Any way you want me!  Baby I'm yours.  (Hmmm, I think that last bit is from a different song.)

On the left are two things that led to my vision of turning Shirley Paden's beautiful Cabled Shrug in the Fall '05 Interweave Knits into something just a little bit different.  With short row shaping at each shoulder, I'm hoping that it will hug the neck more and be more inclined to stay on the shoulders, but still be very shruggy and very much a shawl.  In the mail yesterday was my very own copy of Fall '03 IK -- that must have been the last issue before my subscription began -- I've seen a few other projects from that issue recently that made me decide to nab a copy.  Obviously, "Short Rows" (the sweater) is inspirational in this endeavor, but the thing that really put it in reach was Teva Durham's incredible pairing of "short rows" (the technique) and cables for the Aran Tree Skirt in Melanie Falick's Handknit Holidays.  (Short rows also combine nicely with color work in the book for a Floral Tree Skirt).

Wouldn't it be Teva Durham?  Who else!!  Anyway, I'm 10 rows from knowing whether I'm close to being on the right track.  I saw my mom last night and she loves it -- loves the color, loves the texture, she even loves the wrong side.  (She better not love the wrong side best...  I don't know how she could, but that could so happen.)  She can't wait to wear it -- and she means sometime in the six weeks left in this winter.  I remain true to this project and excitement is mounting at the moment -- so glad that the weekend is nearly upon us.  If all goes well, I'll be motivated to get to the other shoulder; after that, I'm afraid I'm going to have to plan some rewards (or something) for the completion of each repeat (or something) down the other (long, long) arm to the finish.