A New Hope

I'll admit: I had a small emotional breakdown over the passing of the Douceur et Soie Pie-Wedge shawl. I re-cast on and worked on it for a bit when I started re-thinking this gift. Here's the tangle I got myself into:
I was making this shawl because I thought Sam would like it and that it would be useful and pretty. I still think she'd like it, but now that she quit her bank job, I don't know that it'll be useful. She'll be working at Starbucks, no longer wearing nicer clothes, nor getting chilly like she did at the bank. The shawl doesn't really work as a scarf...so it'd only be useful when she's wearing something nice, in chilly weather. She photographs weddings, but has told me she doesn't like to wear things she has to readjust since she has to run around and doesn't have time to fiddle with her own clothes.
So what could I make her? I ordered the Zephyr and was waiting for it to come in...what could I make with it that would be useful, either as a scarf with her coat, or over a simple black outfit when she's working at weddings...something non-fussy but pretty?

Clapotis to the rescue! Everyone and their sister has knitted this, and I was never really in love with it...but I think it's perfect for Sam. I started it as soon as the yarn got here yesturday, after figuring out I needed to double it and buy US8s (I know I have them somewhere: but where?)
I'm into the 3rd Section and have about a foot. I've done the math..and the only way to get it done by Thursday night (I'm going out of town Friday morning)-is by knitting 12" /day until Wed, then finishing it and blocking it Thusday. I'm also thinking about putting a border of Douceur et Soie around it. Any thoughts?
During my mourning period Friday afternoon, I checked out some of the shops in the Shop Hop. First I went to the new store in West Chester: Yarns and Fabrications. It's brand new and doesn't have everything yet, but I enjoyed it. Half the store is yarn, the other half fabric and quilting supplies. They had a nice selection of yarn, prettily displayed and a good bookshelf of books and a super friends staff. I'll go back in a bout a month, to see how it's improved...I don't feel fair giving it a review while it's still so new.
Next stop: Ft Mitchell, Kentucky: Knitwits. This was my favorite of the evening. Friendly owner and staff, large selection of pattern books and EVERY magazine ever. Noro, Manos, a lot of yarn I've never seen before.
Last stop: Bellevue, KY: Knit On! This had, by far, the most yarn I've ever seen. It's overcrowded and impossible to see it all. It's rather unorganized, so if you want to find something, you have to ask the proprietress. I don't mind doing this, but after she dug around and found stuff for me...I felt compelled to buy it. I hate feeling like I have to buy something- often I was looking for a yarn I'd never seen before and was just educating myself (is this horrible?). If the place as bigger and the yarn was more organized, it'd be a heaven! Also, the owner was super grumpy....
But still...this is what I bought:
-2 skeins of Lamb's Pride Worste in Cream for dyeing.
-2 skeins of Noro's Blossom ( I have no idea what for!)
And on my way home, this is the view heading into Cincinnati:



Back to working on Clapotis!






A parting shot of Andre on Weekend Knitting,
and Stella being adorable.