I think I’m back :)  At least for a post or two a week - which means that I’ve got my knitting mojo on and I’m actually futzing around with something simple and interesting.

The following swatches were all done in Caron Simply Soft on size 8 US (5.00 mm) needles.  The yarn is simply what I had lying around that I didn’t mind going for experiments.  Please forgive the fuzziness of some of the pictures - the spirit is willing but the hands are still a bit shaky.  First there was this:

I love the Fir Cone lace and have always wanted to use it in something.  However, there are a lot of Fir Cone shawls out there (for example, this and, in an unusual and very attractive shape, this, not to mention this) and they’d be a tough act to follow.  Also, I felt that the width of the three patterns didn’t balance well.  Definitely something needed to change.

So then there was this:

I narrowed the Razor Shell down to it’s absolute minimum and dropped the Horseshoe Lace entirely.  Definitely better but still…

I decided to shelve the Fir Cone for some other time and went with the Horseshoe and a slightly narrower-than-usual Razor Shell.  This came much closer to what I was looking for.  What was I looking for?  All I can tell you is I knew it when I saw it :)  Despite the fact that this isn’t terribly lacy looking, being worsted weight yarn on size 8 US (5.00 mm) needles, this one really tripped my trigger :)

Despite which, I went ahead and did a fourth swatch, narrowing the Razor Shell even further.  You know, just in case…

When I cast on for this swatch, I thought it was going to be the be all and end all - the perfect balance of patterns and proportions - but I didn’t like it.  I mean it’s okay, nothing wrong with it.  But the third one’s the charm.

Should have known :)

Remember the dyed Sockotta yarn from back in February?  I wasn’t awfully happy with the green color and so had stashed it in the closet to ripen for a bit.  And what do you know?  When I retrieved it last week, it had blossomed into the most beautiful Jade you can imagine!  Amazing what a couple of month’s distance can do :)

I can’t tell you how much fun I’m having with this :)  This is fingering weight (sock yarn - doh!) on size 6 US (4.25 mm) needles.  I’m into the second ball and have just joined a longer cable - thank goodness for Knitpicks Options needles!  I don’t know what I ever did without them :)

Of course I don’t expect to be finished with this for quite a while yet, being only a half-fast knitter :)  But it’s so nice to be able to knit again!

And to want to.

I’m going to open up Chatters on Saturday evening.  I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed it and missed chatting with you all.  I’ll post the banner later in the week.