Inspiration

When I'm inspired, the best I can do is to inspire others.

Donegal
First of all, I finished Donegal.

This sweater was started around five years ago. I picked it up a number of times, promising myself I would finish it each time, and each time something more interesting came up, and I put down Donegal.

After seeing the magnificent Fair Isles that Wendy knits, I felt compelled and definitely inspired to pick this masterpiece back up and finish it once and for all. I can't tell you how thrilled I am that it's finally done.

I know that many folks have been inspired by Wendy and her blog. I was equally thrilled when Gina wrote me after reading my blog to let me know that she has decided to "go to the next step" in her knitting and take on a Fair Isle pattern. She's doing Norway, by Alice Starmore, and I couldn't be more pleased to have inspired her to try something new.

This is a blanket thank you to all who help to inspire. Folks like Marilyn who provide a good stiff kick in the ass. Folks like Peter who lend their expertise to identifying plants and folks like Velma and Antonio who bring a level of energy, enthusiasm and funkiness to the knitting blog world.

I have to say that knitting this sweater required the most perseverance of any other sweater I have made. I consistently had to push myself to work on it. It is also probably one of the finest sweaters I've ever knit.



I'll put up a few pictures of me wearing it tomorrow.


Blog Entries
I'm sorry for ignoring my blog for the last few days, but I just couldn't face writing a blog entry that didn't start with the announcement of Donegal being completed. It took me up until the last minute before I went to bed last night to finish it, so unfortunately the blog suffered all weekend.

Flea Market Purchase
Thaddeus has been really keen on going to flea markets lately, so we went to two this past weekend. We always have a set group of items we look for, including any kind of ceramic or glass mushroom, buttons, yarn, needles and knitting books. I found the following package of books on crocheting lace doilies yesterday.

Click here for picture of Flea Market Purchase

It had a price of $10 on it. I looked through the booklets, and they had some nice patterns. Most of
them were Coats & Clark booklets from the 1940's, which made it more enticing, but I wasn't going to pay $10 for the package. I was just about to leave when she offered it for $5. I couldn't resist.

New Knitting
I have a number of project ideas that are either in the design stages, or I've actually started to knit. I also have a few "pattern projects" that I've started which are projects where I'm knitting from someone else's pattern. Since I had to pack quickly last night, I just threw the simplest knitting in my bag so I can recuperate from the complexity of Donegal. I brought a few balls of the new novelty yarn. I plan on making a couple of scarves in preparation for the next craft show I decide to do.

Completely mindless knitting this week.