So, is the heat on?

Perpetual spring green seems like a good idea now that it's snowing ...

Einstein had a theory that only two things are infinite: stupidity and the universe. He said he wasn't sure about the universe. NOTE: He did not mention Laminaria directly or indirectly. It's far too lovely to be stupid and far less annoying than the universe.

It will end. There will be socks. There will be hats. There will be gauge swatches and other lies. There will be sweaters, mittens, and other shawls in abundance.

But what about the socks?

It really is beautiful though. If you're to be condemned to knitting something for the rest of your life, it might as well be that.

Snow in Indiana too. Guess that's what we have in common today. When I thought I couldn't take another minute of labor....it lasted 12 more hours. But it was well worth it and so it will be with your shawl.

How well I know that stage of the shawl. Even individual rows require entering a zen-state in which process not progress must be the desired goal.

Love it that you are blogging more frequently....missed you. I'll read you even if it's only about the shawl...although I think you might pop a cork if it goes on forever! ;)

We had snow too...but it went away again. phew.

Keep heart, It has to be finished one of these days. Just chant that to yourself as you knit, maybe it will help to finish it faster.

The last part of Laminaria goes a lot more quickly. I found the first part to go on forever, as well.

Also, I guess I shouldn't say that my husband had to mow the lawn last weekend, eh?

And that is why I fear the shawl! I've got a hat going, it'll be done tomorrow. Next time I contemplate the shawl, I shall remember your post.
thank you.

Yeah, I think it's time for an update on the heater wars! Might be a nice distraction from the never-ending shawl.

personally, i find neverending shawl to be an almost zen-like concept, and not entirely unappealing. it's a process thing :)

i look forward to reading about it!

Snow.

And you put your KNITTING on it.

I love you dearly, but sometimes this blog gives me a heart attack.

We don't do snow.

Please keep telling us about the shawl. It will help me stick to the "shawlette" I started. I got bored after 3 pattern repeats which doesn't bode well.

How do you have snow already? We're in Manitoba and nothing's sticking to the ground. It was hot and sunny here. I want some snow so I can wear the cute toque I made.

I've reached that state with the shrug I'm working on. I knit and knit and the sleeve stays the same size.
Remind me why we do this?

I feel your pain. My teen loves her wine & roses mitts. So do all her friends. As each birthday comes up, another friend gets wine & roses mitts. The colors change, sometimes the needle sizes, but I've been knitting these mitts for over a year. (my kid grew, so she needs bigger ones)This pattern I used to adore? Can't. Stand. It. Plodding through the trackless Sahara.....

I find that when I'm working on something that looks like I'm making NO progress (in this case, your shawl), if I put a safety pin/removable marker on at the beginning of each day, I can actually see how much progress I've made that day. It make it seem less useless!

I can't think of anything lovelier than pics of a spring green black hole shawl against the gorgeous snow.

But then I'm in Arkansas where the leaves are barely changing and I only now broke out an extra blanket. (We're not turning on the heat, though, except in the case of small children and frail humans.)

A beautiful thing to be stuck with though.

So funny. I looked at the pictures and then looked again and was asking myself if it had really snowed in Toronto. Then I read your last line. It was sorta like you read my mind. Thank you.

Ah, labor. My husband knew the exact moment when I had the "Oh my gosh! I can't do this anymore!" panic attack. I never said a word, but he probably noticed the deer-in-the-headlights look in my eye.

Maybe it will be like having a baby and when it's done you will look back and forget much of the pain it took to finish. :-)

I felt the same way about Laminaria near the end. And then I finished it. And then I started wanting to add the blossom stitch to everything, because it's that addictive. So I feel like I am knitting Laminaria for ever, and it's not the worst thing in the world, really.

Someone stole my thunder.....The furnace has to be on.

I have to point and laugh a wee bit - here in Fort McMurray not only is there no snow, but it's still getting up to 7-10C :D

Come December though I'm sure you'll have the last laugh. The Laminaria is also beautiful!

