The Lull Before the Storm

The Shawl
The shawl is finished and the pattern written. It is washed and blocked. It's picture has been taken more than once. The hardest part of the pattern was showing how to connect the motifs, which are picked up from previous ones. I finally got the diagram done and scanned into the computer. It took hours to clean up the image and add colored lines to replace the black ones. Actually the clean-up process was what took forever.

Naming it took at least as long as the graphics and graphics planning. The shawl was completely finished and I still didn't have a name. Finally someone said twirling, swirling which led me to dance. That led me to waltz. I looked on Ravelry to see how many dance/waltz names there were. A melody was running through my head! La Valse! I thought it was by Debussy, but it's not. Google to the rescue! It's by Ravel. I even listened to some u-tube versions to confirm that I had the correct melody.

Delivery is Friday or Saturday.

More Knitting
I'm trying to finish the entrelac sock pair by the end of the month. The recipient has changed. I planned it for my sister, but her feet are too small to fit the sock. I enjoy entrelac, but I'm ready to have at least one sock finished. It keeps getting pushed aside for things like the shawl.

There will be an afterthought heel. The waste yarn for that doesn't show in the picture. I'm almost to the toe.

The real fun is just starting. In January, I agreed to sell a sock pattern to Plymouth Yarns. Of course, I have to knit it up in their yarn. The yarn arrived today. Can I get the socks to them by Mar. 25? No I can't! I'll e-mail a picture of the progress, so they can show it at their sales meeting. The pattern is written. The original pair went to DGD Luci. I'll need to reword the pattern a little, but the hard work is done.

I've agreed to design wrist warmers for Oasis yarns for delivery by Apr. 4. Have yarn. Need to research stitch patterns and start. Luckily it will go quickly in worsted weight yarn.

Saturday I got a call from a book publisher who received a baby sweater proposal from me. It fits right into a book they're doing. Can I knit it by May 7? The e-mail arrived last night with yarn information and I called this morning. Again, the pattern work is done, but I need to reknit the sweater.

I also committed to design another shawl for Oasis by early June.
Knit, Knit, knit!!

Things are also getting busy at work. Prom dresses loom. At least it's starting to look like Spring around here. Leaves are pushing out of the ground. I had a brilliant idea last Spring. I never get bulbs planted in the fall, so I bought pots of flowers to brighten my shop and when the blooms were done, I put the bulbs in the ground. They're coming up this year. I have a new pot of tulips in the shop. Tulips in this area need constant renewing, so I can do this every year, if I want to.