Well, the mystery knitting from my last post was the second of my Endpaper Mitts, originally started in 2007. I was impressed with how quickly it was going after I took that picture. In only two sittings I was finished the colour-work and on to the top ribbing. Unfortunately that was the first time I decided to check the mitt I was knitting against the one I finished three years ago. Guess what?

My gauge has changed.

That shouldn't really surprise me. Three years is a long time and I could tell that I was a lot more comfortable working the colour-work that I was in 2007. It's still kind of frustrating though. I briefly considered just letting it be and seeing how much I could make the mitts match with some careful blocking but in the end I frogged it back to the ribbing. It was too much for blocking: the new mitt was a full inch longer than the old one and I hadn't even added the top ribbing yet. It was also a lot looser - kind of slouchy instead of snug. I like the snug fit better. I'll try again on smaller needles.

At least I know it goes quickly.

ps. Katy was the only one to submit a guess so she gets the chocolate but since she used email instead of the comments (and she lives in town and I regularly walk past her office) I'm going to save myself the stamp and hand deliver it.

Shadows cast by a street lamp along my path after work. I love the absolute quiet of this picture.


The beginning of the end for our gingerbread houses. This recipe is so good - they're still spicy.


I made a new batch of laundry soap. I love using this stuff; your clothes come out clean and smelling like nothing. I'd never realized how much smell my unscented detergent had until my sister gave me a bottle of this stuff.


Paper craft tools. Hanging out on my desk.


Friends of ours are having a baby this spring. I heard that the Mummy half likes hats with ears and went looking for this pattern. So cute! 


I cleaned out my stash the other night (do I get bonus points for putting the laundry away first? I needed the basket to sort yarn). This is one old project back on the needles. I'll mail a bar of chocolate to whoever guesses what it is; if more than one person guesses correctly I'll draw names. You've got until midnight (my time - mountain) on Tuesday; I'll get the chocolate in the mail on Wednesday.


I took down the tree (don't laugh - it's not going to be light here after work for almost another month - the tree is cheerful). I got this ornament box a few years ago. It has two layers of little compartments to hold all sorts of things. Most get wrapped in tissue for an added layer of protection.

Pattern: Ishbel from Whimsical Little Knits by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Squoosh Alpaca Silk and Cashmere (Fingering)
Size: Small
Yardage: ~ 275 m (300 yards) or 3/4 of the skein
Needles: 4.00 mm bamboo circular


Here we have another case of procrastination - not of finishing but of posting - I finished this shawl in time to wear it to my staff Christmas party in mid December. It took me a little while to get a nice sunny, uncluttered day when I could get some nice pictures of it but really it was the writing that was taking me ages.

A whole post of "it's just so wonderful" didn't seem like a very useful review but it's really all I've got to say:


The pattern is lovely and well written. Ysolda offers both text and charts (my preferred method for lace) and two sizes to accommodate your wishes and available yardage. The cast-on is the cleverest thing in the world and completely disappears into the top border.

This yarn is sublime - so soft - a little more prone to slipping along your needle than plain wool but it's a compromise I'm very willing to make. The colour is warm and shifts ever so slightly between lighter and darker shades - just enough to make the stocking stitch interesting but not enough to distract from the lace pattern. Perfect for this project.


I love wearing this shawl. It tucks around my neck like a scarf and keeps me just the right temperature. It's  fantastic at making an otherwise plain t-shirt look a little bit dressy and pushes whatever I'm wearing into the "outfit" catagory.