I cracked my precious

I've had one skein of Tess Designer Yarns Cascade Silk in Twilight sitting on my skein display rack since I bought it in fall 2004. Two and a half years. You must click on the link. It will explain why I was reluctant to do more than stare at it and occasionally fondle it longingly. The colors! Silver to deepest periwinkle. Mmm. More than any other, THIS was my skein of pet yarn [phrase coined by You Know Who].

Last night, in the middle of working on more BGK2 words [it's all about the words now, baby], I suddenly decided it was time to take it down, crack the label and wind it.

There. She's ready to be knit. I've pulled out my special stitch books and I think I know what pattern to use, even.

I am going to try to design another shawl in the Tuscany vein. [That means a purl-back lace pattern where I start at the bottom and increase upwards. Easy to memorize and really pretty when it's done. That kind of pattern.] This one has to take advantage of [not fight] the long color changes in the yarn, too.

I don't have the carrot of a trip to Italy dangling in front of me to keep me motivated. Right now, it's about proving to myself that I can do this designing thing more than once in my lifetime. We'll see. If it works out, you'll know because I'll post here about it.