Don't even ask.

Startitis 1, Orchard Ranch 0. Allow me to introduce you to the Stonington Shawl, from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop, in Knitpicks Shadow, Lost Lake Heather, Susan Bates "Quicksilver" needles, #4 circular. This is the most knitting I've ever done with laceweight yarn, all maybe one inch of it. So if anybody asks, my horoscope made me do it. And no, I don't feel refreshed, but I do feel like I've done something I haven't done before. And yes, I am still working on the Emperor's seamless hybrid sleeves.

This shawl is a simple pattern, at least, the center is -- you start with two cast on stitches, and make one at the beginning of each row until it's as wide corner-to-corner as you want it to be, then you knit two together at the end of each row until you get down to two stitches, then knit two together. That's the middle of the shawl. Next, you knit the border on, one side at a time. It's all garter stitch, and very simple, but it still comes out lacy and delicate.

Maybe if I experience some success with this hitherto never-successful laceweight yarn, I'll be more excited about the rest of my knitting. Don't get me wrong... I really enjoy my knitting, even when it bores me temporarily. I just have to get myself to push past momentary ennui to where I can see progress. If I can get the sleeves for the seamless hybrid to a certain point, I'll get excited and do the rest of the sweater in a jiffy. If I can finish the first Rainbow sock, the second one will practically knit itself. It had better -- Summer of Socks starts next week. But we're having company over the weekend, so the clock's just gonna tick, and there's nothing I can do about it.

Not like this is world peace, or essential to what I do for a living. Knitting is not an obsession, it's just something I do, a creative outlet. Because it took me so long to learn, I get a big kick out of mastering new techniques and making things I wouldn't have dreamed of a few years ago. It's hard not to tap into the knitting universe angst about finishing projects under deadlines. The only deadline for Summer of Socks is that it starts June 21, and that during the weeks that it's in session, I show socks on the blog. Maybe it's a good place to take my sock angst, what there is of it.

Part of the problem is that I am one stitch short on the Rainbow socks, and I can't figure out where it happened, maybe in the pick-up portion around the ankle. But the thought of going forward with an imperfect sock is stopping me, although one stitch won't make a difference in fit or looks.

Knitters are such funny creatures.