unfinished business

Thanks so much for all your encouraging words. I'm really touched by your warm welcome-back wishes and that so many of you hadn’t given up on my blog. Blogworld and realworld are 2 such separate parts of my life that the juxtaposition is rather strange at times. Blogworld: calm

Realworld :

5 year old son has chicken pox and is being quarantined at his grandparents' (yes, my parents are super).

12 year old daughter is having exams (PSLE) in 10 days' time. The doctor gave her the vaccination shot and told us that there's a 95% chance that it will work.

They're both fine.

Now for the unfinished business. The yellow knitting is my Pingouin sweater knitted way back in the 80s, in need of a bath and seaming. The cream pile at the back is a cardigan crocheted a couple of years ago, waiting to be seamed and finished. The blue knitting is my mum's China Blue cardigan. One front and the back left to knit. The cream knitting is my Sally, only the front left to knit, but stalled due to indecision as to how to embellish. The pink yarn is my new zephyr yarn in ladyslipper colour for distraction. This is going to be the last yarn purchase for a long time as I am determined to knit the stash.

I'm knitting at a relaxed (s-l-o-w) pace these days, some days I don't knit. Trying to strike that delicate balance between the different priorities in life. Sometimes knitting seems a self-centred pleasure. So the other day, when I sewed 2 pillowcases from fabric in the stash, it felt good to make something that was utilitarian. As you can see, I'm attacking the fabric stash too.

I won't be posting again until after the daughter's PSLE, so see you in late October. Check back then to see whether I manage to finish any of my unfinished business.

Tasha Tudor Shawl

Pattern: Tasha Tudor Shawl
Yarn: Katia Austral 6 balls plus a little
Size: 60 inches across

This colour is extremely difficult to photograph and this is the best photo of the lot. I took this with the self timer by putting the camera on the stairs! This is a comfort shawl, and it's going to be a gift for a dear friend in Canada.

Does this mean I’m back to blog? I’m not sure. Some of you have been asking what I've been knitting so I’m posting to show you this shawl I completed.

I can understand the appeal of knitting shawls - when you're done with knitting, you're done. I'm thinking of lace stoles now. Have you seen Cara's gorgeous Kimono shawl?