At long last, here it is…proof that I've made actual visible progress on the bridal knot shawl.  I officially reached the halfway point in the middle knotwork pattern section, and…dum da dum…drumroll please…

Half a shawl.  Well, half of the center pattern of a shawl.  We won't mention that there are not one, but TWO patterns that circle around the outside of this one…nope, for now I'm just gonna bask in my half-done center of a shawl.  The edges shouldnt' be scalloped like that, but since I still haven't sucked it up and gotten blocking wires thats what you get for now.  This part of the shawl is an octagon, and the other half will basically be a mirror image of this one.  I'm impressed, I'm still really enjoying this pattern – its not anywhere near as difficult as I thought it would be, and while its far to complicated to memorize a pattern (there are no repeats and its 500 rows long) it makes sense, and I can sense what should come next.  Its saved a lot of frogging from the beginning when I couldn't tell what should line up with what (for a first try at charted lace, I picked a hell of a chart).

(knot detail) 

Now that I've reached a milestone with the shawl my fingers are itching for a new project…I still have my super secret project to finish (that may, in fact, be so secret that I haven't mentioned it here yet) and there's a pair of toe-up socks on the needles that I'm picking away at while I'm at work – just need to find good picot stitch cast off edge instructions (or even just picot stitch – somehow I haven't run across that one yet).  So here is a sneak peek of whats coming up in the future:

Socks socks socks…all knit picks, the plain colors (love that orange, its like leaves changing in the fall – probably the closest I'll see of it this year) are destined for lace or cable socks – I have two great books and at least half a dozen patterns I want to try but haven't had any decent solid color yarn.

The Rowan Calmer yarn is for a Tempting II top as seen on Knitty (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTtemptingII.html).  I found it at a LYS in Tampa (not terribly local but 20 minutes isn't bad)…a little pricier than if I had bought it online, but I had to feel it for myself.  The yarn is REALLY nice…very soft and stretchy, a little shiny but not as bad as in the picture.  I wanted a dark red or a brown yarn but they didn't have any…so if I like the yarn and the pattern I'll get another color online.  The grey yarn is KnitPicks Sierra, which will shortly be a cabled purse.  The pattern is really cute and is free on KnitPicks, all you have to do is get a two dollar canvas bag from Joann's for a stronger liner.  

So there you have it…update extrordinaire.  I also wanted to show you that I'm not the only one in this house who loves yarn…

Now all I have to do is teach him to hold the needles.  

I decided that its time to stop being so down about the way things are…there's nothing that I can change right now, and I hate being whiny and frustrated all the time.  So I'm taking baby steps…every post I have to write one thing that I like about nights (or whatever else is currently pissing me off less than ideal).  So for today…

1. There is very little traffic at night.

I posted a while back about how traffic in this county stinks – well, at night there is almost no traffic.  HUGE plus. (Well, that was easy so far.)

Off to work tonight then I have Monday off…seems I'm picking up regular OT/Bonus shifts on Sundays, which gives me a 60 hour work week but significantly improves my pay.  Its OK for now, and I have Mondays and Fridays off so I never have to do more than three nights in a row.  Works for now (but you betcha I'm still gonna try my darndest to get off nights!)

Oh yeah knitting…picked up the socks at work and knit an inch up the leg.  Small, but something  

Hey y'all (see, its like I'm a southerner or something).  I'm still here, not much to report.  I'm slowly (very very very slowly) getting used to night shift.  I'm to the point where I can pretty much stay up all night without napping between calls, but my days off when I try to live like a normal person during daylight hours are still rough.  Adam has been really patient with me, which I'm sure isn't easy since we've seen each other for about an hour a day for the last two weeks.  He just started work too, so now he leaves for work before I get home, and I see him from 6pm until I leave for work at 7pm.  I'm praying for a big shift bid to come up so I can get at least a B shift.  

I've been knitting too…I'm 14 rows away from being half done with the center of the bridal knot shawl.  Its coming along very well, just very slowly (the center is 500 rows long, cobweb weight yarn and size 3 needles).  I had hoped to be halfway today to show you a picture, but it will have to wait for Monday (and some extra hands to spread it out so you can see the pattern instead of a pile of yarn).  I was on track to be done today but all the extra knitting plus an over-exuberant night at the gym last night left my shoulder pretty sore, and since my health insurance doesn't kick in until August I need to keep myself patched together until at least then.

So life in FL is going pretty well…my living situation is frustrating right now, three of us smooshed into a one bedroom loft condo has been tough.  Mom, you were right when you pointed out that I don't live well with others – I realized I haven't shared a room with someone else since Freshman year of college six years ago.  I'm trying so hard to be patient and tolerant, but when your wall is actually a curtain it makes privacy hard to come by.  Sigh….everyone think peaceful thoughts for me, I need them!  

Next time…pictures (I promise, as long as wordpress cooperates). 

The first tropical storm and potential tropical depression of the 2006 hurricane season…and where is it?  Of course, its aiming at Florida.  I know its not a big storm and it probably won't progress past a tropical depression and I live in the bottom of the projected path, but its just the idea of it.  It just figures

On the plus side…I work tonight then I'm off until Tuesday night.  If this guy gets bigger, we all get called into work and paid 24 hours a day until its over.  Its all about looking on the bright side right?  And if we're going to get a hurricane, work is the best place I can be.  We come off the road when the winds get over 45mph sustained (lower than several routine storms we had up in Rochester) and go to a shelter; we don't go back on the road until after the storm passes and the winds drop.  I'll be ok

Here we go…rain is all on the east half and we're forcasted to start raining Sunday morning.  Woohoo or something  

I'm still here…just finished my first week of night shift and it hurt…should get easier from here on out (I hope).  Adam's graduation was last Thursday and he found out today he passed his state test…so once he finishes orientation at work he'll be a real police officer!  

I finally got wordpress to upload a picture…so here's my sock in progress enjoying Florida (photo idea shamlessly stolen from the harlot):

More to come!  (and hopefully the pictures will continue to cooperate).