Olympic Training begins with swatching for Honeycomb. I am in LOVE with this yarn and in LOVE with this pattern. The autumnal shades and the cabling pattern were made for each other!

I also learned to cable without a cable needle, so I can motor through this quickly - 17 days are not many when I also have to juggle a full-time job, and an occasional glance at the housework.

It's a great technique, but I think it would only work for me with cabling that requires only 1 stitch being crossed over another. Otherwise I think it would just be too footery.


And yes, I am still trying to complete Luna Moth (don't mention Pinwheel sweater OK?) - I'm on repeat 6 now. The pattern was written for a DK to aran weight yarn, and I'm using 4 ply so I'm wondering how many repeats I'll need to do, to have a decent-sized shawl.

Obviously it's going to be more, but how many more? I think I'll have to put it on waste yarn to get a decent idea. And then how much does seasilk increase in size after blocking? There are too many factors to consider and time is running out!


And another project, because I don't have anything portable at the moment (apart from a sock in progress which is boring me senseless) - this is the most beautiful ethereal pattern. I found it on Ravelry and just HAD to cast on right away!

We went to Mull of Galloway today - the southermost part of Scotland. Saw four puffins!! I couldn't believe it! I never imagined I would actually see them in real life. Unfortunately they were perfect in our binocs, but too far away to photograph. You can see in the pic above - it's a long way down to the sea they were floating on.


One thing that the photos can't show is the sheer noise all these birds make - there were every type of gull, kittiwakes, puffins, guillemots, cormorants, and so on. We also saw a lone roe deer hopping about.



As we walked behind the lighthouse to get down to the foghorn viewpoint, we noticed that the walls were covered in the black dots...


... of about a million snails...


They were ....


... everywhere!!

Comments

  1. Kathleen18 July, 2008 12:08

    You went to Mull of Galloway- yay!
    You saw puffins - yay yay!
    Puffins are the best, oh well, it's a close run thing with them and lemurs, but you being a bird enthusiast....
    I'll probably be at that very lighthouse this very Wednesday, all being well.
    Glad you had a successful visit.
    Lucky you seeing puffins- they're much smaller than you expect, aren't they?x K

    ReplyDelete
  2. sienna18 July, 2008 23:43

    The snail pics are amazing!

    (and don't worry about pinwheel - it will be there for you when you're ready.)

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Twelfthknit20 July, 2008 19:10

    Hi Elaine -sadly, I will be fully conscious for the extraction and the implant - the cost here of sedation is prohibitive -all I can have is 10mg of diazepam, and that does nothing exceot affect my balance...*so* not looking forward to it , but it will all be ok in the end....:0(

    ReplyDelete

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