Graced by Lace

So my friend Jen is getting married in mid-September - therefore, I need a lace shawl to wear!

And, coincidently, I saw news of the Amazing Lace, a lace-along, a competitive summer laciness, a something like that. So I've signed up. And, as usual, I've plunged in full bore.

I'd like to work on (maybe even finish) three shawls or stoles this summer. The possibilities:
a) Eugen Beugler's Ostrich Plume Stole, from Knitter's of Spring 1996, in a hand-dyed, green/orange/blue mixture mohair, seen above, that I believe I bought 15 plus years ago from Elaine Eskesen, when I lived near her shop in Maine. And I am proud to report that I cast on for this last night and have knit a heaping total of ten rows! Ta-da! Which consist of 8 rows of st st, a k2tog, yo, row, and the following p row - about half the hem - but it's lace nonetheless!

b) Evelyn Clark's Flower Basket Shawl from Interweave Knits, Fall, 2004, in pink/green Handmaiden Sea Silk, below.

c) a player yet to be named, probably one of Fiber Trends' fancy shawl patterns, in laceweight cashmere from Colourmart, the color Everglades.

Did I mention that the only lace I've ever done before is Knitty's Branching Out scarf? (Did I mention I made it for my sister's 50th birthday last October? And that she has yet to thank me for it?!?) Did I mention I have no fear? Nor common sense, evidently?

Mindful Knitting, Part Two

Yep, I'm still plugging away at sewing in the zipper on the former-sweater-UFO-turned-felted-bag. It's supposed to rain all weekend here, so maybe I'll finish the bag, even attach the handles.

Or maybe I'll get seduced by lace all weekend. I can't imagine how that might happen, but it might.

Today's Rant

I have lots of yarn (see my Stash Flash). So how come when I start trying to match up yarn in my stash with any of the desirable patterns in the latest issue of Interweave Knits, or in Norah Gaughan's new Knitting Nature, nothing matches? If I need, say, 1000 yards of a solid-colored summer yarn, do I have it? No, I don't. I might have 670 yards of something suitable, or 1050 yards of a lovely solid turquoise wool, or two cones of laceweight, red, linen/cotton, the gauge of which I don't know, especially if it were to be plied four-fold, but nothing jumps out at me as an obvious choice. Evidently I must go shopping.

Which is OK, since WEBS' annual tent sale is next weekend, and the Cummington Sheep and Wool Festival the weekend after that. And the new furnace isn't going to cost nearly as much as I thought it would - a reason to celebrate!