More Piano!

After finishing the first piano scarf I was worried that nobody would buy the pattern or queue it up in Ravelry. Boy was I wrong! It's been a thrill to watch it pop up in queues or to get notification of sales. Each time is like a secret gift that randomly appears in my inbox. It's awesome!



So when Amy asked me to make her a piano scarf I was glad to do so. This time around I popped it into my bag and carried it with me if I knew I was going to be sitting somewhere for several hours.



Apparently, seeing somebody knitting in public down here isn't that common and pair that with something as large and striking as a giant black and white piano scarf and you get lots of questions. I love questions though since it gives me a chance to share a little of my passion.

Sometimes sharing a passion that's not the normal is seen as silly. But that's okay, because the people I knit for come to me to have help in sharing their passion. And in this case I'm glad to take cues from my husband, who doesn't mind being a little silly at times if it means helping somebody with what they need.



I mean, how can you not laugh at somebody doing this? And he's such a good sport, allowing me to drag him out into the sun after a long day of work and an hour drive home to drape wool around him for pictures. I'm glad he puts up with me and supports me in my passion.

Pattern: Piano Scarf
Project Page: Ravelry

WIP Wednesday: Bear Sweater

Knitting:
Mr Bear's sweater is almost done. All the parts are knit up, now I need to give a border to each one, connect all the pieces, and give it a neckline and a waist. Huh ... it sounds like a lot when I actually type it all out. *laugh* Oh well! I didn't want to give a single overall shot just yet, since it's so close to being done. So instead you get a few pictures of parts.



You may recognize some of the colors from various other projects. Dragon only wanted me to use left over yarn.



And to try lots of different things with the yarn.



Reading:

Dune by Frank Herbert. It's a little rough to get into but the story is starting to pick up and move me along. This is one of those books that I feel everybody (particularly those interested in science fiction) should read.

Triforce Pillows

I can't believe I nearly forgot to post about these! Better late than never I guess.



I learned a lot while making these. I had originally looked at these and estimated the yardage needed based on knitting. I quickly figured out though that crochet takes a 'lot' more yarn; as easy a crochet is, I can't crochet without looking like I can knitting . It was a nice little thrill finishing each triangle so quickly as it made me feel like I'd finished something, even though it was a piece of a larger project. And I somewhat figured out how to crochet blind as I crocheted the last little bit of seams that I could reach from the inside, after I'd already turned it.

All in all it was a fun project and I enjoyed making them. Explaining to people what they were on the other hand ... let's just say that apparently very few people I talked to have every heard of Zelda, Link, or Final Fantasy.



Pattern: Triforce Pillow by Pam Gabriel
Project Page: Ravelry
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Modifications: None intentional

WIP Wednesday: Creative Freedom

Knitting:
I'm working on a sweater for a bear ... a stuffed bear. I have no direction on making said sweater, other than it is to be made completely from scraps. So, I get to play around with the color book I got last year for my birthday and try out new ideas. Currently I'm planning for the sweater to be made in pieces and seamed together, with black being the uniting factor. We'll see how that works out. So far, this is the back. I could change my mind though and do something else, or Dragon could ask for something different.



Reading:

The Dragon DelaSangre by Allan F. Troop. It's written in first person which is something I haven't read all that often. It's also a take on dragons I haven't seen anywhere else, other than in my own novel that I've been working on for several years. It's a very interesting read and you get to see the main character struggle a bit with his heritage versus how he's been raised. I'm looking forward to seeing how that spins out.

WIP Wednesday: Think Spring

Knitting:
The Piano Scarf is still in the works. It doesn't look much different from last week, other than being longer. I'm over halfway done with repeat 5 of 6 so it should be done fairly soon. So instead of showing pictures of that again I'll share my current traveling socks.



These are the socks that are worked on in the car or in line. I've about an inch left before I begin the toe. I tried them on last night and I'm thrilled to report that they fit me. *grin* I probably wouldn't have started these now but when I finished my last travel project I pointed Lynn at the stash and said pick my next project. He sifted through things a bit and came up with one of the skeins of Paton's Grace. The other skein is sitting in my purse waiting to be called for the second sock.

Reading:

Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I knew going into it that I probably wouldn't agree with parts of it but it's been sitting on the shelf for a few years now. Lynn and I collect various religious books, though generally not of this type. While cleaning out our shelves I decided to finally read the first book of the collection, particularly since we've managed to collect the first 6 or so of this series, all through free boxes of books. I don't know if reading this will change my religious views .. but at least it's readable and I'm not feeling beat about the head and shoulders with religious ideology as I have in a couple other books.

WIP Wednesday: Piano Scarf Part 2

Knitting:
The scarf grows. I've finished 2 repeats of the pattern so only 4 more to go plus an additional 8 rows. I'm not quite as far along as I'd like to be but spending the weekend with Dragon here was well worth the lost knitting time.



Reading:

A Caress of Twilight by Laurell K. Hamilton. I do love my silly romances and this one has fey of all kind in it. I've read it once before but not as part of the series, so now I'm trying to read the series in order. This, the second book in the series, is just as much fun as I remember it being.