Aha Moment ~ guest blogger Liz

I’m a latecomer to this group, but saw the knit-along last week and decided to ignore the mound of tote bags filled with works in progress (that I navigate like an obstacle course all over my house and in my closet) and jump in.  Any excuse to buy new yarn!

I ordered some yarn from Webs Yarn and my package was waiting for me last night when I returned home from work.  I didn’t splurge for this project, as I felt a bit guilty about a couple of big items I’m in the throes of making (where I’m using copious amounts of Rowan and Noro yarn), but I did find some Cascade fingering weight yarn that is inexpensive and should make a pretty shawl.

I used my ball winder on one skein last night and decided to attack the project.  After about a half an hour staring numbly at the neck chart with no idea what to do and experiencing a bit of low self-esteem when I read several posts on Ravelry by women who’d made this project and discussed how easy it was to knit up, I had an epiphany and suddenly the schemata made sense.  I knit 20 rows of the neck and one or two of the body.

I do like this design.  It’s complex enough to keep my interest, but isn’t one of those uber challenging patterns that I am only able to attack in the summer and fall--when my brain isn’t completely depleted of the capability to process simple information--as it typically is at the end of the school year.  (I teach high school English and by the end of second semester--after months of dealing with teenagers--I’m quite proud to simply be getting dressed in somewhat matching clothes and regularly attending class with some semblance of a lesson prepared for each day). 

Looking forward to working on this shawl this coming weekend. 

I need to get another set of size 6 needles, so I don't have to switch back and
forth between projects.