Visible Change.

5 rounds will do that.

The feathers grows taller and narrower, the lacy fan between the feathers takes shape, too. What was just hinted at a few days ago, is now emerging. The simple lace stripes will be a open lacy crown to each feather tip. I was tempted—late last night--to start round 223—but resisted—I know better than to start to work on a patterned round when I am tired. I did a round on my socks instead—more about them below.

Two full rounds, in a day is my current goal—and I reached it. If I keep this up--with the end in sight—I will be finished before the month is out. Plenty of time! (I still have to knit a small swatch to practice the hand painting on—it will—unless its a total disaster—become a lace cover to a clutch for the wedding. But I am so happy to be coming to the end of the knitting, and having this shawl done! Which is good, because I want to knit something else—anything else!--I love this shawl—but its been months that I have been knitting it!

I had a bit of an adventure in round 221—a stitch--one of the center decreases on a feather-- dropped. And down it went for 5 rounds! 2 double increases undone! It was a heart stopper—for a moment. But I recovered. It's a long way back to the life line--(though the center of the feather would/could only drop to be base of the eye). I will get 2 more rounds done today--the patterned round in the day time, the plain, tonight.

Likely, I will skip work on Sunday—I can't get two rounds AND the crossword puzzle done—and I want to try to get the puzzle done. I got almost every cross done this week—Last night I picked up the magazine to discard it—and one last glance and the answer (a pun) came to me, and I just about did a hand to forehead slap for not seeing it before now! Now its done—save that 2 words are missing vowels—None seem to make sense--or I don't understand the clue. Which is quite possible as one is a sports reference—and I am not good at sports—and don't always have the required vocabulary, either. But I don't mind—the Sunday NYTimes puzzle isn't the hardest puzzle (though some think it is) but I am happy when I get most of it done.

The socks are turning out to be very plain ones—pretty yarn, and an attempt at a scalloped border at the cast on edge(cuff) that didn't end up as nice as I had hoped. I thought about a stitch pattern, but couldn't settle on any one I really liked. Besides, the yarn is pretty busy—stocking knit is just fine.