What a week!

This past week has been winter break in Swedish schools (at least in our county), which means that some of my co-workers have been on ski holidays. Which meant that the rest of us who were still working had a lot more to do! So I've barely had time to pick up my knitting at all this week, I've just been so beat when I've gotten home that I've more or less fallen asleep on the couch each evening. But next week should be better.

Last weekend I was supposed to go to a kit-night at Alexandra's, but I only got half-way there when my stomach started grumbling, so I turned around and went back home again. I got to knit a lot at my Evenstar shawl all alone at home instead, but somehow it wasn't the same. The stomach is actually behaving a lot better during the weeks now, I've started taking some new medications which seem to work, but it still spazzes out when I get stressed. Funnily enough, my stomach seems to think it stressfull just to get out of the house on the weekends, as the same thing happened today. We were supposed to have two friends over for dinner tonight, but as usual we had to cancel at the last minute. It means a lot more knitting time for me, but it was definitely not what I wanted. I haven't seen Klara since Christmas, so I was really looking forward to tonight. Oh well, we'll do it another time.

Knit-wise I've worn the Coraline cardigan a couple of times, but I've made the sleeves a bit too short. I think I need to undo the cast-on and make them a bit longer, I just haven't had the energy. Otherwise it fits me very well, and I really like it. I haven't gotten around to taking any photos of me wearing it yet though.

And today I FINALLY finished the Evenstar shawl! I've been working on it since October, so it was about time. I'm really, really pleased with it!

It's still drying upstairs, and it's very tempting to go up there and unpin it, but I think I need to let it rest until tomorrow. It took me about forever to block it out, it was my first time blocking something circular, and I didn't have enough foam blocks to make a square big enough! They're just laid out in a circle, which means that the center foam mat holding the middle of the shawl isn't attached to any of the other blocks. That made it very hard to hold the center still while I stretched it out! But I think I finally managed to get it looking ok.

It's made with almost a whole skein of lace yarn from Wollmeise, and I have to admit that this yarn hasn't won me over. The shawl looks awesome, and the colour is to die for, but it just isn't very soft. I hope it will get softer once it's dry. It was also splitty to work with, and had almost no give, it almost felt like it has cotton in it. So I won't be buying any more Wollmeise yarn any time soon, sorry.

I've also made a lot of progress on the Asteria Cardigan, I'm almost done with the second sleeve. It is looking very good, and I hope I can finish it before we leave for the States 8in twoo weeks (yikes!). I haven't taken any photos of it yet either, but it isn't much to see yet. I'll show it to you once it's finished!

Today I cast on for a new shawl as well, as I can't seem to go without lace knitting for very long. I chose the Panama shawl pattern, and I'm making it in my Chopped Tomatoes Heavenly Infusion yarn in colourway Sister Sister. This yarn is wool and cashmere, and softer than a cloud! It's very thin though, and I think it's a little fragile (it broke twice when I skeined it), but I'll just have to treat it delicately. It feels great to finally get to work with a yarn I like though!

Now I'm going to lay down and rest my stomach for a while. I'll try to get back to you next weekend again!

/ Jenny