gauge swatch lied again - by a whole stitch!! So I frogged in and thus was able to start a new project, without breaking the promise of casting on anything new before finishing all these wips.

Since it had to come out I was toying with the idea of trying toe-up socks. For some reason I was a bit scared, the thought of the challenge was daunting me. Then I snapped out of it - how many new things have I learned in the knitty world over the past 3 years? Loads! And then a sign; a Raveler contacted me out of the blue asking for all the wool ends I had on my trade board in excahnge for Lucy Neatby's Cool Socks, Warm Feet book.

Once again knitty fate has struck. I'm doing a toe-up pattern with a Bosnian toe - a rectangle knitted with a provisional cast on, so you can out it on a needle later, then pick up the stitches around the 2 other sides and have the beginnings of a toe!

I'm struggling a bit with the whole 'knit til it fits' concept - I prefer having everything set out for me the first time I embark on something new. After frogging 4 rows (as I went too far with my increases) I think I am on a smooth path for now (at least until the heel...)

Still it's fun doing a 'new' project.

I believe I said that I would be trying Rogue as my project for the Knitting Olympics. It was pointed out to me that the Olympics are a mere 2 weeks long ... I will be revising my idea of what I plan to do - I suspect a pair of DK socks may be a more achievable goal ...

The B&B has been booked for this year's Woolfest - I'm so excited!! Cumbria is a lovely place, made all the lovelier by the big barn full of lovely knitty goodness - yay!

And Creative Stitches at the SECC in a couple of weeks with my mum - I can't wait!

And K1 Yarns have opened a 2nd shop in Edinburgh, in the place of HK Handknits I think. Anyway, Debbie Bliss will be there on the 1st March for a grand opening. I feel dizzy with all the yarny joy!! (I know my credit cards do not feel the same)