Knitting and Knitting

I'll have to get model shots of the cowl/hood, since the way it works both ways is part of its appeal, but it is washed and drying, and looking lovely, if I do say so myself.

This is before washing. It measured 17 inches long, and 14-15 wide.

Washed and pinned out, it measured 18 long, and about 17 wide.

So it grew a little. I took the pins out after a bit, as it was more important to me to be able to move it than stretch it. Right now it's still damp, and is 17-18 long and 15-17 wide (it flares a bit at the bottom, which was intentional.). Not a lot of change, and what matters is how it fits. Which was good before washing, and should be fine after.

Some close-ups:

I do like the way that looks. Though the yarn looks good even in plain.

Pattern: Ombre Cowl Hood, with mods. Simple but helpful.
Yarn: Grinning Gargoyle Mink Lace, held double. Love this yarn!

With that done, I was itching to start something new, specifically the Farfalla shawl with the yarn I bought a few weeks ago. I went to wind the skeins last night, and had trouble with the first one; I got it on the swift fine, but there were a few tangles that I couldn't figure how to undo, which needed to happen in order to use the ball winder. So I just decided to wind it by hand off the swift, and although that worked fine, holy cow does that take forever! Thanks again for the swift and ball winder, Mum, I (still) love them! (That was 2008, wow. I use them more and more as time goes on.)

It did get wound eventually, oh my aching back. Close to the end, I came across a little knot, so I cut it out and wound the remainder on the ball winder, meaning that the yarn looks like this:

When I put the other hank on the swift, I was nervous, but it had no problems, and was done woosh.

I'm glad it was the first one that was the problem, and not the other way around. It made me really appreciate the tools, this way.

Today I cast on the shawl. It's such an interesting design! You start with the center section, which is done end to end, and has to increase evenly on one side, and unevenly on the other. Which means it goes like this:

This is going to be fun.