Knitting Through Tough Times

My uncle, my father's brother, died yesterday. I'm not really ready to go through it here (I'm still working through it in my head), but I want to explain why I found myself going through yarn today, looking for something soft that I could work with.

I don't know if other craft types pick up their craft for comfort (scrapbookers, quilters, anyone want to weigh in?), but knitters often do, and today I found myself winding some lovely alpaca yarn to play with. I got this at Apple Festival last year, and it is like butter, soft and warm and velvety.

I poked around Ravelry a little and found a pattern that looked good, a shawl that wasn't too simple and wasn't too complicated. I cast on, and a little way in, I couldn't decide if it was maybe a little too tight (pro tip: if you aren't sure, it almost always is). So I took a larger needle and the other ball of yarn, and did the same in that.

They look pretty similar (in this crappy photo), don't they?

I was a little surprised, considering I went up two needle sizes. But I think the larger one is slightly better, so I will go on with that and see how I feel about it as I go on.

On I go.