taking shape

I've been working away on Bonne Marie's Ribby Shell for the past week or so, and I'm very pleased with how quickly it's going along. The back is finished, and since it's knit in the round, the front (up to the arm holes) is also done! I'm using Filatura Lanarota Royal Linen (50% cotton, 30% viscose, and 20% linen), purchased at the December 2006 Smiley's Yarn Riot.* I can't really tell if I'm even close to gauge at this point. All I know is that, with the ribbing (I'm doing the 2x2x3x1 version), it's much smaller than it's supposed to be. I'll try it on before dunking it in Soak, just to make sure. My very small gauge swatch smoothed out nicely after drying, so I have high hopes for Ribby.

It's been riding back and forth to work with me in my new Lexie Barnes bag. It's really too big for Lexie at this point, but that doesn't hold me back. It was intended to be home knitting, but it's been too exciting to leave behind.

*It is a riot, in so many ways: first, that there are hundreds of people in a hotel ballroom on the outskirts of midtown looking for discounted, already-cheapy yarn; second, that people stand in line to pay (cash only) for 30-60 minutes and walk out of there with massive garbage bags of yarn; and third, that the Best Western patrons are SO confused at the sight of all this.