I am weak

7 Small Shawls: T - 196 days and counting down.

After playing with the beads and yarn, I couldn't resist casting on. This means I didn't work on my secret project or my wholesale pin orders. Weekends are made for relaxing right? And this is way more relaxing. :) I often think about that, actually. How many people are lucky enough to make a living doing something they'd want to do anyway in their free time? I mean, I'm certainly not rich money-wise, but I'm rich in so many other ways! I get to live in a beautiful place, be home with the kids, knit, metal work and sometimes I even travel on business. It's Good.

Anyway...back to casting on. I am fairly picky, and I don't like knots in my lace at all. Like this one.

So that means I've devised a favorite little method of starting lace. I cast on one extra stitch (I like the knitted cast on or backwards loop for lace) and then I don't knit the slip knot. This is how it looks, just kinda hanging out there on the end.

When I've worked a few rows and I'm satisfied that nothing will unravel, I undo the knot. And when I've finished the piece, I just split my plies, weave in the tail...and presto! It looks great and there's no knot!

So, as I was saying...I couldn't resist casting on, for I am weak when it comes to beads and yarn. This one is a modified triangular shaped shawl, knit from the neck edge down. I will show you a sketch of the shape tomorrow. And it has beads. My inspiration was a starry sky, and one of the versions (there is also an un-beaded version) has a random - uncharted - pattern of beads in the garter stitch top portion.

I am absolutely loving the way it looks.

l'm also loving not having to follow a bead chart. I just take a look at it and add beads where I want on the row. Without realizing it, I beaded in a little dipper. Hee. I am having a blast with this. But not to worry! For those of you who don't like random, the bottom portion of the shawl will be charted! Actually, Mr. Romi made the point that it isn't truly random. I would need a randomizer to make it truly random. It's so nice - on such occasions as these - to have an engineer in the house. N'est pas?

The kids are needing wrangling, so I'm off to officiate!