seeing double?

It has been busy, busy, busy around here. Some of it has been "good busy" -- a rooftop BBQ with a view of the Chicago skyline, a trip to the Dixie Kitchen (recommended by Pres. Obama when he was on 'Check Please!', a local PBS restaurant review show, back in 2001), braving the rain for Dark Lord Day at the 3 Floyds Brewery, a $5.50 matinee of Adventureland... [sidenote: I didn't know it was possible to see a first-run movie for $5.50 in Chicago. 3 cheers for the Davis in Lincoln Square.]

How I yearn for the semester system where the end would be in sight already, though! Alas, the spring quarter marches on until mid-June. Somehow I'm actually making a dent in my backlog of knitting projects to block. This is actually feather and fan shawl #3, knit during an exceedingly cold stretch this past winter.

Pattern: Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl, by Sarah Bradberry
Yarn: Noro Cashmere Island, 5.5 skeins
Needles: US 8

Notes: Love the pattern -- so much so that I've knit 4 of them. The yarn is soft and cozy due to the cashmere content; however, I miss the sheen of Silk Garden from my previous feather and fan shawls. I would go a needle size larger next time. Also, apparently I really need a haircut.
With that, I think it's time to take a break from shawls (esp. feather and fan ones) for a while.

While ambling about in the garden I was struck by this flower:

Not sure what it is, but it fits with the color scheme of the Opera Scarf that I'm whipping up for my MIL for a certain holiday that's coming up on the horizon:

Malabrigo Silky Merino in "Stonechat"

a few new / new-to-me knitting patterns that are tempting me to cast on...

- Sarah Shepherd's Sage Remedy Top

- Heidi Kirrmaier's Buttercup (free)

- Linden Heflin's Baby Sophisticate (free)

- Kristen Kapur's Ulmus (but it's a shawl! must. resist.)