Pretty in Pink

I like to keep a simple project in my desk drawer at work.  Something that provides a little mental reset when I need a break.  Scarves work particularly well because you can knit a few rows and then put it down.  I present my newest mini-escape: lace weight cashmere.  Oh so pretty and oh so soft!

Helper

"I don't think that pin goes there.  Here, let me help you."

Honeycomb

I've been quiet lately as I've been working on a few secret projects.  However, I just love the way this one is knitting up so I thought I'd share a quick pic.

8 of 12: Royal Reading Wrap

Number 8 of my grand 2012 shawl adventure is the Freya Shawl by Renate Haeckler. 

I actually finished knitting this one back in June.  It took a while for me to block though because of its unusual shape.  Other knitters' shawls came out as a semi-circle.  The best way I can think to describe mine is a Millennium Falcon.

I really like the deep purple of this yarn.  It looks very royal.  Tony likes it too.

Vacation thrifting

I went thrifting with sis while I was back in Ohio last month. We found not one...not two...not three...but FOUR cashmere sweaters. A pretty great find, especially for the middle of summer! They're all beautiful pastels.  I can't wait to unravel and knit up these beautiful yarns.

7 of 12: Shetland Shell Lace Scarf

While on vacation in Florida earlier this year, I picked up some amazing Araucania lonco multy in a great blue/purple colorway.  As soon as I saw it, I knew what it would become: the Shetland Shell Lace Scarf by Frances Goodman (ravelry).

The pattern shows off the great color changes and the cotton yarn makes for a lightweight summer scarf.

Being a bit OCD about my knitting, I worked both sides at once and grafted them together in the middle so that the shells would fall the same way on both sides.

Lest ye be questioning if this counts for the challenge, the finished scarf (we'll call it a "stole") comes in at a generous 12 inches wide and really does lay more like a shawl than a scarf.

4 of 12: Something Borrowed

Now that the gift has been given, I can reveal my fourth shawl of 2012: Something Borrowed by Kathy Lang. 

For Gram's 80th birthday, I had the idea of a diamond theme: the April birthstone.  There don't seem to be traditional birthday gifts, but diamond is also the 80th aniversary.  A birthday is kind of like an anniversary with yourself, right?

I found a white cotton yarn with a strand of silver sparkle.  Perfect for someone who's always cold, but also lives in Florida.

This was also my first beaded project.  I had been a bit intimidated by beading, but it's really quite easy.  Now that I have the hang of it, I can't wait to start my next beaded project.