If you ever finish this, try Aeolian, with beads. Talk about labor intensive! It was 3 1/2 months out of my life, exclusively on that one project alone. It is beautiful though!

Comforting, that - gauge swatches and other lies, and I really like the idea of daily safety pins.

I've started stranded mits and it seems like the first one is sucking my soul out through my ears. Come on, I knock out husband-socks on 2mm needles and 76 sts in no time; I do stranded mittens, but they are all geometric designs and these mits are a forest scene. Maybe it's leftover Halloween evil spirits.

At least we aren't contending with snow just yet, but it's on its way. All the local network news programs are advertising their prowess with major storms, complete with old film clips. Yay.

My daughter.s dog got into my knitting bag and destroyed a shawl I have put more time and love on and it WAS beautiful.. Totally destroyed. I'm bereft

Heh. I mentally replaced every instance of "Laminaria" and "shawl" with "gansey" and "spinning for the gansey" and got a much more entertaining post.

First thing I thought when I saw the snow, "Is the heat on?"

Actually how does the contest work if you are away at Tina's or SOAR and Joe or the girls turn it on? Do they confess? Or just make sure it's not on when you get home?

Yes, but it's so gorgeous looking and you KNOW it will be worth every eternal moment spent on it.
My condolences to Loretta.

That's why I made the shoulderette, not the shawl. ;)

I know this has been asked already.

But you left out an important tidbit. Heat?

Also hang in on the knitting. I have to believe that there is escape from Knitting Black Holes. After all it is my only hope to finish my own.

Snow. It's still in the 90's here...

But that's the way SUMMER IN KANSAS felt, too, and you eventually finished it....years later. :-)

You inspired one of my knitting friends to make this shawl, so I hope you get to enjoy the fruits of YOUR labors!

Well, if you have to be stuck with something, it's nice that it's such a pretty colour. That green is just gorgeous. And lace - how can you ever get sick of lace? (Yes, I may be a little addicted!)

Well, if the shawl does go on forever, it will keep me company while I slog through The Kid's soccer season. Which, clearly, is going to go on forever. (But no snow here. Yet. I suspect we'll "enjoy" freezing rain at the tournament in 2 weeks.)

Well .... um .... at least it's pretty? (ducks) The knitting, not the snow, of course.

So who won the furnace war this year?

I'm working on one of those projects right now too. A shawl for my sister for Christmas, from Sweet Georgia yarn, laceweight, simple feather and fan - 20" wide...I've been working on it for what seems like forever. Wanna race?

*prances around Minnesota looking smug*

That's it. I am sticking to socks. Anything that takes that long is a no go in my books. Of course, I will most likely change my mind when I see the FO.

Now THAT"S what I call stick-to-it-iveness! You're a better man than I am.

I've had several infinite projects. Shawls, 4 ply adult sweaters, error prone projects. (4 ply adult sweaters -- what was I thinking? I get about 6" into the back before getting distracted. They will be lovely sweaters if ever finished.)

Some have actually made it out of permanent timeout.

One that surprises me is a scribble lace shawl out of laceweight mohair and boucle mohair. It really shouldn't take that long, but it has.

At least your shawl has the excuse of being exclusively laceweight and requiring serious pattern attention (the scribble lace shawl just needs good light to avoid unplanned k2togs and yos).

Yours is lovely and the color will be perfect for spring.

Ack, snow! I live just west of you and so far *knock on wood* we've not seen the white stuff fly today... but I bet it's soon. I'm so not ready for snow. Oh, yeah, good luck with the knitting!

That's OK.

I'm sure there will be many small projects in the near future.

There are only 48 knitting days until Christmas!

Have you read the name of your blog? What do you really think the chances of you working on this forever are:-)

I recommend cocoa spiked with peppermint schnappes.

