What to DO?

Having finished the fingerless gloves for my son, I realized that I needed something else to occupy my time until autumn arrives when I can work my Philosopher's wool fair isle sweater--certainly I can't be expected to have all that wool in my lap mid-end of summer! As the French would say--Pas du tout!

So I decided to do a bit of testing with yarn left over from the Civil War shawl and some beads left over from a hat from Grumperina's website--and I'm working on a scarf called "Snowflake" from one of the Ravelry forums. I started the shawl, believing I knew what yo(b) meant--turns out to be a yarn over with a bead--which is NOT what I did--but instead did a wrap in the opposite direction--which created a normal increase on the right side of the fabric when I purled the following row.

This was one of those AHA!-type moments--a different way to increase on a triangular shawl without leaving a hole--interesting!

Still since I was unaware for most of the scarf that it was a standard yarn over with a bead, not only do I have fewer beads, I also have not so standard "snowflakes"--which I am hoping that the non-conformity will look twice as good as anyone else's but individual enough to be mine--and since I didn't want so many beads on MY scarf,well, let's just say that while the revelation initially concerned me, I am no longer worried about it. I'm quite happy with fewer beads! Sometimes, less really IS more!

In the meanwhile, a friend and I are working feverishly on a triangular shawl--she apparently more feverishly than I--lace being quite easy is oft taken for granted--a missed yarn over here--one too many there--and since I had the Civil War shawl under my belt, well this triangular shawl has so far been a piece of cake--a walk in the park--a breath of fresh air--at least for moi. My friend, however, has not been having the same experience as me, and since she lives half a continent away, it's difficult to just drop by and take a peek at what's happened so far and show her what to do to fix matters.

Enter in the Blackberry! To the rescue!

I take videos and send them to her. I chat with her about it daily. She has ripped it back to the lifeline--well enough times that I finally scanned the instructions to fixing the missed (or extra) yarn over--and now, she is speeding right along--of course without me--as I am on the road at the moment keeping scintillating conversation going while my husband does his errands and I pick up a few things from the grocery store.

So while I did bring along a pair of socks to knit on--well, I'm just not knitting. I'm riding in the car and I'm not knitting. Horrors!

I have yet to knit a cozy for my Blackberry--I was thinking something light blue with a green leaf and a blackberry embroidered upon it--and a sagging thin branch. The berry done in french knots and the leaf in satin stitch? The prospect sounds pretty neat to me! At least in my mind's eye anyway.

And that will be my next new "creation". Where might I find the proper yarn and then find the cash to buy it?

The world may never know.