FO: Carrot Cowl

My last week has been filled with meetings, working my syllabus, writing assignments, and generally preparing for the upcoming semester- my first as a full-fledged instructor!  Classes for the college start on Monday, with my first class on Tuesday.  I keep swinging between exceedingly excited and staggeringly terrified as class time nears.  I already have the first week's worth of lesson plans completed, since I know it'll get busy quickly when dance starts up.  Speaking of, this year I'll be teaching not only three competition lines of tap dance, but I get a ballet class as well!  It's going to be a fast and furious year.

During meetings this week, I was able to finish up the first of my Christmas presents to give away- the Carrot Cowl!

Pattern: The Jeweled Cowl by Sachiko Uemura
Yarn: Delicious Malabrigo Lace in "Glazed Carrot"
Needles: Size 8 on the Denise Interchangable

Time Frame: July 7-August 23.  I started and worked on  it a lot during my month-long climbing trip, including bringing it up to the Grand Teton for some extreme knitting.
Mods: I didn't use any beads, as I didn't want the delicate lace to be weighed down.
Worst Part: It was pretty easy stockinette, so it became mindless knitting pretty quickly.  I knit until I was out of yarn, and with the lace it felt like it took forever.
Best Part: Easily the yarn.  I've never worked with Malabrigo in lace weight before, and it feels like it weighs nothing around your neck.

I won't say who will be receiving it, but I'm sure that this person will love it!  I've already cast on another cowl for yet another Christmas gift, and it's been going along swimmingly.  I keep buying really nice yarn for these projects, so knitting them isn't as much of a slog.
This weekend, besides fretting about my classes and getting some much-needed exercise in (a bout with the flu at the beginning of the week totally sapped my energy), I'm hoping to start working on the backrounds of the snowflakes for Kim's Wedding Shawl.  I figure if I do one back a week, I should be ready to graft them all together by the beginning of December.  No problem, right?
Right. :)