My daughter knit that shawl. It's the incredible amount of star stitch involved that is slowing progress. Now the first thing she looks at when evaluating a shawl pattern is whether or not star stitch is involved. If it is, the shawl pattern will not make the cut.

Who is Presbytera, and does she/he have a blog I could visit? Funny stuff in the comments, every time!

I definitely feel your pain, since I'm working on a lace shawl myself and having just about the same experience. I'm doing Elizabeth Zimmerman's Stonington Lace Shawl and I wrote a blog post about it a week or so ago that I entitled, "Never. Ending. Lace." It's here: http://www.knittedthoughts.com/2010/10/never-ending-lace.html

I'm working on the Spring Thaw shawl which is dumb easy and has been on my needles since AUGUST! Maybe it's too easy, maybe it got boring fast, maybe it was love at first sight and on second thought - not so much love after all.

You'll get through it. Good luck.

Fisrt: I hear you. I'm working on a "start in the center" baby blanket. It's not seeming to get Any Bigger. Am having thoughts of calling it a burb cloth & binding off.

But Steph? Your "forever" appears to be different than other folks'. Remember you were at the same point with the Summer in Kansas shawl --
then two days later, you showed us teaser photos of the shawl blocked out.

So to quote Inigo ("The Princess Bride") in response to your use of forevermore: "I don't think it means what you think it does."

the perpetual shawl may be your karma for the acquisition of this yarn...... :) nah.

Faced with a shawl like that, made in silk thread like that...time to 1) have a beer 2) grit teeth and keep going. Repeat as needed.
However, if it were me, the whole thing would end up in the "return to store" pile.

pretty snow!

Hello...the shawl is going to be beautiful, I'm sure..but I can't help but notice the snow.

Snow. We're here in So. California baking at 90F, and you've got snow? Really? Snow?

Hhhhmmmm.....where does one learn more about emigrating to Canada?

Snow!

You had nearly 4 hours to knit today? That's a gift.
And you chose to knit lace with string? That's a curse.
Knitting - a gift and a curse (hat-tip to Monk).

PS - I could look at your Laminaria every day and not grow bored. Of course, you might not say the same thing...

I absolutely fell in love with the design but was curious about how labor intensive it would be since it was so ornate.

Now I know....Yarn Goddesses are finding it to be very labor intensive. Hmmmm, probably better schedule this after the master's degree is done.

The only lace objects I've every knit were scarves; I love complicated knitting so thought I would love them. Learned the pattern, and then almost went crazy with boredom. Think there may be a reason why I've never knit a shawl.
But I do love looking at the beautiful shawls other people knit! I will happily read about and look at photos of your Laminaria for as long as you care to produce them.

Many years ago, before they were fashionable--long before--I knit a Shetland shawl. I'm almost ready for another shawl. I've got the yarn... Please send any snow you don't want here to Fairbanks. We are skiing on a very thin snow cover, and we want more snow!

It'll end eventually - I managed to finish a Laminaria within about a month (then again, I found the pattern to be extremely addictive and couldn't put it down until it was over, so your mileage may vary...a lot).

Can't wait to see your post of blocking it, though - this shawl is a magical thing when blocked.

Speaking of Black Holes. What happened to the Gansey?

You will not be doing it forever. But it might be a few months. I am making one in a stunning, luminous, emerald-green sockweight cone silk which was a gift from a friend. She has no idea of the company who made it (she bought it on an Ebay auction) but she gave it to me for my birthday. Knitting this shawl with this yarn is like being stuck on an elevator with George Clooney. Or at least what I imagine that might be like. Do you really want it to end?

Unless, perhaps, Johnny Depp rescues you?

I am about 1/3 of the way through. I only work on it when I can be guaranteed at least one hour of uninterrutpted time (like beaded lace). I am dead drunk in love with this shawl. I am also adding clear #6 beads to the border for weight..

