Am I Making Progress?

I've got my Grandmother's shawl cast on....all 327 stitches today. I've even worked several rows. Does it look like I'm making progress? It is hard for me to tell at this point.

I am really enjoying working with the buttery soft alpaca. I have found that my Denise needles are a great match for working with this, not too slippery, and just the right points.

You can see the swatch for the shawl in the upper left corner of the picture. It worked out very well. I'll be using my blocking wires for the first time on the finished shawl.

This project has convinced me that I definitely need to work with alpaca again soon. I think I'm getting spoiled. : )

I've also been working on a pair of socks (as seen in the picture). They are a pair of nice, mindless, stockinette stitch socks...for relief from shawl stitch counting. The self-patterning Socka Colori color changes keep my interest, even though it is a mindless stitch pattern.

I think I'll be taking the shawl to our Sit 'N' Stitch group at Border's this Thursday. I may need the others of the group to help me keep count!

Now to the personal front -

If I had known that turning 50 also entailed all the 50,000 mile check-up exams within a few weeks, I think I would have chosen to stay 49. Actually, I am very thankful for all the fine physicians and medical facilities we have access to, but in addition to regular appointments, all the extras have me a bit on medical overload. My knitting has been making it to all the appointments lately, so I've definitely been doing my share of knitting in public.

Tomorrow we start our ladies Bible study. I'm really looking forward to having some quality time with friends, and spending time learning, discussing, and praying. We each have areas that are challenging us, and I hope this study benefits each of us and our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Have a wonderful week, friends!

Shelly

HCSB
James 1:2-4
2. Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, 3. knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.