The vines are gone--and the raccoons and squirrels. I think the latter are expressing their anger by tearing apart my pots of annuals on the back deck. They've attacked one pot in particular with a viciousness which has surprised us-- not just digging into the soil, but tearing out the plants and tossing them onto the ground with their bare roots exposed. I tried re-planting them, but to no avail. They ended up torn out again the next morning.
Work on my shawl is progressing enough to show off. The pattern is my own "MacKay", a pattern written to use as a teaching tool for a beginner lace class. The yarn is Briggs and Little's Sport 1 Ply in Sheep's Grey. The shawl is partially blocked. I'm fond of placing all the stitches of a project on a length of yarn and wet blocking the whole thing in order to gauge the finished size, drape, etc. The blocked yarn is soft and warm and I love the way the mix of heathered shades gives it depth. There was a moment in the photographing of this when the attached skein came dangerously close to falling from the third-floor balcony to the ground below. I suppose I would have had to throw the shawl down too. Good thing there were no passers by...
But the chief news of the day is that Twist Collective's Fall issue is out today! Check it out at http://twistcollective.com/2010/fall/magazinepage_01.php. I feel privileged to be part of such a quality publication. I'll blog later in the week about the inspiration for my project, Sandridge, shown here on my son, James.
