Hi guys.

I’m almost done. For realz this time. Just a few signatures left. I was hoping to get one last update to the shop up before xmas, but that is not going to happen. At this rate I’ll be lucky to get everything I have to get done, done in time.

I’ve got boss’ signature on my dissertation and then all the printing and official paperwork left. Then I’m done with that, and all that’s left is getting car insurance and health insurance signed up for/redirected/etc.

In the meantime, here’s a project I finished ages ago, but couldn’t tell you about at the time, and then things got insane.

This was what I did for the Fiber to Scarf Exchange 2009. Basically, you send out fiber, and it goes to someone (you don’t know who until after) and they spin it up and knit (or crochet or weave) a scarf or cowl out of it and send it back. You’ll remember a ways back when I posted the lovely alpaca scarf I got from my fiber.

What I got was some lovely purple/blue corriedale/romney from BlackBunny Fibers. I spun it up on both my ashford and my (at the time) new SR30.

2-ply, spun more-or-less with a point of twist sort-of-short draw.

(Photo by Joe)

I decided to knit without a pattern, because I like torturing myself, or something. Also, I’m really poor at following patterns.

So I designed this pattern, though I’m fairly certain it’s been done before by others. It’s essentially just a 3×3 diagonal rib (not a cabled diagonal like koolhaus or the like). I liked the effect, and think it came out pretty well. It scrunches nicely.

(Photo by Joe)

Here it is on me before I sent it out…

Then I sent it to the awesome QueerJoe (who’s fiber it was, and who took the better photos you’ve seen here)

And he loved it. Thank goodness. I’m always worried when crafting for other people.

Ok, back to forms.

~The Gnome