This has been noted a lot of places, but I hadn't gotten around to reading it: Truckers pick up quilting and knitting on their downtime. It's a fairly nice article and doesn't play into too many of the stereotypes about knitting or quilting. And some of the comments the people make are ones that I think ring true for a lot of people who do some kind of art or craft: Dave White (whose wife got him started) remarked that quilting "gives you a little bit of ownership. You've actually accomplished something with your time off." And Kevin Banks remarks that it's a better way to spend off time than sitting around a truck stop "talking about who has a bigger radio."Some of the people make stuff for themselves or family and some - though the article doesn't come out and say it, but I bet it's true - make stuff for charities.

Some of the truckers commented that the "macho" tone of the trucking world made them feel a little odd, for example, if they were to unpack their hobby while watching a televised football game at one of the stops.

But I like another quote from Kevin Banks: "The fact that you can take strands of thread and basically make something out of it, that's awesome I think," he said. "It's pretty cool stuff, man."

That's part of the attraction for me, I know. Being able to take raw materials and create something. (And someday - if I ever actually do learn to spin - I can go even one step more down the "raw materials" chain - starting with fleece rather than yarn). There is something powerful about being able to create something useful or  beautiful or both with your own hands.

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Here's a progress shot of the Clapotis. I think maybe I will have just enough yarn - I am winding down on the third-to-last ball but I think I can eke at least one more pattern repeat out of it, and maybe a full repeat out of the second-to-last ball, before I have to start decreasing. The shawl is just about 42" long along the side you measure to get the length...it won't be as long and enveloping as some shawls, but at least it will be long enough (it will probably be close to 50" when I'm ready to start decreasing, and I might be able to block it to be a bit longer, I don't know how readily a tape yarn will block. You can usually stretch wool pretty well but this is, I think, a rayon. Actually, I don't even know for sure if it can get wet...I'll have to look at the ball band again). I have seven of the "drop rows" done on it here.