Step Away From the Yarn, Lady.

I finished the main part of the garter lace shawl last night! It turned out really well, and I am very happy with it.

Naturally, I immediately started picking up stitches for the border. I got about 2/3 of the way down the first side and was overcome by dizziness. Not sure if it was the enormity of accumulating some 500 stitches on the needle, the constant downward staring + intense focus, or the fact that I was still recovering from the wine tasting we did on Saturday. Anyway - I set it aside for the evening and have decided to take it slow, since this is my first shawl with this type of construction. I can't wait to see it after blocking, though.

The plan is to do a row of eyelets, and then a scalloped edging.

Also on the needles are a couple of neck cozies from the Koigu pattern - one in KPPM and the other in Artfibers' Liana. I had planned to finish these for Christmas gifts, but I started feeling all pressured and antsy about it, and fell into a vortex of "well, if so and so gets a handknit gift, then I need to do handknit gifts for everyone else, too." As the Yarn Harlot puts it, I could feel "It" coming on (in October!) and I just couldn't go there. If I finish them for Christmas, great. If I don't, they will be "just because" gifts. Or next year's birthdays.

The thing is, knitting is what I do to relax. It should be, you know. Relaxing.