Victory For Birch, the Miraculous Shawl.

This is what Birch looked like when she was brand new. That was the first ball of Kid Silk Haze, after an unfortunate run-in with a certain spaniel whose name rhymes with Shady.

Fairly early in the process, I left our house with my husband to have dinner on our Friday Date Night, as usual. No big deal. As we were walking away, he reminded me that Birch had been left on the couch, rather than deliberately out of Lady's reach. I, being an idjit, insisted to him that this would be fine and that Lady was not in the habit of destroying things. We went on our merry way, enjoying dinner without a thought.

Upon returning, I saw it. Birch was on the floor, miraculously not off the needles. Not a stitch dropped, thanks be to wool. The formerly neat ball of Kid Silk Haze was spread out and undone, but again miraculously, not tangled. It took me many hours, but I was able to repair the damage.

Since Birch was cast on, I have completed one pair of mittens, one pair of socks, and a first sock of a second pair. One of said socks was the fastest sock I've ever done, at a solid two days. This shawl, during her production, has overseen my most prolific knitting month yet, and that includes last December, my first real Knitter's Christmas.

This is what Birch looked like on her way to glory. Yes, that's my desk at work. It's lunch, I swear it is.

I kept Birch going for longer and longer, building on the victorious energy with which I started her.

And here she is now, an incredibly incredibly miraculous, victorious shawl.

Welcome to the world, Birch.