Secrets

I finished the gift for DG's birthday. I'll send it this week, even though it's a week early, because I kept buying more things and thinking of other projects to knit for him. I figure, I'd better just send the presents before I overwhelm him.

I threw the gift in the wash, to soften up the linen, which worked beautifully. But. The gift came out lopsided. I think it shrunk a bit in the dryer, but it didn't shrink evenly. ARGH!! What is my problem with shrinking? I tried stretching it out, but that only helped a little. I figure the linen will pull downward anyway and even itself out (fingers crossed). Thank goodness DG is forgiving and appreciative of handmade gifts. I guess I should wait to find out what he thinks of the gift, but I think he'll like it, crooked or not.

I started Crumpets, finally. I keep twisting one of the slip stitches, and I have to follow the pattern each row. It's moving quickly, though. I haven't hit the part that increases to 264 stockinette stitches in the round. That will make for some good reading-while-knitting time.

I've also been making slow progress on Isabella. I finished the back last night and will cast on the front today. It's actually a pretty quick knit, in spite of the size 3 needles and fingering-weight yarn. I'm looking forward to the more interesting parts of the front, like the neck detailing.

I was only working on Isabella here and there while I focused on DG's gift. Now I can concentrate on this and Crumpets for a while. Of course, I'm still itching for a sock project, and I bought some Wick the other day.