The Parasol Socks are Done!

I finished the Parasol Socks - Kay's design! Wahoo! I used Fleece Artist merino - I was thrilled that I had a skein of the yarn recommended by the designer! My socks are fairly dark in color, so it may be hard to really see the design. If you "click" on "Parasol Socks" above, it will take you to Kay's free pattern page and you can see what the socks look like in a lighter color.

Anyhow, here's a shot from the side on the stairs as well as a "self-portrait" of the front....it looks like I got my left sock on a bit crooked.....oh, well.










Other Knitting:
I've managed to complete another repeat (6 rows) of "Budding Lace 2" section of the Swallowtail Shawl for a total of 10 repeats. I need a total of 14 repeats for that, so I'm almost there. I'm up to 147 stitches on the needles and I just attached my second skein using my favorite "join" - the "Russian Join". Then, it will be on to the next section of the shawl - "Lily of the Valley Border 1".

I also completed the first sock of the "Sweater Socks" by Blue Sky Alpaca. They are cozy bedsocks that are a bit longer than my usual socks and have a "half cable" pattern. I'm using Plymouth's Suri Merino (white) instead of the Blue Sky Alpaca Merino. They knit up VERY fast as you only cast on 40 stitches and are knitting on size 5's! This satisfies my occasional need for "instant gratification".

Spinning:
The weather has been absolutely gorgeous the past 2 days, so I've spent a bit of time spinning some white Blue Faced Leicester on my deck - in shorts and a tank top! Yes....it's not even the middle of March, but with the temps in the mid 70's and low 80's, it was just too tempting. Finally, after dinner, I'll be joining several of my spinning buddies for even more spinning!