with mixed success

this just in: click on over to the A Shepherds Tale blog, she's giving away copies of Shear Spirit in honor of the International Year of Natural Fibres . That's our kind of year. Spread the word!

My second Francis Revisited is moving along nicely now. I love working with the Ultra Alpaca in this grey-ish green (Yucca Mix, btw). I think this version should be called Local Color, I am so blending into March around here.
Thinking I'll run short with my 4 skeins, and wanting to change up this version anyway, I'm using leftover Araucania Naturewool in a chestnut brown as an accent.

I went for a hem, inspired by Susan's, with the brown for the purled turning row so it'd show just a little. My plan is long sleeves, with 1x1 stripes on the last few inches, not sure yet what I"ll do on the cowl. Everything is coming together nicely, the fit is just right, except... see that hem edge on the left of the sweater? It keeps flipping up. It's just not right, and it's driving me nuts.

My other weekend endeavour:

I have this thing about beach glass, I pick up a piece or three every day when I walk the dog. Over time, it's added up to jars & jars like these. I've always wanted local sea glass buttons for sweaters and hats. Or on bags, if I ever knit a bag.

With a little research I knew what to do. I called my friend most likely to lend me a Dremel drill (I was right, she had 4 to choose from, I love my crafty artist friends), I tracked down a diamond dusted bit from the glass beadmaking guy at my local bead store, and he reviewed the technique. When I asked if I should buy a second drill bit in case I broke one, he said, "as long as you are patient, drill in little light touches and always under water, you'll be fine."

My first two are sweet, they are about 3/4" across. That's sock yarn threaded through.

Then I thought I'd try a dark green, and I thought since it was going so smoothly and with no obvious heat in the water, I might just try, for a fraction of a second, to drill just a skinch out of the water. So, exactly how old will I have to be to outgrow my Question Authority attitude? It immediately shattered from the heat, a dramatic jolt with lovely dark green shards flying all over the room and the drill bit bent into an L.
Not to worry. More to come.