this and that...

I finished Ishbel last night.  It was nice to finish a project all the way and be able to have a destination all planned out for it!  I agreed to knit Ishbel as a KAL with a lace knitting group in Portland.  Another shawl I told myself, I never will wear this, why am I knitting it?  Because Farrah asked me to and it is nice to be part of a bigger project.  Close to completion I was invited to a colleagues retirement, moving, last day of work party!  I thought, wow, I have this beautiful knitting lacy shawl and Sheri always admires my knitted items, this is perfect.  I will give it to Sheri as a retirement, moving, last day of work gift.  I know she will enjoy it and wear it!  So, I madly cast off last night, soaked the little number and blocked it out.  It dried incredibly fast.  I took several photo's of it with the light changing in my house.  It is not the best light but I like it!  It is all wrapped and ready to give to Sheri today at her party!

I really enjoyed knitting this one!
When I was done blocking this shawl I was pumped up to start my next project and work on some stash busting (maybe because I just ordered 13 skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca for a sweater project, EEEK).  I quickly set up the swift and ball winder and created 4 lovely balls of Cascade 220 Superwash for a second Wicked Sweater (see this post for previous Wicked I knit).

I think that this is going to be a lovely fall sweater and I am going to try to make a 3/4 sleeve on it.  It really depends on my yarn and how much I can get out of these 4 skeins...

 

I also wound up one skein of my new Madelinetosh Prairie in Mourning Dove that I purchased to make Pia.  I will work on swatching this in my "spare time".

 

(Interweave Knits)

Other items on my list...

Reading:  I just finished my book by Kathy Reichs and was excited to do so because I have been itching to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I started as soon as I finished the other.  I have heard good things about this book and I am super excited to finish so I can watch the foreign film based on the book (subtitled) and will be eagerly awaiting the American movie that they are casting for currently.

Mood:  I am feeling pretty good.  I started to log my food using Weight Watchers Point System (on my own) and have lost 5 pounds.  I am ready to loose the remaining 35.  I have been getting up in the morning for walking and strength training with my neighbor.  I am happy to report that today is the FIRST day since starting to exercise that I have NOT gone back to bed only to rush getting ready and to work on time (sort of on time).

Weather:  We will just drop it there.  What weather.  Alaska has been weird, wet and dark this summer.  I am praying for an Indian Summer!