Evilsciencechick

Whew, made it!  Out of the parking garage, and through my first week at my new job.  It’s been fun, busy, somewhat boring, and awesome all around.  It was a trial by fire, really, as they threw us into a huge undertaking that while not mentally challenging, was still quite the challenge to get done by the deadline.  In the end we finished in plenty of time, with the recruited help from all over the office (never would have made it without the help) and got treated by the manager of Quality Assurance to lunch yesterday, as a thank you for a job well done.

Yay for good managers!

I am pretty exhausted after this week, though.  It’s going to take a bit of time for my body to adjust from “practically unemployed” mode to “wake up HOW early???” time.

SO let’s get to the fun stuff.  Last weekend at Claudia’s birthday party, I finally finished Kiri!  Here it is in all it’s unblocked glory.

I borrowed blocking wires from Jane, so I should be able to block it Saturday and have finished FINISHED pics by Sunday.  This was my first major lace project, and I couldn’t be happier with it.  Even unblocked, it’s gorgeous.

for the non-knitters, blocking is the process of wetting and shapping the knitted garment.  In this case, I will wet it, and then using wires and pins along the edges, stretch it out and hold it in place as it dries, which will REALLY stretch it out and make the lace pattern even prettier

I knit Kiri with most of two balls of malabrigo lace.  I did more chart repeats than called for to use up more yarn.  I COULD have gotten away with another repeat, I’m pretty sure, but that’s OK.  I gave the remaining yarn to blogless Diana, who likes to make small projects with scrap yarn.

As I’m taking full advantage of my current lace mojo, I cast on more lace right away.

You might recognize this yarn as Lotus Yarn’s “aura,” which I bought when I found out I had gotten the job.  Yay celebration yarn!  I’m making the Kide shawl (rav link, sorry non-knitters), because after kiri, I’m liking the idea of NOT INCREASING EVERY OTHER ROW UNTIL THE NUMBER OF STITCHES MAKES ME WEEP.

AND THEN!  as if to reward me for a JOB WELL DONE, after my first week at work…

my knitpicks package came in the mail!  Goodies included:

I took advantage of their apparently annual Summer 40% off book sale and picked up Knitting New Scarves, More Sensational Knitted Socks, and Victorian Lace Today.  I think I’ve already gotten drool on the last one there.  YUM!

and to knit some of that lace, some lace weight yarn!  It’s a little greener than the pic shows.

47 inch circulars, so that when my sock mojo returns, I’ll be able to try two socks at once…

And sock yarn! with which to knit two socks at once!  I couldn’t help it - even though I’m not knitting socks now, the colorway was called EVIL STEPMOTHER!  And it’s got purple in it!

So that was my Knitpicks extravaganza (all good bargains) and a happy surprise to come home to after my first week.

Because you’ve made it this far, and because I sort of promised you yesterday…

SADIE PIC!

This is wear she hangs out when it gets a little too warm in here - right between the couch and the coffee table.