Taking flight

The pattern: Simurgh, by Anne Hanson. Knit in Blue Moon Fiber Arts' Geisha yarn, in the shadow colorway with size 4 and size 5 Addis. Geisha is 70% kid mohair, 20% mulberry sillk, 10% nylon, and 100% luscious. And this colorway is to die for. Anne very kindly let me test knit it, which has been an absolute blast, as well as being quite an honor, as I am in awe of her designs and of the thought process behind them. I made no alternations to the pattern at all.

I finished it at about 9:30 this morning, and set it to soak.
Atticus wanted to help. In order to be able to keep my hands off of it long enough for it to soak, I took the girls to the farmer's market, which took the perfect amount of time. I came home, and blocked it out to about 20 inches wide by 80 inches long, knowing that it would shrink some as it dried and that the target dimensions were 18x72.
I can't tell you how hard it was to keep my hands off of it. I kept chanting drydrydry at it, and wondering when the Santa Anas were going to come back (the weather gods must find me very confusing. I wish for cold, wet weather almost all the time, except when I need knitwear to dry, when I wish for the very winds I usually curse. Of course, as soon as they're dry, I'm back to wishing for cold and wet again so I can wear them; this is not evidence of a contrary nature, I swear).

Atticus guarded it to ensure that there would be no premature unpinning.
Do you see the look on his face? He's saying, "Back off, baby."

I was just about to die of impatience when Rachael (who is also test knitting this stole in a really gorgeous yarn; she's just posted photos -- go check them out) told me that she puts a fan on things to make them dry faster. So I turned the ceiling fan on, and finally decided that I could turn the heat on (the house was 65, which in my world is chilly). That got things moving. Just in time for the last little bit of light. We lost it before we were really done, but I just can't wait any longer.

Gwilim is helping me post:
He takes his job seriously. And with no further ado, Simurgh:

(as you can see, the light was going so fast, I didn't even take the time to change into lighter colored clothes)
It's long enough to go around with both tails in the back, which I love.
I'm still wearing it. I probably won't take it off ever. And you can't make me.