I have Laminaria in my queue - the pattern at least, not the yarn yet. Good to know it takes a while. It looks pretty time consuming (in a god way). I like Bonnie's idea of cocoa and schnappes. And to echo the others...what DID happen to the gansey?

Oh, I know how you feel! It took me over a year to finish that shawl and I thought it would never end. But at the very moment I had decided how many repeats of the blossom chart I was to do it seemed doable. This decision also urged me actually knit it. The result was oh so beautiful shawl and so worth the boredom. :)

Is the heat on yet?

Oh man, that snow makes me want to go out and finish my framing project. It does take away time from my knitting, though, which makes it unpopular.

Oddly, my lace knitting is not getting far fast right now either... but it might be due to not having awake tome to pick up needles in days.

There are worse things you could spend the rest of your life doing.

I'm not sure I could make it with the tiny yarn and endless rows. Are you using double pointed needles? I might put it in a bag and stick it in the closet and knit a little cowl, or something with warm squishy yarn that takes big needles. You obviously need to be knitting something with warm-you-hands yarn. Not LACEY yarn. Warm yarn.

But you managed to take beautiful glamour shots of it in the sn*w.(And yes, sn*w is sometimes a four letter word!)

Ah, G.Knerd at 2:42, you have said the one useful thing. Hear that, Steph? G. Knerd did it in a month. No, no -- don't feel bad. It's just that someone might have, you know ... BEAT you. Not that it's a competition. Certainly not. We knit for the love of it. Just... Well. Well done, G. (Everyone else, stand back. Dust will be flying.)

It's worth it! Especially in that green.

So, you have finally learned what we all know so well. You are usually such a speedy knitter that we all sit here in amazement watching you finish sock after sock, sweater after sweater, shawl after shawl in record time. Time that we all envy, that we all revere. And, now, comes this shawl--this is the one! The one that will bring you to our level--we knit and knit and don't seem to make any headway. Now, you're learning what we ordinary knitters experience all the time. So, your secret is out--You are one of us after all!

Even if the shawl never gets any bigger, you will eventually run out of yarn, right? Which would be a fine excuse to stop. :)

But if you had to knit only one thing unto eternity, you couldn't have picked a prettier project. Doesn't help, I know. ("I like knitting. I like knitting. I like knitting...")

You knit so fast, that you expect ALL knitting to go that quickly. I've been knitting my Echoflower shawl since July and it feels like its whizzing past. I'm ready to start the border- already! All those nupps will probably feel like forever too, but they are so pretty!

Love the comment about labor - I sort of ignored it because I knew what the prize was! He's 17 now -

And process - We love the thought of the whole process, but the larger/longer/more complicated things all seem to hit a point where we are losing our minds. Sort of like child-rearing, isn't it?

But your beautiful green shawl will eventually be pinned, blocked, and wrapped around your shoulders, maybe even in time to avoid putting the heat on!

Ummmmm... someone has probably pointed this out to you already but you likely have a MORAL obligation to finish that shawl, since the yarn used to make it was "liberated". Or, perhaps, just maybe, there is some sort of curse that came with that yarn from Tina?

You just keep that snow down there. We're getting the cold, but not white stuff yet. I can wait until Christmas Eve for that.

The shawl is beautiful and maybe the black hole knitting votex is karmic pay back for yarn liberation.

Will I be the only person to point out that in a posting only 4 days ago you lied to this shawl and said you really cared about it? Four days, Stephanie, four days. You can rave on and on about the fun of Post-Its for a conference, but you can't last four days for a shawl? Given the reference to labor, I'm guessing the girls popped out in, like, 2 hours? Send me the shawl and I shall complete it and let it sing for me, here in Southern CA where it won't have to deal with truly cold weather and never with snow! I will adopt it, I promise.

Ok, no, sorry, that was just my devious mind. Rationally, it is just the usual thing that happens with a shawl that gets bigger as you keep knitting on it. Remember...

