Nearly Done

The Heirloom Shawl is almost done. Little snowdrops are appearing in the border. This was something of a surprise to me, what with no chart and only that one picture from the pattern. Only about 10 more rows to go. There are 605 stitches on the needle, so progress is not swift.

Slow progress at this stage suits me, though. I often knit like a maniac on a large project until I'm within sight of the finishing post and then I slow right down. I do the same thing when I'm reading a really good book, I want to finish it but I don't want to finish it. With the knitting I think it's something to do with the way a project changes from being a WIP - it's all mine and I'm in charge - to being an FO - it's out there for all to see and somehow it's not "mine" anymore.

The result of this is that I often slip in a small project in the final stages of a larger project. I made the Kokopelli Bag:



in the final stages of the first "Frost and Ice" shawl:



Kokopelli Bag designed by Teva Durham, pattern in Interweave Knits Summer '03. Made using Rowan Kid Classic and 9mm Addi needles.

Frost and Ice Shawl designed by Sharon Miller at Heirloom Knitting, part of the Simply Stunning Collection. Made using Rowan Kidsilk Haze on 4.5mm needles.

So maybe I'm coming to the "Let's do a small project to put off the end" stage.

So what small project will it be? Maybe a scarf, maybe another bag? Hmm.

Best quote I heard all week-end:

"Taking LSD is like going to Stratford on Avon, you only have to do it once" John Peel, quoted by Andy Kershaw in a programme on BBC Radio 3 but heard by me on BBC Radio 4's "Pick of the Week".

I live about 5 miles south of Stratford, and, quite frankly, wouldn't care if I never went there again. (Though the RSC isn't bad.)