Wrap me in dark vines...

As you can see from the Bobicus medal, below, I've crossed the finish line in the Short Track Shawl race of the 2010 Ravelympics.



I cast on in a hotel room on the ocean while watching the Opening ceremonies last weekend - away for Valentine's with my sweetie. He was very supportive of my Ravelympics obsession and understood my need to cast on at this exact moment! After I got a good number or rows down, we went down to the bar and watched the rest of the Olympic opening there, with good wine and chocolate covered strawberries...

My Ravelympics challenge was the beautiful Saroyan pattern by Liz Abinante, but in shawlette size...



I used Blue Moon Fiber Arts in their gorgeous Luscious Single Silk fiber - the Thraven colourway, and a size 10 (6 mm) circular Addi needle. It worked perfectly - just as I'd hoped. I thought I would need to add repeats on the increase section to make it wide enough for a shawl, but in fact, I knit it exactly as written. The soft bulky-ness of the yarn did the rest...



The season seems to be struggling to turn - winter is trudging towards the bus stop, her tattered skirts trailing in the dirt and remnants of snow... but spring hasn't arrived. We have dark days that smell like rain and I'm often melancholy and dark. You can see that my new shawl suits me perfectly right now. I'll wear it today!

Sensitive Man Socks

I just entered my pattern for the Sensitive Man Socks into my pattern store on Ravelry! Thanks to Lynne for encouraging me to finally write up my notes. :)

Emma's Father

I've been watching the new BBC production of Jane Austen's Emma on PBS, Sunday nights. I was prepared to hate it - how could the two former productions - Kate Beckinsale's and Gwyneth Paltrow's - be bettered? But I actually like it. I like the way that they've tried to make Emma herself more like a young girl with more imagination and energy than her limited country life allows her to expend. And, of course, I like the fashions.

Mr. Woodhouse's scarf-shawl caught my eye immediately:



So much so, that I went out the very next day after the first episode and bought the yarn from my LYS to begin a project to replicate it...



It looks as wide as a shawl - at least twice as wide as a regular scarf, maybe more.

This is my plan... I used 3 skeins (250 yds ea) of Swan’s Island worsted in Robin's Egg blue and a size 8 Hiya Hiya circular needle.

I started with a cast on of 69, using one st on each edge for the edging and making the pattern on the remaining 67. After some experimentation, I ended up with 20 rows moss st and 12 rows plain (garter st.) knitting. I have done this four times for the end of the scarf, and now will knit moss stitch for the central part of the scarf - the part that goes around the neck - then repeat the pattern for the other end, ending with moss st.



I do think I will put the fringe on the ends; I think it makes it look more old-fashioned.



When I'm finished and have all the unexpected problems worked out, I will post this on Ravelry and here as a free pattern all nicely written up and printable.