Trenchwork

The recent Whose Lace is It Anyway? Knitters Lace Swap was, as far as I’m concerned, an unqualified success. Donna and Ailsa ran the thing brilliantly. They were gracious, incredibly well organized, and handled all things Swap like pros. Seriously, I was so impressed that I’d sign up for a swap with them again and with neither hesitation nor second thought. I also had a blast, and I learned a lot along the way. In fact, the whole experience was such a positve one that I couldn’t resist signing up for two more swaps.

Mittens! Get Your Mittens! is just what you think it is: a mittens swap. Since I’ve had a hankering to knit a pair (I need a small project, and it’s been a while since I’ve done mittens) and had actually dug out patterns a few weeks ago, the timing on this one was perfect. It’s a small swap with just a pair of mittens and a little goody, and the mittens go out not later than the last of October. Limited investment in time, money, and energy, but still lets me get my knitting fix, and participate in a fun swap.

I also signed up for Secret Pal 9, which doesn’t close until the end of the month. It’s a longer swap which won’t finish until after the first of the year, which means that I’ll be able to fit it into my schedule instead of needing to do something NOW.

In other knitting news, Karen of Beadmarkers has worked up some lace markers for me, and I can’t wait to get them. The problem is that I need to wait to get them, and I’m hoping the mail will be a little slow on that package. You see, I promised myself that I’d finish the sweater on my needles before I cast on anything new, and the mittens for the mittens swap may make me break that promise just a wee bit. I know, however, that the moment the markers get here, I’ll want to cast on Sivia Harding’s Shetland Garden Faroese Shawl, or Lucy Neatby’s Faroese Flower Shawl in the lovely merino-tencel yarn I received from Rae in the Lace Swap, or something from Gathering of Lace (which just came in via mailbag this week), or—saints preserve us all—this Oregon Octagonal Shawl. I’m blaming Janice for that last one, but I suppose it’s my own fault. Ask an experienced lace knitter which patterns she liked best and of course the one she’d choose would be the one which will take me a year to knit and can potentially cover a small planet (or Pluto now that it’s no longer classified as a proper planet). If I don’t get the markers for a week, I’ll have finished the body of the sweater and managed to make a dent in at least one sleeve—which might keep me focused until the sweater and swap mittens are finished.

Frankly, however, I’m doubting that.