Yarn, Over.

The next time I lecture my kids about the virtue of not completing projects at the last minute, I fully expect a bolt of lightening to strike me down. I finished Bijou on Saturday morning on the way to the Five Counties competition. I had stayed up until 1:00am the night before completing the crochet edging and darning in a few ends.

I really love her. Much more than most projects I complete at first. I typically need some time apart from items I've been so involved with for so long to forget where all the little mistakes are and to adjust to the reality of the item - rather than the fantasy. Since this project was intended to be a creative collaboration with a friend, combining the two hand spun yarns (mine and Hope's) was my way of expressing that theme.

Here are the project details:

Pattern: Bijou by Marnie MacLean Winter 2008 Twist Collective

Yarn: My friend's hand spun sport weight in a hand paint combined with my 2 ply lace weight in an indigo blue by Tactile Fiber Arts.

• The pattern is a joy to knit. Done in the round with waist shaping and bust darts made with short rows.


• The lace is not complicated and makes a nice fabric that's not too sheer.
• The flutter sleeves are a feminine touch and the construction of the sleeves was a lot of fun.

I wore Bijou to work today with a denim skirt and it looked nice for the office yet would be perfect for a special dinner out too. She got a lot of attention at the competition but alas - no prizes. That's OK -the "F.O. glow" is seeing me through.