It’s a gorgeous Ostrich Plume Triangle Shawl from Wool and Fiber Originals. Got the pattern, got the yarn, got the needles, even got pretty little beaded stitch markers. So why haven’t I started? Because I’m afraid of the chart. Isn’t that goofy? I’ve used charts in filet crochet tons of times, but this one is a little more complicated. I usually like to zone out when I knit, but I’m really going to have to pay attention to this one.

Also, the yarn is weirding me out a little. It’s Le Fibre Nobili Tajmahal (from Elann), 70% Superfine Merino/ 22% Silk/ 8% Cashmere. It’s super soft and I love touching it, but for some reason it smells a little I don’t know yucky. Maybe it’s the dye or something, but it’s rather unpleasant. I need to air it out, but my little darlings know their lot in life. They realize that cats are meant to play with yarn and that’s all there is too it. They’ve seen all those images in ads and cartoons of kitties rolling around dutifully with balls of yarn, it’s how society has raised them. I BLAME THE MEDIA! Luckily they’re indoor cats, otherwise they’d constantly be dangling from trees repeating “Hang in there, baby” over and over again. So I must contain the stinky yarn until knit-time. It’ll air out then.

I will start this project. I will. Meanwhile, I’ve gotten distracted by the Manly Sweater from Stitch and Bitch. I will be forgoing the stripe, however. And it will be made from this amazing yarn I got for a song at the Webs summer sale. I got the olive and the dark brown. This will be a Manly Olive Sweater. When it comes off the cone, the yarn doesn’t feel all that great, but I swatched and washed it, and it came out really soft. Good stuff, that.