No, no – I did not rush out and buy something else. Instead, I got a lovely surprise in the mail today – the latest package from my Year of Lace 2008 subscription! And lovely it is indeed!
However, since some people have still not gotten their kits in the mail, I feel obligated to put up a spoiler warning…
… and also to engage in a wee digression (that’s today’s excuse, anyway). So, bear with me for a minute or so.
I know it will be very, very difficult to believe this – but on occasion I do get accused of having a rather narrow outlook on certain things. I can be prone to rather myopic behaviour sometimes, as it were (not to mention “obsessive”, but that’s a topic for another digression). It is a trait that serves me well in my vaunted profession of top notch hard working lawyer …
JJ: Ah, go oan, sell me a bridge, would ye, lassie?!?!?! D’ye actually think your blog readers will believe ye tae be hard-workin’?!?
KB: Um… er… (searching for witty response, then muttering) Ah, shurrup, wuid ye?
JJ: Ah telt ye, stop makin’ fun of the way ah talk.
And so on, and so forth.
Man, a digression within a digression. I’m really firing on all cylinders today!
… but it can tend to be a rather unlikeable quality, or so I’m told.
However, I intend to demonstrate to you that tunnel vision can sometimes be a beautiful thing indeed. The other day I took these photos of a field…
Isn’t that pretty? Let’s zoom in just a wee bit more, shall we?
But in fact, I just lied to you above (and yes, yes, I know – lying is another unlikeable quality in a person. However, I’m Greek. It’s genetic. I can’t help it. Really.) when I told you that these were pictures of a field. It is actually a photo of the garbage depository area of my building.
See? Far better, in this example, to take the narrow view, don’t you think?
Well, enough of that… time to show off my latest yarn acquisition!
First, a wonderful pattern by Joan Schrouder!
Blueberries!!!
And – my first ever skein of Lorna’s Laces laceweight (half silk, half wool):
I suspect it won’t be my last, though… look how soft it is!
And the yarn even comes with its own free shawl pattern…!
But now I’m torn!! Should I make the fan shawl, or Joan’s creation with the Lorna’s?
Help!
Oh – I forgot – I still have this radiant Claudia’s Handpaints in the stash…
I think the fan pattern would look very flash in this colour – perhaps I could call it “Daedalus“?
Yes! Yes!
Oh – but another dilemma. What to do with my other fabulous blueberry coloured yarn?!
And no, none of you can have it. Sorry.
Hmm – I guess tunnel vision is not my only unattractive quality. Apparently I need to work on generosity as well.
Sigh.
Wishing you a wonderful, wonderful weekend – and a happy 4th of July to my American friends. The Tenant Advocates and I will be raising several glasses to you this evening…
Bespoke By Brouhaha 
I hear you on the myopic vision! It comes with jobs that require lots of “attention to detail” and such (adding the and such was difficult because it’s not a precise term denoting a specific thing…). And then, we carry these qualities into real life. I call them “professional deformations” because they are quirks you acquire through the exercise of your chosen profession. A sailor gets bow-legged, a dentist gets hunched, a lawyer focuses in on details. It’s how it goes.
The lace pattern is beautiful! I think I’d make the Berry stole with the Lorna’s Laces and pick another yarn for the Fan shawl. It looks like the pattern is simple enough for a variegate to work, even…
One could argue that the little patch of grass is in fact a field. It’s a very small field, but it is still a field. Now I have typed the word field so many times that it doesn’t even look like a word.
I think you should cast on for both lace projects right away. The red would be a pretty fan shawl, and I don’t know about you, but working with two different colored projects at one time insures that I will finish them both because if I get bored, I just pick up the other color!
I vote for the Berry blue ti full bluebeary stole with the blue yarn. And I vote for you to knit a pair of ultra-fine red socks (for me if necessary, shoe size 38) from the red yarn. Thirdly, I wish for you to turn that green field into lace. Thank you.
That blue yarn is seriously gorgeous, as is the shawl. Perfect for each other. Don’t try to go against fate!
That’s very well put, Batty!
I think I would stick with the Blue-tiful shawl pattern, K dear, rather than the Fan shawl: the Fan pattern looks lovely, but I reckon it’ll probably be pretty repetitive (aka boring). I think all of the yarn is lovely, and I’ve got rather confused by which should go with what… I certainly haven’t seen that Lorna’s Laces laceweight though – I’ve bought the sock yarn before, and it’s been really good stuff.
Lots of beautiful blueberry yarn! Lorna’s Laces laceweight is indeed lovely stuff and you’ll enjoy knitting with it. Mine still hasn’t arrived — fingers crossed the postman has it today. As it is greay and rainy today (with no signs of any sun ever again) I’d love a bit of summer to knit.
I’m with everyone else – use the lovely blue yarn for the lovely Year of Lace pattern.
Thank you all. The Blueberry it will be, then, with the Blueberry pattern. 🙂
Clarabelle, you’re quite right – the fan pattern is ultra-simple and thus could be boring. I keep thinking I want to make another Nina shawl, but put it off for just that reason…
Tracy – smart idea about the two projects at once in different colours. Wish *I’d* thought of that… 🙂