What's Next

First things first, I finished the Baby Pinwheel Blanket last night while watching Bones! Good thing too, my girlfriend had her daughter Sunday night (technically Monday morning). I don't know when I'll be able to actually give it to her, but at least it's done.


OK, so clearly I went overboard with this thing. Seriously, as you can see, it would make a very suitable lap afghan. When I finished binding it off, I held it up and the sheer size of it sort of threw me. I don't think I realized what 600 stitches actually meant in terms of size.


Oh well, it's soft and the colours are fun and it's done. Time to move on!

I finally received my beads from the Bead Wrangler yesterday (it didn't take that long really, I'm just impatient), and I was somewhat disappointed with what I got. The colours I selected just don't seem to "go" with the lace I wanted to pair them with. What do you think? (the second photo is closer to the actual colour)


I really thought I had made the best selection based on what was on the computer screen, but apparently not. Now, for those of you about to comment that none of this would have happened had I bothered to go to an actual bead store, may I remind you that I DID start out by going to a bead store (Chaton Beads, their new Laval store), and while the colours of the beads I ended up choosing were perfect, they weren't the right size. Nor were the sales people particularly helpful. When I asked for size 8/0 or 5 mm beads, all I got were blank stares.

Actually, as you can see from this photo, the beads I bought to go with Maggie's laceweight (the Sunset colourway) actually work well, and I think that's what I'll use when I cast on for Waves of Grain (you know, in August, 2013). And upon checking the pictures of other people's Mystery Stole, I'm going to try the garnet beads with my Classic Elite Silky Alpaca before I really decide. Even though my first instinct when knitting with beads is to go for something more subtle, many people are using vibrant (if not downright clashing) beads with their stoles, and it seems to work. So we'll see.

As for the blue beads, I have no idea what the heck I was thinking when I ordered these. They aren't even remotely in the same vicinity as the colour family of their intended lace (again, Maggie's lace weight, this time in the Havasy Falls colourway). No worries though, I've found the perfect pattern for that yarn. One of these days I'm even going to get around to buying it. These beads WOULD be perfect with some Dream in Color Baby Lace (perhaps the Lunar Zazzle colourway?), but sadly, I don't have any of that in the stash. Sigh. Someday!

All these projects will have to wait though. I've got something a bit more pressing on my mind lately.
Phil picked up our hardwood flooring yesterday, and we're either going to install it this weekend or next weekend. Woo-Hoo!!!!! I can't wait, our carpet is SOOOOOO friggin' gross. I'll be sure to post before and after pictures (as well as some in-progress pictures. Possibly a video montage.).

I'll end today's post by saying a big Happy Birthday to both my Mom and my Dad (yup! they're both born on September 18th! Exactly 4 years apart). I don't know if my mother reads this blog on a regular basis, but I know Dad's always out there.

Happy Birthday to both of you! I love you!

And Happy Knitting to the rest of you.