The first issue of my new-to-me magazine came out this week -- I spent yesterday morning emailing copies to all the subscribers and then went to the post office to mail the rest. I'm happy with the .pdf version, but I wasn't all that happy with the print copies .... the images were too dark. I can see this is going to be quite a learning curve! Here's the 'masthead' ...

... but to see any more than that, you'll just have to subscribe.  :-)

Spring is everywhere here now, so we've been getting out and about a bit more... there's nothing like a swan parade!

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with spring, but there are lots of HUGE 'sunstars' in the bay right now, in shallow water. Yesterday the tide was out enough that I attempted these pics ... this first one is looking down one of the pilings into the water, and you can see at least four of these creatures clinging to the pole:

 And here's a little closer look at the one on the sea floor -- it was at least 2' across!

Knitting like a fiend, as always... finished the 'mystery' KAL, but it's not blocked yet:

It's stunning though - I love it!

Now I have three other shawls on the needles.... first of all, I've got about 2" done on the 'Apple House' shawl (scroll down), and I've started two other test knits for other designers. Both are 'secret' (can't reveal the design until they're published) so I'll just show you 'snippets' ...

This one is a stole, and that's about 20" wide. The second one is a Faroese style....

Yesterday afternoon at Barb's Buns knitting circle, Maxine mentioned that she'd volunteered at the Film Festival on the weekend with a woman who was knitting "this long cord of I-cord and a bunch of leaves out of Noro." Well, I had taken the shuttle bus into town because Michael needed the van to go to Victoria, so when I left knitting and walked over to the bus stop, here's what I saw:

Wouldja like to see that a little closer?

So I met Usha ... who knits these 'all the time,' she says, and they get used for everything from window decorations to tiaras to props for plays. Usha is a retired school-teacher and she says she taught all her students to knit!
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