Shawl Begun

I started the Civil War Shawl, yesterday. I knit to row 45, this week's assignment. It felt like a quick knit, which I love. I started out with a size 5 needle, but that was way, way to big for this lace weight yarn. I went down to a size 2. Now, it looks great.

Before I could get started, I had to finish a few more stitch markers. I needed 15, and only had 12. (There are 16 repeats, but I use 1 plastic coiless safety pin for the start of the round.) These little flowers were fun to make, especially since no 2 are exactly alike. I do plan to make 16 more, so that once I get up to the point where there are 32 pattern repeats, I'll have one to mark the beginning of each repeat.

I also had some time to work on my cardigan. (Still no pic, but maybe soon!) I have a little over half the sleeve decreases done. This is one project that I really want to finish. With our recent bout of cold weather, it will be a great layering sweater, or once it warms up, will work well for a casual, spring jacket. The colors are working out perfectly, and whenever I knit on it in public, people always make positive comments about the pink/purple with the brown.

Off and on for most of the day, yesterday, we had snow! It almost never snows in the Seattle area, but here it is almost March and its coming down, again. I love to watch it, and like the sound of the silence that is so easy on the ears. My dh took our cats outside (normally they are indoor only pets) so they could experience the cold, wet, white stuff! I don't think that either of them liked that

too well!

Over night, we had 3 1/2 inches come down. See?