Not So Great

 I finished the cowl I'd been working on, and decided I didn't really like it that much after all.

Eh, it wasn't so terrible, but it wasn't so great, either.  It was a little too long and thin for my liking, but I'm not going to re-do it.  I'll stick it in the gift drawer, and I'm sure I'll find someone who will appreciate it.  I'm hoping once I've washed and blocked it, the edges will stop curling like that.  In the meantime, here's what the stitch looks like. 

I like the way the stitch pattern looks.  I might do another one some day, but something less than a 216 stitch cast on.  

I apologize for the crappy photos, as well.   I took them on my phone, and for some reason, it's decided it doesn't need to flash when it's on autoflash.  I have to turn the flash on to get it to flash.  Every tie I open the camera.  It's a bit tedious.  I still can't get into the website to order a new one, so it looks like I'm going to have to go into town to the AT&T store.  

Anyway, back to my knitting.  I'm determined to get  a cowl done, so I ran and got the other skein I'd bought from this same dyer -- Ravenswood Fibers -- and caked it up. 

This colorway is called Flickering Flame.  She has some gorgeous colors, but the yarn itself isn't so great.  I find it to be very splitty, and there were several spots where one strand had broken or frayed.  I probably won't buy much from her any more.   Even so, I caked the yarn up and cast on a new cowl. 

This time, I only cast on 160 stitches, which I think will give me the size I'm envisioning, and am knitting a simple diagonal lace. 

Once it gets long enough for the stitch pattern to show up, I'll be sure to post photos. 

In other news, I bought the cat one of those beds with the mylar layer inside of it.  

So far, she's not too impressed with it, so I moved it to Cody's bed, where she likes to nap.  

And she still won't lay on it.  I figure once it gets a little colder, she'll appreciate it more.  

Speaking of, it's supposed to get cold again this weekend, with lows in the upper 40s and highs in the low 70s.  I'm thinking when it does, the cat might want to stay inside at night more.  The downside of the cooler, dryer weather is that my fingertips have already started drying and splitting, which makes piano practice very painful.  

I'm trying to remember where I put my Working Hands lotion...

And finally, Cody and I will be making a quick trip to Texas this weekend.  The doctor has told my cousin there isn't anything more they can do for her in regards to treating her cancer, and she has been put into hospice care.  We're going to go spend a little time with her, while there is time to still spend with her.