"For the green shawl, the final 28 rows and bind-off required 32% of the yarn. For the smaller brown shoulderette, the edging required 44% of the yarn!" - from the Knitty pattern (which I read just now because I was considering starting that shawl myself).

which means that you still have about a third of the knitting to do when you reach the edging on the small shawl, and so on... but it will be done... every stitch (or contraction) brings you closer... good luck!

Take a few minutes and pin it out on a bed. No radical stretching or anything. I'm not suggesting it be blocked. Just stretch it a bit and be impressed at how much you've done!

If it's any consolation, it's a really pretty shawl. : )

I once had a shawl that never ended too... it got pretty ugly before I finished it, but it is finished... and without resorting to ritual burning, although it was a distinct possibility when I ran out of yarn.

This is halfway: http://www.mostlyidle.com/2010/06/halfway/

This is finished: http://www.mostlyidle.com/2010/08/wash-day/

Oh yes, I nearly forgot. 23C here and not a drop of snow to be seen. I love it. I've shoveled so many tons of snow in my life that if I never see it in person again I shall be very happy!

Well for goodness sake , I'd be slow too if I was put in snow. Get the poor thing warmed up and it'll be fine. good luck

I'm betting you'll finish it before I finish the shawl I'm working on; I've seen how fast your fingers can knit a stitch.

You've said that before and always emerged victorious. :D

On a different topic - sorry that is the way my mind works. I wonder if you have plans to post a photo of the 12 pairs of socks from the self-imposed sock club. I'd love to see them all together.

And a lovely shawl it is, too! Besides - it's green. What's the problem? :-)

As an obstetrician, love the labor analogy! I'll try to keep that in mind!

As I was reading your post and looking at your pictures, I was actually thinking, "is that snow?", so I thought it humorous that at the end of your post, you answered my question. Here in SE Wisconsin (not far from Delavan, site of this year's SOAR), we have had some sleet, but no "sticking" snow yet. It's been remarkably mild, thankfully - I'm sure we'll be hit soon.

It's still beautiful. Just think. You could be like us mere mortals and working a shift-work type of job instead of writing about knitting. We love you. Never give up. Never surrender! yarrr!

Didn't you have a "black hole of knitting' with a blue lace shawl? And didn't that project have a time-out because it wasn't behaving itself?

A long transition phase can keep you out of your mind (twice).

You survived the shawl with the Knitted-on Edging of No End, you can make it through Laminaria!
(at least, I hope you will, because I like that pattern, and if you finish it, I can be inspired and cast on for one of my own!)

If you survived making The Big Pink Thing, then I think you can survive this. ;) Set a deadline for yourself maybe? You seem to work more under pressure.

And like labour, it'll be worth it! :) We didn't get any snow in Welland. Soon, I guess.

How do you have snow??? I'm CERTAIN I live less than 7km from you... and we didn't even get flurries!!

My shawl (first ever) is required to be at least half done now. Because I'm only knitting as long as I have yarn and I'm 1 1/2 skeins in.

Y'all need to follow the Harlot on Twitter... the Furnace Wars ended sometime in October... I've deleted my tweet record so can't tell you anymore. But Team Harlot did not win this year...BOOOOO.

I like the Green it looks like new shoots in Spring, however I am worried that a black hole this close to you know who date is not a good plan.

It looks like it is bunching up and will end suddenly.

If you can get through the garter stitch afghan for a wedding, you can get through anything...like a handspun GANSEY...perhaps. Finish the shawl quickly so Christmas knitting can commence. No pressure.

Is this the same Laminaria that was going so fast at the start? Not to rub it in, or anything...

Well, it is at least a beautiful shawl with which to spend all eternity. Knit on!

Mary G. in Texas

It's called a Woolen Vortex. I've fallen into it many times.

