D-D-Doneeeeee

What a gorgeous day! Humidity seems pretty low, temp is around 80, and there's a slight breeze. And LOTS of sun. It would be nice if this weather held through the holiday weekend.

I've been focusing on finishing up some long-winded projects.
First up is the Swirl Shawl. Knit in Jojoland, can't recall the color. The pattern calls for 5 balls. There are 5 rows - two of them are one motif shorter on each end. Unfortunately, it took one full ball for a short row, a little more that that for the long rows. I realized that I would be short of yarn, but each motif is joined as you work, so there was no way I would take everything apart. So the last two rows are short a block on each end. Makes the shawl a blunt triangle, but since it's symmetrical, it works fine and looks like it was planned that way. Why yes, that's how I intended it to be :D The pattern was easy, and simple to memorize. I was able to work on this during phone conferences and probably could have done it on the Metro, but the double-points were slippery and I didn't care to chase a stray one down the aisle.

Next up is the Hexagon Throw.
Another repetititititive project, but enjoyable. The pattern is Arabesque, a freebie from Berroco. Yarn used is Hobby Lobby's I Love This Wool. One change I made to the pattern, after working one hexagon. The instructions call for knitting back and forth, then seaming up into a hexagon. No way. I cast on 150 stitches (2 less than indicated to adjust for no seam) and knit in the round, changing to doublepoints when needed. I sewed the blocks together with a whipstitch through just the upper loop of the caston row. A good steaming was all it needed, and I did each block as I went along - made sewing up much easier.
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And last, not a knitting project. This fiber from Handpainted Yarn in the colorway Magnolia. Oh boy, I got SO frustrated at first, trying to spin this stuff. It got stuffed back in the basket and ignored. Tried again, still no luck, and decided to ask a spinner at knitgroup for help. But dangit, I was determined to figure it out, so after just sitting down and playing, it started to act like it wanted to be yarn. I have another 4 oz ball of roving, but even though it's the same name, the colors are more vibrant and spaced, maybe even a little lighter. It will have to be knit into something different, or switch skeins every two rows. We'll see...

I think the swimming pool is calling my name...