Abrazo

Lately I've made a lot of shawls. I've liked them all, but wow--this is my favorite! It's called Abrazo and I bought the pattern from Twist Collective. You start out by casting on 367 stitches, then move into the lace. After that, you do short rows to give the shawl its shape. (Here I am, talking like I know all about short rows. Before this project I had no idea what a short row was.)

I think it's beautiful.
Wearing it is like getting a hug!
Here's my Ravelry page with specifics.

Emily, Take 3

Yes, this is the third time I've made this shawl. I can't help myself. It's so easy and so pretty. This particular one is a birthday gift for a purple-loving friend whose birthday is in July. I think this may be my favorite of them all.

I used Stroll Tonal Sock Yarn from Knit Picks. This yarn is great. It was nice to work with, no splitting or other issues. The color variation is subtle but interesting. After soaking it's even softer than before.
I promise not to make another one of these, at least until fall.

Texas Dishcloth

I should have duplicate stitched over the purl bump that represents Houston.

Who knew there was a pattern available for a Texas dishcloth?

Maybe I should design a cloth for my native state of Colorado. Since it's a rectangle that shouldn't be too hard.

Emily, Take 2

I like this shawl pattern a lot. So I made it again. Clearly it's for summer, given the sunny yellow yarn I used. The pattern is easy to follow and easy to memorize.Blocking is magic!

DOT -- Deserted Dog Park

Yes, it rained the night before. Yes, the dog park was a muddy mess. Yes, it was threatening to rain again. But I didn't expect the dog park to be totally deserted on Saturday morning. For the first half hour we were there Lucy had the whole thing to herself!

This sign always makes me laugh. Lucy demonstrates proper "dog use" of the pond.

She's a natural-born swimmer.

Sitting pretty, waiting for me to throw the ball.

What a retriever!

Mud between her toes makes this girl smile.

A note on the fire hydrant: There are several scattered throughout the park. I was beginning to think that was just a myth, the story about dogs and fire hydrants. I'd never seen a dog "use" a fire hydrant in the park...until a few weeks ago. Hershey (yes, I know several of the dogs' names but not the parents' names) used the fire hydrant. So I guess it isn't a myth after all.

Another note: iPhone photos aren't bad at all!

DOT -- Art Car Parade (again)

Every year since we've had her, we've taken Lucy to the art car parade. She gets a lot of attention and many people (especially kids) want to pet her. This year I caught some blue beads and gave them to Lucy. Can you see them around her neck? Made her look quite festive, I think.

I am pretty sure this tennis-ball covered truck was her favorite entry.

I was intrigued by this Bug. It had a custom-fitted cozy made of crocheted afghan squares.

I highly recommend this parade!

What Came First?

There is that age old question: What came first? The chicken or the egg? I have no idea. However, ask me: What came first? The bluebird or the egg? The egg. Definitely the egg.

From these eggs came a flock of bluebirds. I think it's two boys and two girls.

I was lucky enough to have them visit my yard in Houston for a while before they migrated north. Cute little things, no?

Specific knitterly information about them can be found here on Ravelry if you are interested.