SNOW!!!!! and yarn :) .....kath

I can see how beautiful it's going to be, even in it's noodly state. What isn't beautiful in that picture is the snow. Tell me you took the shawl for a car ride way up into northern Ontario somewhere just to take that picture. I live in Mississauga and I'm not ready for any of that white stuff around here yet. I recall in one of your books, when you were making the Dale of Norway sweater, you knit and knit and the sweater didn't grow. Then suddenly it grew twelve inches. I'm sure the shawl will be like that too. Keep knitting!

Ok, now stop it! We want more blog entries, thank you very much!

What can I say? I look at shawl patterns. I think they are lovely. I have tons of lace weight yarn. I am currently knitting the shawl from hell in which it is now taking me 17 minutes to knit a single row. Unfortunately, I never have nor do I intend to wear shawls. The mind boggles. What was I thinking?

Do you truly think you can let another knitter beat you in the timed, Laminaria sweepstakes?

P.S. In Sudbury it has snowed a few times, but it hasn't stuck to the ground. I'm driving to Toronto on Friday for the ballet, so I'm hoping for a definite lack of precipitation of any kind.

Wow, that's one impressively detailed shawl1!

Maybe the gansey would move along faster.

Gorgeous shawl.

And snow is EVIL!!! (Had to be said.)

Is this part of your Christmas knitting? What is on your list for Christmas knitting, or have you thought about it yet? We know how you are. Love ya all the more. I have just had to rip out about 5 rows of a lacy hat. I know better than to try to knit when I am so sleepy that I knit with my eyes closed. What a mess I made.

The first commenter beat me to it. Please tell me you gave in and turned on the heat.

It's a good thing I made that shirt long-sleeved. I just didn't realize you were going to need it so soon.

Oh that is sooooo funny ! If this project is going on and on and on, would that put you in "Shawl Heaven" because it looks beautiful already !

I remember that feeling. I think I was knitting snowdrop. And then the edging onto snowdrop. It took a year plus a 12 hour train trip.

Love the color and can't wait to see it blocked. But here's what I want to know...what needles are you using? Straights? They seem reasonably pointy for wood and as a big fan of lace knitting, I'm always on the lookout for good needles. Thank you :-)

I could live with the shawl forever, but s**w? That's a four letter word, you know! Harrummph! And in a blog read by families!

Clearly your forever isn't very long! Wow, it's an impressive lacy swath of loveliness, but you obviously have a different way of telling time!

Eve from Carlisle

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!! It looks like it would just float. How glamorous are you going to feel when you wear it....Especially if you are going to be knitting it for the rest of your life...You will need to keep testing it out. ;) I'm knitting Stephen West's Boneyard shawl...and I think I will be knitting it forever, too....for all the wrong reasons!!! I keep making really silly mistakes....Like not counting my stitches, then make more daft ones when I am tinking. I think it is the Knitting Fate's way of giving me a kick up the you know what.....

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!! It looks like it would just float. How glamorous are you going to feel when you wear it....Especially if you are going to be knitting it for the rest of your life...You will need to keep testing it out. ;) I'm knitting Stephen West's Boneyard shawl...and I think I will be knitting it forever, too....for all the wrong reasons!!! I keep making really silly mistakes....Like not counting my stitches, then make more daft ones when I am tinking. I've not got past the 12th row....and I'm knitting it bottom up! LOL I think it is the Knitting Fate's way of giving me a kick up the you know what.....

Good luck. Shawls, imho, are like the seventh circle of hell. But, then, anything under sock weight gives me the shivers.

Probably evidence of a strain of masochism in me that after reading that this is the unending shawl I want to knit it more...

However, if indeed it's unending, what happens if you run out of yarn?

On a lighter note since I see a knitting needle being thrown my way for that sentence, SNOW! I'm so jealous, we never get snow here.

My first thought was - "why is that lovely thing in the leaves?!"

It is beautiful! I'm obsessed with the color. I would not mind knitting that for the rest of my life. It's better than the 1 and 1/3 socks that are staring at my meanly from under my bed.

Snow! Wacky. Here in New Jersey, we are inching toward that direction. I guess I have to get used to it if I want to make the Canadian transition in a few years.

