Bad Zoot, Naughty Zoot and some startitis is catching

So I'm a really naughty blogger. I've been so busy trying to get ready for the summer-cotton knits y'all, I'm just saying-that I haven't had time to blog. Really. Between trying to get ready for a class that didn't fill and had to be canceled, finishing my article re-writes, getting ready for Spain, and spinning a bit...well, you see how blogging kinda fell down and hurt itself. But here I am. By the way, Mom lurved her stole and apparently wore it everywhere when she went to visit my FABULOUS sister. So, here are some of the many many things I've been up to recently:

The Cap Shawl, in Victorian Lace Today, in laceweight merino, needles: Addi Turbo Lace #2:
My version of the Wing O' The Moth Stole. I was trying to make up my own lace pattern that looked like autumn leaves and ended up mimicking (entirely unintentionally) Anne's fine pattern. There are some differences, she uses fir cone, I used fern; she placed a double reverse stockinette between the rose leaves, I put a yo/k2tog there; and I will probably do a slightly different edging. But other than that they are really really similar. Eerily so. But I think I have achieved my desired look. Yarn: Zitron Trekking Handart in Feuerland 501, 2 skeins. It blew my mind all skeined up. I originally bought it for a Lady Eleanor, but didn't like it at all, so I frogged and did this instead:

I'm starting a cotton sweater for Spain, using yet again the Cosmicpluto top down raglan cardi. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this pattern, but I'm going to do a knitted-on button band for added strength on the collar. It tends to sag too much for my taste otherwise. Yarn: Valley Yarns Noho cotton flake in Iris. This is an interesting yarn to knit with, it's thick-and-thin mercerized cotton that's giving me both nubs and sheen. I really like it. Size 2 needles.


I finished a really quick 2 skein sock yarn shawlette in Plymouth Happy Feet that I love, but it's too small. I need to add a border, but I don't have any more yarn. Thoughts??

And there's spinning:
Merino superwash 2 ply sockweight, approx. 160 yards. This was my second attempt at a sockweight yarn (who could forget the yarn of much fugliness?) I'm much happier with this. I plan to spin up a second skein and then dye them together....for, wait for it, a pair of socks!!!! maybe these: Vinnland by Becca Compton at the AntiCraft. I've had this pattern queued for months. Some of their work frankly scares me and some of it is so fantastic I want to squee.
So there's my update and I'm sticking to it. We're headed to Connecticut to visit friends for part of Memorial Day, so I won't get nearly as much work done as I want to, but on the other hand I get beer, burgers and spinning. It's a trade-off with which I can live. Have a fantastic Memorial Day--don't forget that it was instituted as a day of remembrance for Civil War veterans. I highly recommend David Blight's fantastic 2001 book from Harvard University Press, Race and Reunion if you're interested. Stop a minute, remember, give thanks.

Besos a todos y toma una cerveza para mi este fin de semana!