...and so on, and so forth

First things first, eh?

A few people have expressed concern that the last of my 7 Small Shawls have not yet been released. To all of you waiting patiently, I wanted to let you know that I am, indeed, working on releasing everything, including the extra small patterns to be included in the eBook. I really am not writing this in a defensive mood, but sometimes it's difficult to write about things like this without sounding like one is, in fact, throwing out all sorts of excuses and defending one's self. So. If I do end up sounding defensive, please do forgive me and accept that it truly wasn't my intention.

First of all, I absolutely do understand people getting antsy. I can't say that I wouldn't be, were I in your position. And really, I am quite flattered that you all want to start knitting as soon as possible! I have loved the project and everyone's response to it, and I thank you all. That being said, I also want everyone to realize that this is a subscription and was a challenge to myself to design and knit ten shawls in 2010. I did not have the shawls designed before I offered the subscription and I tried to make it clear that I might, in fact, even fail in my attempt. In the end, I did succeed, and I think it was due in large part to your support! The whole thing was, and continues to be, a learning experience for me. One important thing I learned was that designing and knitting the shawls is, for me, the easy part. It actually takes more time to write a good pattern that people can follow and then to have that pattern checked and test knitted properly, than it does to design and knit the initial shawl. Surprising, isn't it? Because I have to admit, I still have difficulties reminding myself that a pattern isn't finished when I put the needles down.

Once in awhile, I run into problems, be they with a particular design or just in day to day life. This makes everything take longer. Even when things are taking longer than they ought, I do want you all to know that I work very very hard. I may not always work as smart as I could do, but I'm working on that too. Right now, I am having to learn to pace myself more, after a particularly difficult time. No - nothing horrible, but just basically what happens sometimes with kids, homeschooling, swimming, work and life. :) I know I'm sounding cryptic here, but often times things happen that I just am not at liberty to share, and also? I really hate making excuses. So in that vein, I'm going to stop here with this: I promise you all that I will have everything out to you as soon as I possibly can, and the patterns will be the highest quality that I can make them. I thank you all for hanging in there with me while I am working on finishing everything up, and I promise I won't start my next eBook until this eBook is complete. My biggest resolutions this year? Not to say yes to everything, to schedule better, to take more time away from work, and to learn that I can't please everyone all at once all the time.

ok. If you have read this far, you really do deserve some yarn and pattern pr0n, don't you think? So let's start with the new pattern!

Released today to the general public, Sevillano was part of my 2010 Pins & Lace Club.

It's knit from the bottom tip to the top, and uses short rows at the top to shape the triangle.

It's named after a variety of olives that you often see growing in the wine country where I live.

I'm really fond of this pattern.

I love how the short rows are hidden in the pattern, and I adore the open mesh of the middle back.

It is very easily re-sized, and it includes both charts and written instructions.You can purchase it here for $8. I hope you enjoy it!!!

And now? The yarn! Yesterday, I began to wind that gorgeous String Theory yarn into a ball, and I must have put it on the swift the wrong away, because I have never had such a mess of yarn barf! After a couple of hours, I gave up and took it off the swift; I had this.

After watching "Princess Bride" (perfect for untangling) it was still not done. I finally finished it today on the way to the doctor (#1 Son sprained his ankle badly and he wanted the moral support of the whole family at the doc - he thought he had broken it; Dad and I were pretty sure he hadn't; he's ok now). I was utterly determined. I did ask Karen over at String Theory about the yarn, and she said it was a limited edition, but she thinks she can find her notes to dye some more up. I have my fingers crossed, because of course it has now become my obsession, but I don't want to make something out of it if you can't all find the same yarn!

Today was a little bit of a tough day with the kiddo, so I needed some nice yarn to fondle. You know what I mean? I pulled out the cashmere that Iris Schreier of Artyarns gave me at TNNA.

She was saying that knitting with it really spoils you for anything else, and I have to say that even petting it has spoiled me! I got two skeins of laceweight - the dark reddish black and the soft golden yellow. I thought when I picked it up that the green was a laceweight but it turned out to be a 5 ply yarn that is not twisted together.

Of course I had to have it. And at 100 yards, it's just about right for a sweet little neck warmer or wristlets. A perfect little green bonbon of a project. Then I had to try the cashmere sock yarn. Look at the interesting texture in it!

These are little areas of superwash merino to keep the cashmere from felting. Isn't that amazing?! I love the look it gives the yarn.

After petting, I started winding. Lo and behold. All the yarns I wound were green. I'm not sure how I do this without realizing it, but I always seem to surprise myself with the green love. In the first picture I took, manual focus was on accidentally (I'm a pointer and shooter), but it looked so cool that I thought I'd put it out there anyway!

The second and third were more to the point.

In this one you can see how the 5 plies of that cashmere stick together (top ball is cashmere; the bottom is the tamed String Theory yarn).

I can hardly wait to try it! Off to swatch. :)