I am spending most of my focused time on the music business right now… press releases, emails, postcard mailing, posting posters in appropriate businesses, getting to the (wonderful) radio station spot, rehearsing, planning.

I’ve never been one to enjoy or excel at big gatherings. In fact, I nearly got an ulcer worrying about the party that was our wedding. I was really clear about wanting to marry Brian, but the party nearly did me in. Too much to plan makes me woozy.

But here I am planning a CD release party. Truth be known, the CD has been out a while but has mostly been seen in other states as we have run the Ukulele circuit. Now it’s time for our local friends and family to help us celebrate. And I must confess, it takes a long time to really learn that many songs (fourteen on this album) well enough to perform them as a set. It’s one thing to record something, it’s another to perform it live.

I had a pipe dream that we could have our release party at Frances Park in Lansing, It’s a formal 1920s rose garden. But it’s a very popular wedding spot during prime garden season, and what if it rained?

So we’re very happy to have Magdalena’s. We’ll decorate a bit like a garden and be safe inside from the storms. Since today we had a tornado warning, I’m liking this option just fine… better than an outdoor event.

But believe it or not, during all this planning, I’m knitting a little. I’ve finished the knitting but not the sewing for a water bottle for Threadbear and didn’t have my sewing needle when I had time to sew. Probably tomorrow when I watch the computer lab at Foster center on that one.

But I did bind off the shawl I knit of the Bonkers! fiber I spun into yarn not too long ago. Well, I finished spinning it recently, anyway.

I made a sort of crescent-shaped shawl in mostly garter stitch and dropped garter. I am very happy with the shape, it sits on the shoulders well. And the stitch pattern I chose really works for the lumpy-bumpy handspun yarn. It’s lovely.

I tried it on as soon as I bound off, but this sort of thing really needs to be blocked (wet thoroughly and then laid flat to dry) before anyone can tell what the shape/texture of the item will be. When I got home tonight, I wet it, blotted it in a towel, and laid it out on two sweater dryers (nets on a frame) without pinning (lace usually is pinned but this is more casual than that).

Here are photos of some of the yarn, and then the shawl drying. While I wait, impatiently.

I’m pleased with the colors although they are very busy indeed. They remind me of a rose garden. Cherry/Berry red and deep purple with bright turquoise and hot greens. Roses, leaves and sky. Lovely. I may wear it to the CD release. After all, it’s called “In the Garden,” right?

I have a new camera as of today (woohoo) and am still figuring out how to adjust color for the new one. The yarn photo is closer to the color of the yarn as opposed to the colors shown in the shawl pic, at least on my monitor.