such a small thing

So, most folks know that I have been working on this:

pooooorch!

off and on with my Dad for the last 6 weeks.  Things got around weather, obligation, illness... y'know, life.  It was cold, hard, intense work.  My Dad and I spent the weeks off recovering from wind-burn. 

On the 24th, my Mom and Dad came over.  My Mom watched the bean so Dad and I could put up the skirt below the porch and close in the last 6 foot space that allowed air to freeze my pipes.  We worked steadily from 9AM until 1:45 AM.  We were at the very end of the project, getting ready to go inside for the lunch I'd prepared and baked that morning. 

The observant among us will have noticed something not quite right in the picture above.  I was on the ladder, when there suddenly was no support from the left.  I felt that I was going down, knew that it was going to be the last gasp of my knees if I landed on them, and managed to twist enough to land on my butt.  And part of my right shin...  oh, and I gently bumped my right funnybone.  Not even enough to make a bruise.

Looking around, I was relieved to see this:

ha!  metal fatigue in the support, not bad balance

I know relieved sounds strange, but the fault in the ladder couldn't be predicted, planned, or taken into account.  Plus, I am thrilled and grateful that I was the one on the ladder when it went.  15 minutes sooner, and it would have been my Dad hitting the ground.  I would have been sick over it, and have been cheering that my (now NOT frozen) pipes were not the cause of hurting my Daddy.

Anyway, quick trip to the emergency room shows that funny bone bumps?  Not so funny.

bone in wrist cracked by MY OWN TENDONS.  Heh.

Yep, I'm immobilized from above the elbow to just below the tips of my fingers.

On the other hand (as it were), there was this waiting for me. 

"Ma, I wanna cuddle!"

So, knitting is on pause for a little.  Not long, just a little.  In the meanwhile, I'm working on this:

1 started, 4 to go.....

Tomorrow, my Mom is taking me yarn storage shopping.... for my 3 season porch with no unwanted cyclones!!

Hehe, take that Winter!!

Shawl 9, Mary Mary Quite Contrary

This is one that you've seen a little bit of.  It's a new-ish pattern in that you haven't seen a blocked specimen yet, but I have just had it test knit (successfully, yay).

So here she is, in Misti Alpaca light blue.

Overall shot.

And here

Detail of the transitions

I like this pattern.  I guess I should, since I slapped the stitch patterns together.  There's something simple, but fun about knitting it.  I used rule of 10 for the first 2, and then a 12 for the border.

This is now officially the largest of the shawls, coming in at around 5 feet long down the center spine.  Want to see?

Yep, that is almost brushing the hearth.

In order to get a decent detail shot on the dress form, I had to take 2 pictures.

top

 

bottom

See what I mean?  This was knit on size 3 needles.  Amazing what blocking does, no?

I actually like this shot.

double drape

For fun, I also knit a cashmere/merino/silk one on size 2.  She's also blocked, finished and photo'd, but as shawl 10 I figure she deserves her own post.  So here we have it, Mary Mary Quite Contrary.  You are now dubbed Shawl 9.