Bugger.

Everything seems to be going along OK now, but things did not start so well. It would take too long to explain in full-detail, and I don't think you'd believe me anyway, but by way of a brief summary: it took forever for the yarn to arrive. When the yarn arrived the pattern went missing. When the pattern went missing I couldn't download another copy as my access had timed out. When I eventually got a copy of the pattern (thanks so much for that Susan) the printer died while I was running out the door late for a plane. When I got to the airport, having satisfied myself that since the one page that had printed was the graph pattern I would just teach myself how to read that, I wasn't allowed to take my knitting on the plane. I tried to explain that knitters were philosophically opposed to terrorism, but I still had to check it.

(Shawl 2: 6 repeats done)

By this stage I was totally expecting the bag to be lost in transit somewhere. My boss thought this was all very amusing ("This would only happen to you" isn't a statement that helps in such times of crisis). However, having been on the receiving end of some knitted gifts, she was very sympathetic. She called the office and had them fax the pattern to us and then let me slip out of the last (very boring) session to knit. Take note knitters, get your boss on side!

(Shawl 1: 6 repeats done)

I thought I would start with my shawl, because I'd already cast that on with half a skein I had left from another project. But it just didn't look right. Check it out:

They're almost completely different! Who would have thought dye lot would make that much difference. What's Gold/Purple/Green on one is Yellow/Brown/Blue on the other. The second one looks like a totally washed-out version of the first. I was really unhappy about this to start with, but as I knitted up the new yarn I realised that I still liked it, it was only really a problem when I compared it to the other. I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to do with the little bit of the darker colour I have, I suspect i'm going to need it to finish off the project. Does anyone have any advice for how I can work it in, other than alternating between the balls towards the end?

I've got the weekend set aside for knitting, so hopefully will have some progress by Monday. I think it was the good vibes ya'll sent that battled off the forces of evil so keep'em coming!

Oh, and I just remembered I have a pair of fetchings to knit by Monday for a work mate that's moving back to Italy. I'm shaking my head at me too.