Day 11: Brrr!!!!

This post is one day late because yesterday was absolutely bloody freezing (the coldest October day in Melbourne for 40 years!) and there was absolutely no chance I was going to head outside to take photos. Today is marginally better so I rugged up and braved the Great Cold Outdoors (i.e. I took the five steps from my back door to the herb garden) to take a photo of my latest project:

another Henslowe in Wollmeise. I needed a new project that I could mindlessly knit without paying attention but all of my other projects are in stages where I have to look at what's going on. Hence, a new project was required. So that my number of WIPs is kept under control, before starting this I frogged my merino lace socks. The socks were fine and the Bearfoot yarn is delicious but I think its buttery exquisite softness is better suited to a scarf than a pair of socks. Maybe another Henslowe? How many times does one need to make the same project in a 12-month period before one officially has a problem? Hopefully not four...

You'll notice in the background of these photos my parsley bush. Apparently parsley is a bit of a masochist because it loves the horrible-lovely-horrible-lovely-horrible weather cycle we're having at the moment and has gone completely wild. It is enormous.  Seriously - just look at it.

11 down, 20 to go. Over a third of the way there!

Where the first shawl of the year is completed and iPhone photos suck (2012 FO #1)

I cannot believe that it is almost the end of April and this is the first time I am doing this for the year.

I present my first finished object of 2012, the gorgeous Henslowe knitted in Wollmeise 100% in Cassis.

So pretty, even with an iPhone photo!

It's very pretty! It was much hard to knit that it should be, mainly because I'm an idiot who doesn't learn from my mistakes.

Oh, iPhone, I love you but your close-ups and flash really suck.
 I miss my camera :(

The lace is constructed by knitting a row just of yarn overs, then a row of yarn overs and k2togs and then a row of just k2togs, with a few straight knit and purl rows thrown in for good luck. This means that if you make a mistake with a k2tog or a yarn over in a row, then every stitch in the following rows is also affected, so if you make a mistake you can't just drop the offending stitch and ladder it back up - all off the offending rows need to be ripped back. The first mistake I made because I was knitting through a football match and not paying attention to my hands and I missed a yarn over. I ripped back, reknitted. The second mistake I made was missing a yarn over because I was knitting through a football match and not paying attention to my hands. Awesome work, B, learning from your mistakes like that! Keep up the good work.

As always, working with the Wollmeise was lovely and the finished shawl is super cute and stylish in a very luxe way.  I hope its recipient likes it as much as I do :)