Somehow, I have lost the original format for the blog, but will sort it out later.

I like the look of the latest attempt at the Camel Spin Scarf.

The 3.75 mm straight needles and the tighter gauge make a big difference that is plainly visible here.

The yarn overs were catching on the joins on the circular needles, and the straight needles have less friction and solve the catching.

Todays walk was 5 km. The temperature was back to – 6 degrees, but it was sunny, and most important, the sidewalks were completely clear of ice and snow. I will add another few km to that after dinner when I go downtown for the monthly meeting of the Downtown Knit Collective. These meetings are always inspirational, and the talent of many of the knitters is awe inspiring. More on the meeting later.

Another week has passed. Yesterday, my husband, son, and I took another two hour class learning Scottish country dances in preparation for the Burn’s Dinner next week. Everybody had a lot of fun and the two hours went by very quickly.

Earlier this week I cast on 111 stitches of Hand Maiden Fine Yarn Camelspin to knit a Camel Spin Scarf.  Camelspin is a blend of 70% silk and 30% baby camel. The yarn is amazingly soft and is a delight to knit with. The yarn and pattern were purchased from Linda’s Craftique in Mississauga, the first stop on the Downtown Knit Collective’s Annual Bus trip in early November.

Subsequently, I have ripped out the scarf twice. The pattern is for a shawl, so it was too wide. I decreased the number of pattern repeats to get the width I wanted. The gauge on the second attempt looked to be too loose for the pattern and I have decided to use smaller needles than the 4 mm the pattern called for. I hope to cast on later today.

This morning’s walk was 16+ km in frigid – 16 degree cold. At least there wasn’t much wind and the sun was out. I envied the runners who covered the distance in half the time.  I really appreciated the jacket my daughter loaned me for the winter. My legs were very red, but OK at the end of the walk. It is mid afternoon and I am still thawing out. Hopefully it will not be that cold for the Chilly half Marathon, but – I am prepared.