Morticia Shawl (Hey! I'm knitting lace!)

Last Sunday I started knitting a new shawl for a KAL I signed up for. Seriously. I'm casting on for ALL the things.

It's by BooKnits, called Morticia.

I'm using Madelinetosh Lace in The Brothers Grimm, it's a very, very, very dark green, almost black! I seriously love that name so much, especially for a Halloween Shawl! I'm kind of sad because all the online photos I found of the color is more dark green with a few bits of bright green so when I ordered beads I went with peridot and silver. Well the peridot beads really yellow and look not so cute, of course I only really noticed this part way in. The smart thing would have been to swatch but clearly someone wasn't thinking. I only placed 4 of them so I just left them and I'm using the silver ones instead. Rebel knitter!!!!! These are size 5/0 Miyuki triangles and they are so pretty!

For needles I'm using addi click lace, I'm sort of wishing they were pointier! But it's not bad and once I get in the rhythm of knitting they are fine, but every now and again I wish they were the HiYa Sharps!

I haven't decided which size to knit this,  I'm 1/2 way through the second lace repeat right now and I'm REALLY enjoying it, so most likely I'll do it as written rather than making it smaller. The chart is nice and clear. It's a lace where I can listen to music and sing-a-long but still knit ok. I had a few aha! moments where I figured out "hey! now you can add another stitch marker" and when the pattern started to click. I'm *not* the most intuitive knitter out there, you know how when some people cook they have to follow the recipe to the letter? That's me with knitting, I don't really "get" how fabric is formed, I just follow the pattern exactly to the best of my ability. I think that's why I kind of feel bad when people say "Oh you are such a good knitter" because I'm not, I'm just following a pattern blindly. Ha! I sort of psyched myself out at first thinking I couldn't do it, it's my first time using laceweight yarn and about 1/4 through the first chart I realized it's not that much different (to me!) than sock weight yarn! I think the only reason why I've not made more progress is just because I'm slow at purling, I'm hoping to get better as I go but I'm honestly ok with going slow because I love the process of knitting this.

When I work on it, I sit at the kitchen table, turn on some music and lay out the chart with notes, highlighter tape, crochet hook and beads. Usually the window is open and it's just NICE feeling. I like having a project that has me focus on something complicated and forget everything else for a little while. It feels like BIG PROJECT knitting vs laying under a quilt watching NCIS knitting vanilla socks.

Tomorrow I'm going out of town for two days and I can't decide what project to bring with me! Most likely Cameo or maybe a pair of socks. I have five hours in the car so whatever I pick I'm hoping I can get a fair amount done.

So tell me, which do you prefer? Projects that you have to focus on or mindless knits? Right now I have one of each, shawl wise and sock wise on the needles and I'm curious about you!

PS: Don't forget, tonight at midnight the sale ends for Autumn Sampler!