Ravelry, and update pictures

Ok...so.... You're going to start seeing a lot more pictures on my blog in 2008. And it is all because of Ravelry. There is this group over there, called "Project 365". The idea is, to take a picture every day for a year. Any subject (though some suggestion of fibre related, since it *is* a fibre related website, etc. was made...but it isn't necessary to have knit or crochet content...) any picture - but one per day. It doesn't mean necessarily having to post a picture a day (I know, some of you are better at those things than me!). But I thought it would be cool to try it. :) Sort of like, "A Year in the Life". And since photography was once an attempt at a hobby for me, I still like to dabble in the artsy type shots....

Start date can be whatever one wants. I think I'll wait, and go for the January first. I mean, it doesn't mean I can't take pictures before that!! It just means, that at that time, I'm going to commit to trying to take a picture every day, that in some way will sort of be a photo journal of my life. It does sound like fun.... Besides, that way, any of you reading this today who aren't yet in Ravelry, or those of you who are there but hadn't seen the 365 group yet, can check it out and maybe join up, too....

In the meantime- I finished clue one of Mystic Waters the other day, after finishing clue two of Secret of Chrysopolis. I should be finished clue two of Secret of the Stole tonight - 11 rows to go on that. So, I took pics of MW and SoC so that I could work on them again after I finish SotS tonight. :)

Here they are:

I do like this shawl... I really do. It is looking so beautiful!!! I wonder if I'd like it as much if I'd made it in thinner yarn? I'm using Briggs and Little Durasport, listed obviously as a sport weight, but it is thinner in my opinion than sport. And it is used for socks.... Anyway - I somehow am not sure if I'd like it as much in a smaller yarn... but maybe I would. I dunno....

I do like it. Really. Lots. I can hardly wait for it to be finished.... I'm only going so slow, because of the fact that I am a tad obsessive (those of you who *really* know me can wipe your monitors and keyboards off now) and I'm making several shawls all at once, and because I have four legged help (Mica is being particularly cuddly these days, taking up lots of lap space for long periods, effectively paralizing me, or laying ontop of the charts....), and because lately we've been eating supper later and doing other things in the evenings, so I've been getting less time for crafting sessions....

For this one, the Mystic Waters, I'm using a dk weight mohair blend yarn. It is hard to see, but really the lace holes are showing. You *can* see the pattern in person.... I think it is because of the colour of the yarn on the turquoisey colour of the floor mat.... (mental note - need to buy more of this mat, if it is still available...the cats keep eating them...I have two, but we'll be ripping out the carpet soon and going with a wood laminate floor, so I need new scatter mats anyway.... I like this one...it has cats on it... I wonder if the design is still available? I was at the right store yesterday - oh, that reminds me.........)

Ok, so now that I've finished posting pictures... I bought myself a new toy yesterday.

I had been thinking about buying a smallish desk lamp, so that when the lightbulbs burn out in the overhead lights and I don't have time to change them, or find out that I don't have the right replacement bulbs, instead of sitting in the near dark (and limiting the projects I can work on - not many beyond some basic socks that I can knit with my eyes closed anyway) I figured a lamp would be nice to have. So, anyway, I was at Wal Mart yesterday, picking up a couple things I needed, and thought, well, I'll go look down the lighting aisle. I was looking at some pretty smallish desk lamps (students/teen would no doubt love them) in the ten to fifteen dollar range, when I saw one that was only 20 bucks - it has a round flourescent bulb (thankfully they last a long time; I hope it isn't a nightmare to find a replacement) and in the center of the light head, is a magnifying glass!!! I've seen similar lamps before, various sizes, clip on ones, long adjustable arms, etc. But this one is a nice compact desk size, yet big enough for checking small charts and fine print on patterns :) Not to mention, will come in handy for sliver removal, finding tiny beads, inspecting dog noses (or being inspected by dog noses, lol)

Anyway - I'm very happy with it :)