Which reminds me... What about Joe's gansey?

Perhaps the black hole is just Laminaria's neediness showing? No-one likes a Dear Knitting letter, after all.

I must admit, however, I feel your pain on the black hole thing. A couple of weeks ago, I fell into one, while knitting on a sweater. When I came out the other side, it was 7.5cm too long.

Oh no...the white stuff has found you. I'm in MI, not too far away from you, so that means its going to make an appearance here soon. {{sob}}

Yeah, that Blossom chart does seem rather endless. :) But as a recent Laminaria finisher, I can assue that is does end... and very prettily, at that!

The white stuff made it to parts of New England this morning (one of my friends has it in Rhode Island, though we are still safe but cold and wet in Boston).

We have snow in Connecticut this morning, just a dusting with lots of slippery ice, too!
I love your comparing labor to an endless knitting project! Thank goodness the shawl is such a pleasant shade of green!

BAHAHAHAHAHA!!! The Harlot has finally had to commit.

It's about time.....>:-)

OMG - - too funny. Of course, when you first posted about this shawl, I ran over to Knitty and printed out the pattern, wound some lace yarn in my stash, and bought Signature needles - - then to read this last post of this will be a forever project - - I just burst out laughing. We had Snow this a.m.! Wish I had thought to take pics. It will be gone by the time I get home tonight not to mention too dark to take a picture. Sigh.

While I believe that it might be (remotely) possible that you believe that you might only work on this one project.... even only knowing you through your blog, I think that there is no chance that it will actually happen. :)

ah YES the never ending lace project - those can be ... eye twitchingly lengthy

I have the same thing going on.. a red shawl I can't even remember the name of anymore... I'll check back with you from time to time.

I'm with Amanda...what on earth is it doing down in the leaves? If you don't treat your knitting right it will get grumpy and go extra-slowly just to show you who's boss!

I don't believe you... next post will be an FO post with Slavic men asking you why you are putting your knitting on the snow.

I love Lamineria... I've been meaning to knit it for almost 2 years.

And yes, is the heat on?

This too shall pass... and then you might even have a moment of insanity when you think about making another one. At least that kind of craziness has happened to me once or twice! :)

I'm a slow knitter, so it never feels like I'm going to finish anything until it's done.

We have sleet, freezing rain, and wind here today. Wind that put a tree THROUGH DH's car this morning. Oops. Fortunately, we were just getting up to the alarm, so no injuries, except the back of his poor Subaru.

Fortunately, co-workers want fingerless mitts, so that will help soothe the nerves. Nothing like knitting by the woodstove (with glass door) to feel a bit better. Can't wait to see the finished shawl!

I'll still read it!

At least it's pretty to look at. And maybe the green will remind you that spring exists.

Bits of snow and bits of moss - that's what you've got. One will change into a Canadian winter and the other into an exquisite shawl, as all your shawls become. Keep at it - we love the results because they are art for the shoulders.

You can do it, Stephanie! I have faith in you... and I can't wait to see you gorgeous shawl when you're done. I was suggest a good glass of wine or beer, but that might be a henderance to your project. Maybe you can take a wine or beer break after every four hours of knitting... or better yet every four inches. That could give you some incentive to chug away at that knitting.

I remember you said the same thing about a certain garter stitch afghan a while back, and then you were finished about 2 days later. Could this be happening again? Probably. You are such a fast knitter that you think even big projects should be done before you get tired of them. Now you know how all the slower knitters feel!

I can't believe Toronto has snow before London does. Feel free to keep that crap over there will ya? :)

Cast on three, just three!
Bind off is beginning now
And will never end...

Awww, woman, nothing that good lasts forever. You will smoke this thing.

I will spare you the sound of me singing "We are the champions" except for that most important part,"We'll keep on fighting til the end."

I'm almost done but...
these endless stitches
leave me in a bind!