And it goes on, and on, and on some more

Sometimes, I think I knit in a big black hole.  I'm knitting forever and ever and not making any progress.  It's like knitting in a dream where no matter how much you knit, whatever you are knitting refuses to grow.

Usually that happens with something big — a dress or the back or a sweater.  Or maybe a huge tote you are knitting to felt.  But for the last 10 days, it has been happening to me with a sleeve – not even a full length sleeve mind you — one that just goes done past the elbow.

The sad thing is that this is sleeve one for my beloved Manos Silk Shrug, which I am really looking forward to finishing and wearing soon.  Sleeve one!  That means there is a whole 'nother freaking sleeve to go after this.  I knit in the carpool line, at morning coffee, during ballet rehearsals.  I knit, knit, knit.  K3 M1 Knit until 3 stitches remain M1 K3.  Knit 5 more rows.  Then increase again.  It goes on forever.

In hopes the black hole would dissolve if I put it aside for awhile, I spent most of yesterday afternoon and this morning stash tossing.  I had to do this, because I spent most of Friday afternoon home sick and therefore reduced to sitting in bed looking through knitting books and magazines.  I ended up with a list of projects I HAVE to make.  Hence the stash toss, in the vain hope that there will be yarn for all of those projects in the stash.

Needless to say, there was not.  But, the project at the top of my list is Belinda, the new shawl in the new Mason Dixon Knitting book.  This is the picture in the book, which I found to be irresistable.

It's two layers of Mohair, and vaguely reminds me of a cardigan I bought at Anthropologie the year it opened.  My version is going to be blue and brown.  The brown is some of the incredibly wonderful whisper soft peruvian alpaca my cousin Ann sent me.  It has been sitting on top of my yarn basket, waiting for the perfect pattern.  I knew I wanted to knit with it right away the minute I saw it.  The Blue is a Rowan Kidsilk Haze, the yarn the pattern is written for.

They look fabulous together and I can't wait to cast on.  I'm hoping for a positive synergy between the lacy, airy shawl and the big black hole of tiny silk sleeves.