My Christmas Present

Someone loved me enough to spin some yarn and then gave it to me for Christmas. Golly gee who could that be. I bet if you go back in this blog you might see some pictures of when Teresa was spinning the yarn up.

It is GORGEOUS. Wonderful. Beautimous.

So I had to find the perfect pattern to set it off. I decided on the Eyelet & Garter Shapely Shawlette by Judy Pascale. (If you search the blog you will see where Teresa has made this one a time or three.) Then I saw the same pattern but in the beaded. Called Beaded Eyelet Shapely Shawlette. It is the same thing (as far as my un educated eye can see but one with beads and one without). So I ordered the pattern from FoxyKnits because I also liked the Molly Mobius Scarf.

I have no idea what yarn I am going to use for the Molly scarf but thought it was too beautiful to pass up. And one always needs a pattern to fall back on when you have totally run out of projects to do.

Fred and I went to go look for beads for it. We found some that were okay but just okay wasn't good enough. So last Monday I had to go redo my mammogram (have all you ladies done that for 2009?) I was scheduled for Dec 31 just like every year and something happened and it was a few days late. But it was still for 2009 and 2010 is scheduled for Dec 31. I might wait until the very end of the year but I do get it done.

Anyway, while I was out I went hunting for beads. And found the most gorgeous awesome perfect beads. Then found some even more gorgeous and more awesome. Now the pattern calls for 1550 beads. This I discovered translates into quite a few bucks and more importantly, a lot of weight. Well I had fallen in love with the natural stone beads that I thought complemented the yarn perfectly. It is amazing how heavy 1550 pieces of rock can be. So I looked again and found wondermous beads in a lightweight wood that were to die for. Of course at $5 for 25 beads that is exactly what would have happened.
I finally settled on some Austrian crystal somethings that were light weight enough and weren't going to break the bank. I think they are looking good. I think I am going to do not as many rows of beads as the pattern calls for simply because the yarn is so beautiful on its own. I only want enough beads for a little sparkle and not to detract. I got about the first 8 or so rows done and then ripped it out and started over with a slightly larger needle. Then I got to row 14 with two rows of beads in and decided I wanted fewer beads so I started over. Now I am finished with row 15 and I have decided that the yarn is thicker than what is called for and that I haven't increased the needle size enough. So I will start over with a larger needle, and do only have the bead rows called for. But this is the absolute last time that I am starting over. Especially if I get past row 15.

Don't you think it is going to be the most gorgeous shawl ever? All because of the great yarn I am starting with, of course. Which is all thanks to the most fantastic spinner ever. And a great Christmas gift giver. And my sister. My only sister. Love ya.