before blocking

I finished binding off last night at about 10 p.m.

But I waited until this morning to lay Icarus out and photograph it pre-blocking.

That's because I found an open, bright pink highlighter at the bottom of my knitting bag yesterday, which had bled all over my pattern. I was amazed and relieved that the shawl hadn't been touched. Usually, my carelessness serves to teach me a lesson. This time I was lucky.

And because, after I finished taking pictures the other night, and tried to catch a few of the cat looking clever in front of the shawl, I discovered that what looked like her turning little circles and playing was actually Belle chewing through my yarn. It was only when I picked up the shawl to continue knitting that I discovered that she had bitten through the thread, and I had to start a new strand. I wouldn't have figured out the culprit, except that I then remembered that one of my knitting teachers, who specializes in lace, told the class that she has to keep her projects locked away or her cat will dine on her shawls.

So, released this morning, here is Icarus, pre-blocking.

And a picture of the yarn left. Not much, but enough to finish the shawl without having to find another yarn to coordinate with the handdyed Pink Lemonade and Orange Mandarin Koolaid colors.