Bits and Bobs

Happy May Everyone!
Today here in my part of Colorado the weather is great. The sun is shinning and the birds are singing, it's a great day to be outside and so right now I am. Gotta love technology.
In this post I am sharing the progress of the Paca Shawl, a new project and a sock knitting tip.

I received the yarn for the Paca Shawl last Monday. I am very pleased with the color. It is not as dark as the burnt oranges I've worked with in the past and I welcome this change.

Just this morning I decided not to put the owls in this shawl. Even though it has a fall idea in the background I think it is time to move on from the owls. I've used them twice already in soon to be released design patterns. Below is a picture of what I'm thinking for the border. That's as far as I have gotten.

This pattern is from a book of Estonian lace patterns. The needle is a US size 4. I'm hoping to cast on this afternoon. The center will not have nupps in it, I know that much already.

Now for the reason of placong the Knit Picks order to begin with. I wanted the book "Knitting without Tears" by Elizabeth Zimmerman so that I could follow the instructions on gauge to make an adult surprise jacket. The book was on sale and so I thought I'd glace at alpaca lace yarn colors and the orange was on sale. Anyway the surprise jacket will be for me. I first have to spin the yarn. I will be spinning the lamb fleece from my sheep Chloe.

Here is the fleece washed but needing sorted.

Here is a close up of some of thr darker parts. I love the crimp. 

Chloe is a Shetland Rambouillet X.

Here I have sorted the fleece into three different shades.

I will spin the yarn on one of my traditional spinning wheels. I looking for a 3 ply dk. Havent decided how I'm going to use the different colors yet. Begote I can do that I have to finish processing the wool. It needs to be picked and carded. There is still vm and I want asuch of that gone as possible.

While working on my Blueberry Waffle sock yesterday I tried something and it worked. Someone else may have done this before me but I've never seen it. When starting the decreases for the instep I placed a stitch marker 2 stitches less than my number of needed stitches. For example on my needle one,  which is half the bottom of the sock and the left instep, because I'm a lefty knitter, I knit 16 sts, pm, k to the last 3, ssk, k 1. After I have completed all my decrease rnds there will be just 2 sts remaining to the right of the sm. I now have the 18 sts I need. On needle 4 I worked k 1, k2tog, k until 16 sts remain, pm, k 16. I was very glad it worked. No more counting! below is a picture of my sock with the markers in place. 

The Storm Trooper is on needle 4 and Darth is on needle 1.

That is all I havr for right now. Hope it was enjoyable and helpful. 

Keep stitching no matter the weather!