Fancy That

Okay, seriously... I'm bloody done with this weather.

It's not snowy.

It's just grey.

No sun. No blue sky.

Nothing but bleakness as far as you can see.

And it is really hard to find the motivation to go take pictures of a shawl when you know everything is going to end up looking just as dull.

So I finally just threw in the towel, tossed Fancy up against the house, and snapped a few quick pics.

And that's what you'll just have to live with. I'm tired of trying to wait out the weather.

*Technically* this is the Nancy pattern from Boo Knits, but for a whole host of reasons, there was no bloody way I was calling this shawl that name.

So, it became Fancy.

Which is a bit of a laugh because fancy this shawl is not.

It's rather understated.

A plain body, simple lace, minimal beading.

Plus it's a DK weight (TIG Springvale DK in Heartbreak Hotel) rather than my usual fingering weight shawls, which means it's a little heavier.

I used plain silver beads because I didn't want anything super shiny.

In the end, I came out with a serviceable piece that can easily be used as shawl or scarf.

And if I'm honest, I'm glad I decided to give it to my spouse since that means I can occasionally wear it, too.

As for my next project, I may have something rather familiar on my needles.

But you'll just have to wait to see that one.
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Tidbits

I really haven't worked on any sort cohesive projects that require an entire blog post dedicated to it, so I thought I'd just kinda show the little things I've been doing and working on.

I did get one little knit project done a few months ago that I just never shared here.

I made a mini me in a black goat outfit!

I even have a lil tail.

But that's not all.

Afterall, who would I be without one of my signature shawls?

Yep! It's a mini Rainbomb!

And yes, I'm seriously considering making mini versions of all my favorite shawls.


John and I had fun with a quick bit of thrift shopping recently.

My faves were these incredible, brand-new boots.

And these two new purses.

We did our annual clean-all-the-crud-off-the-porch and, damn, it's looking so good.

We also discovered some new residents on said porch when we were cleaning. We're now playing host to a hive of carpenter bees.

If you look closely, there's one on the bricks to the right, as well as one in one of the tubes in the bottom right.

They don't really pose a threat, so we're going to let them do their thing.

We've also been busting our butts on our flower beds, especially the problem one in the front.

I ended up with some new color varieties of marigold in the planter boxes.

The left one is called Fireball and the left is Strawberry Blonde.

I also got these gorgeous petunias.

But my absolute favorite is the coleus we ended up planting in the front flower bed.

This seriously is my new favorite flower bed. Lets just hope that things actually grow like I want them to.


I got a fun new book to read.

I haven't had a chance to really dive in much. I want to take my time and really take it in rather than do my usual C O N S U M E style of reading, which allows me to just get lost in the book and process it all later.

What's that? The project underneath?

Yeah, okay. Teroldego has made it out of purgatory. I've made it to the lace section now. I haven't touched it in nearly a week, though, since we've been working outside so much.

As for Cloud Illusions (the shawl I said I wanted to wear to GLFS)... well, the more I thought about it, the more I kept looking at Rainbomb.

Rainbomb is an absolute spectacle and really friggin impressive. I *want* to show it off. And where better to do that than at a fiber show?

Speaking of fiber, want to see my newest wool pretties?

First up is what I ended up getting at the latest pj party, a pretty skein of TIG Adorn Sport.

I've seen this poor loner on the wall forever and I felt bad, so I brought it home. I just wish I could actually get a halfway decent picture of it. It's absolutely gorgeous in person, but was being particularly persnickety about showing that off.

"But Ashtan! What are you going to do with a single skein of sport yarn? Also... they make sport weight yarn? I thought only bulky, worsted, fingering, and lace existed in your world..."

Yes, yes, I know. But I actually already have a plan in place! There's actually some other TIG yarn in the same weight that is going to pair beautifully with this. So, I got my next purchase already sorted.

The other yarn I got was a Limited Edition color from Leon Alexander Yarns. It was part of their May the 4th collection. It's called Eulogy and it's dedicated to our most beloved Rebel Princess and General, Leia Organa.

I'm kicking myself for not buying a second one. Isn't it just lovely?

And to finish us out, how about I show off the LAST FRIGGIN CHRISTMAS PRESENT I did last year? No, I still haven't managed to send it to Lily. But I at least showed her pictures! So, without further ado, behold! The spider cowl!

This really was a labor of love because there was So. Much. Purling.

But I can't really argue with the results.

I absolutely adore how each spider looks completely different and unique from the other ones.

I actually love it so much that I *may* or *may not* be considering making myself a matching one. Assuming I can convince my hands that all that purling is worth it again.

I think it is. Don't you?
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Stash Flash

I realize that it's been a while since I've really showed off any of my yarn purchases. I mean, I used to post just about every week with new bits of wwooly goodness.

So where have I been hiding all these purchases?

Well, the truth is, I really haven't been purchasing that much yarn.

I Know, I know. You should probably sit down before you pass out.

But it's really hit me that I may have hit SABLE already. (Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy, for those not in the know.)

I'm not even thirty yet.

Yeah.

So, I've slowed down on my yarn purchases.

Slowed down, mind you. I didn't say I stopped entirely.

So, prepare yourself for some hot, wooly action.

First off, we have some of Latte and Llamas' limited edition DK weight yarn for March.

 

The colorway was called "Hyrule." How was I supposed to pass that up? My poor nerdy heart nearly exploded as is.

Next up, we have some lovely lace weight yak/silk blend that I bought in a buy-in on one of my facebook groups.

I seem to be on a silk buying spree right now. Raineshine was a silk blend, this is a silk blend. And then I kinda fell into a spell at Harps and Thistles clearance sale.

Yep, that's all 100% silk. Two different colors of Malabrigo on either side and some lucious Alchemy silk in the middle.

I also picked up this delightfully squishy hank of Blue Sky Alpaca's Extra.

 

This baby is destined for some sort of cowl that I will probably live in when it's done.

To finish out the post, I've saved what I consider the best for last. 

At the last pj party, the Three Irish Girls trunkshow had just started. I was going to honestly try to not buy anything, but you know how that goes. At least I talked myself out of the $100 gradient set that matched my hair perfectly .

Instead, I bought these two beauties.

The one on the left is Kraken. The other is an OOAK named Under the Sea. They're destined for some sort of shawl together. There's no way I could break them up.

I would say that this is all the yarn porn you're going to get for a while, but the Great Lakes Fiber Show is tomorrow. I have no faith in my willpower.

Wish my poor wallet luck, friends. It's gonna need it.