monday's musing

“When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important. It's hard to understand failure when you're going through it, but in the grand scheme of things it's good to fall down—not because you're drunk and not near stairs.” - Ellen DeGeneres

Today is March 30. Yes it is. Today is the day I set to finish my delayed 7 Small Shawls Y4 eBook. I dreamed a dream of completion, but I failed. I hoped to miraculously pull it out at the last minute, but the stars did not align, and I was not able to make those stars care one way or the other about how I was feeling about it. I do have a wee update, however. There are three shawls in the app process and when Apple approves them, they will go live as both app and pdf. The fourth and last shawl is in the process of being (possibly) resized for an additional yarn choice before it is ready for you. And then there is an extra fun bonus shawl (because I think you will love it!) that's a variation on one of the other shawls coming this time. If you are on Instagram (I'm RomiDesigns; come by and say hello!), you will be able to watch as things take shape. And yes. I will even come over here and post pictures. I've been MIA too long.

I failed to make the due date, but I did succeed somewhere else. I have truly begun to enjoy what I do again, and for some time, I thought I had well and truly lost that. The reason I am late this time is that the remaining projects in the eBook had to be great. I could have whipped up a bunch of mediocrity, but I decided to go for the gusto, and it is the best thing I could have done for myself (and I hope for you, too). With my rediscovered joy has come a flood of returning creativity, and it all started with my absolutely having to do a sweater for you all as a bonus pattern. It would have been faster to do a hat, but you know? I needed to give you all something special that everyone could wear and love. 

So Village Sweater Wrap was born from 4 skeins of A Verb for Keeping Warm Even Tinier Annapurna. 

I do so hope you are enjoying it!

I am very sorry to all of you who are disappointed, but the patterns will be coming soon, and they are great patterns. I couldn't do less and still live with myself. So...instead of all the patterns today, here are some sneak peeks!

There's lacy wavy asymmetry, done in Shalimar Breathless or Huckleberry Knits Cascara Silk. This one can be enlarged, as it is based on wedges. I'm kind of geeking out about how the waves line up in the chart. It reminds me of waves breaking on shore.

There's two color asymmetry with stripes and lace (in two sizes!) done in Miss Babs Yummy 2-ply or Dubai Knits Faith, Hope and Love. This was so much fun to design and knit! It was totally play time for me. I hope you love it as much as I do!

And there's a lace edging with a crescent shaped garter top in Yarn Sisters Black Pearl or The Yankee Dyer's Yankee Sole II. I so love the way this turned out: simple but lovely.

Believe it or not, until more recently than I care to divulge, I couldn't harness my brain to work out the edging on this one, even though it was all designed in my head and I had charted it (imperfectly, to say the least). It's a modification of the Sunspot pattern (from the Barbara Walker stitch dictionaries) that turns it into a knitted on edging. I kept staring at the chart and not really seeing it. This is the pattern that will have a two color bonus variation coming up just for the fun of it! That, and the fact that I love this lace pattern. It's another one I am totally geeking out on.

And for the fourth pattern? Here's a wee sneak peek of the unfinished item from Instagram. I could not just rush through this one. It needs to be perfect, Malabrigo Finito is one of my very favorite yarns, and it deserves to be born as a prominent part of this collection.

I am squeeing every time I pick it up. Look at the center cable! It's got an eyelet in the middle.

And there will be a 2nd yarn choice: Road to China Light! I know you will all love this one!

So...please bear with me to wait a little bit longer for fabulousness, even though it is late fabulousness.