I’m posting from one of the computer classrooms at UCSC while on a break from a day-long Excel class. In my new position, I receive, modify, and create many Excel documents. I’ve been using the program intuitively, but clumsily, and am glad for the opportunity to have a systematic go at it. I have not yet come up with any knitting-related uses for Excel, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.
Thanks for the great responses to my question yesterday! I’ve enjoyed the sites you’ve steered me to and welcome more suggestions.
Yesterday afternoon I finished up the Lacey Shrug in Malbrigo. It’s a good fit, and I expect to get a lot of use out of it. I’ll ask Melissa to photograph it when she’s back from visiting family in NY.
Of course finishing one project left me itching to start another, regardless of the fact that I have a whole stack of WIPs. After an hour or so leafing through back issues of IK, I decided on the Swallowtail Shawl. However, I’m not knitting it in lace-weight as recommended; that would be far too safe. Instead I’ve cast on using size 9 needles and Cinnabar by Louisa Harding (color 8). The shawl as shown in IK is actually more of a scarf, and I’d like a larger version that will really be worth wrapping up in. I’m not sure yet if Cinnabar is the ideal choice. It has a high cotton content, so it’s heavy, and the different fibers in the marl make it a bit splitty, but it sure is pretty. With the metallic sparkle in this yarn, I’ll either have a show-stopping shawl or something that looks like it’s made for a high-pomp junta dominated by grannies. We’ll just have to wait and see.
P.S. If you’ve got the Winter 2006 issue of IK, check out the clever cast on for this shawl. You start with a two-stich provisional cast on (which is manageable even for the provisional-phobic), work six two-stitch rows of garter, pick up a stitch along each of the three garter bumps on one side, then undo the provisional stich holder and knit those stitches as well. Voila! You have seven stitches on your needles and a very tidy start for a shawl.