Because I'm following the pattern exactly as written, I'll have to make four edge strips, which are started and finished with waste yarn. When the dress is ready to be seamed, the edge pieces are grafted together and the waste yarn removed. The first of the four edge strips is completed (but not blocked). It has 15 repeats of the lace pattern. The next three strips will go much more quickly, now that I have the pattern almost memorized.
While browsing through Ravelry to see how others have made this dress, I found that a lot of the knitters had converted the pattern to knitting in the round. I was tempted to do that, but I have a feeling that the side seams offer a little stability to the dress; I could be wrong, but I don't think so. For that reason, I've chosen to work the pattern as written.
I also read a few comments from others that the lace edging was intimidating. I'm not finding that to be the case at all. That said, I don't like knitting lace from written instructions and have charted out the pattern. It doesn't look like a regular chart as I have each pattern line charted on it's own, independent of the rest. There's such a rapid increase in stitches (from 14 - 21 in the first row alone) that it was difficult to chart, so, as I said, I charted each row on it's own. It sure makes the pattern easier to follow. It also helped me to discover a minor error in the pattern. One row (row 7) has a mistake: where it says k11, it should be k10, for a finished stitch count of 23. I've looked online for pattern errata, but was unable to find anything for this particular pattern, either on the Rowan website or the Martingale site (the publisher of Romantic Style).
It's one piece. It's a good start.
Incidentally, this morning I updated the Strings 'n Things website (see my sidebar). At least, I think I did. Could one of you check to see that there are more patterns listed there than just the baby stuff? It looks fine on my machine, but I've had knitters email me to say that only the baby stuff shows on the home page. As well, is the header showing up at all? Thanks so much (in advance) for your help!
Back to knitting.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
It Has Begun
The Brittany Birch needles have been sharpened, the swatches have been knit, the pattern has been charted and tested. All is in order now.
This morning I cast on for the Butterfly Dress and have completed two repeats of the edging pattern. It's very pretty. It's difficult to tell from the picture, but the "medallion" in the center looks like a flower cupped by two leaves. At least, that's what it reminds me of. Incidentally, this edging is true lace, having patterning on every row. The body of the dress is knitted lace, meaning one pattern row, then a purl row.
I have a feeling that, in a relatively short time, I'll be able to knit the edging in my sleep; I'll certainly be knitting a lot of it. This edging is the bottom edge (hem) of the dress and is two layers, which means I'll be knitting the entire edging twice! Then, stitches are picked up from both layers simultaneously and the dress knit up from there.
The yarn, Rowan Kidsilk Haze, is lovely to work with, so soft and silky and yet feels as if it has strength and body. I love working with this yarn, even though it's a bear to wrestle with if you have to frog it. I don't intend to have to frog it. How's that for confidence?
This morning I cast on for the Butterfly Dress and have completed two repeats of the edging pattern. It's very pretty. It's difficult to tell from the picture, but the "medallion" in the center looks like a flower cupped by two leaves. At least, that's what it reminds me of. Incidentally, this edging is true lace, having patterning on every row. The body of the dress is knitted lace, meaning one pattern row, then a purl row.
I have a feeling that, in a relatively short time, I'll be able to knit the edging in my sleep; I'll certainly be knitting a lot of it. This edging is the bottom edge (hem) of the dress and is two layers, which means I'll be knitting the entire edging twice! Then, stitches are picked up from both layers simultaneously and the dress knit up from there.
The yarn, Rowan Kidsilk Haze, is lovely to work with, so soft and silky and yet feels as if it has strength and body. I love working with this yarn, even though it's a bear to wrestle with if you have to frog it. I don't intend to have to frog it. How's that for confidence?
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Personal Knitting Now On Hold
All my knitting projects are now officially on hold. The yarn and pattern for my special project have arrived and now, I can tell you about it.
I'll be knitting the Butterfly dress for a friend who's getting married in January (in Mexico, no less). This will be her wedding dress.
They yarn, as you can see, is Rowan Kid Silk Haze in the colours called for in the pattern. I think this will be an interesting knit and I'm looking forward to getting it started, but first I'll be spending some time charting the lace ruffle, reviewing all the directings and (gasp) swatching!
Now, where did I put my 3.25 mm dpns? (It also calls for 4.5 and 5 mm needles.)
I'll be knitting the Butterfly dress for a friend who's getting married in January (in Mexico, no less). This will be her wedding dress.
They yarn, as you can see, is Rowan Kid Silk Haze in the colours called for in the pattern. I think this will be an interesting knit and I'm looking forward to getting it started, but first I'll be spending some time charting the lace ruffle, reviewing all the directings and (gasp) swatching!
Now, where did I put my 3.25 mm dpns? (It also calls for 4.5 and 5 mm needles.)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Knit Happens
While it really hasn't been knitting weather, I did do a bit of knitting this past week. I finally did something I've been thinking about for some time now.
I love that button! It's a little difficult to see, but it's a seahorse, and it goes perfectly with the yarn. Before you ask, I don't remember the name of the yarn; it's a skein I won a while back and I've not had the opportunity to do anything with it till now. That's not exactly true. I've had plenty of opportunity, but not the right project. It's a lovely, soft yarn to work with, fingering weight, and the colour is amazing.
Oh, you'd like to see the rest? Of course.
This was knitted from the top down (รก la Barbara Walker), with no seams. The only thing I had to use a needle for was weaving in the ends. The lacy stitch is the little arrowhead pattern (also from Barbara Walker). I used a 3.25 mm circular needle for the body and double pointeds for the sleeves. Simple, fast, fun and, I think, cute.
And, yes, I have been working on shawls as well, but the progress is slow on all four. Working one or two rounds on the pi shawl really doesn't make for great pictures. By next week, most likely, all of my works in progress will have to be put aside for a very special project. I'll tell you all about it when the supplies arrive, but it will definitely be special. I've been told already that once started, the upcoming project will be the only one I can work on, until it's completion.
Last Sunday, as I intimated, we did go to Kalamalka Lake for the afternoon. It was wonderfully relaxing. We took along a picnic lunch, some libation, and no sunscreen, found a cozy little beach for just the two of us and spent a couple of hours soaking in the sun and the scenery. We enjoyed it so much (except for the sunburn I got... bad one!) that we'd like to make the effort to get out a little more often. A two bedroom, third floor apartment can become a bit stifling at times, yanno?
Kalamalka Lake, the jewel of the Okanagan. It isn't visible in these photos, but the lake, seen from other vantage points, is a gorgeous jade green and deep blue. One day, I'll get a good picture of the lake, with it's colours.
The arrow points to the clump of trees where we enjoyed our afternoon. And a just-for-fun picture...
I love that button! It's a little difficult to see, but it's a seahorse, and it goes perfectly with the yarn. Before you ask, I don't remember the name of the yarn; it's a skein I won a while back and I've not had the opportunity to do anything with it till now. That's not exactly true. I've had plenty of opportunity, but not the right project. It's a lovely, soft yarn to work with, fingering weight, and the colour is amazing.
Oh, you'd like to see the rest? Of course.
This was knitted from the top down (รก la Barbara Walker), with no seams. The only thing I had to use a needle for was weaving in the ends. The lacy stitch is the little arrowhead pattern (also from Barbara Walker). I used a 3.25 mm circular needle for the body and double pointeds for the sleeves. Simple, fast, fun and, I think, cute.
And, yes, I have been working on shawls as well, but the progress is slow on all four. Working one or two rounds on the pi shawl really doesn't make for great pictures. By next week, most likely, all of my works in progress will have to be put aside for a very special project. I'll tell you all about it when the supplies arrive, but it will definitely be special. I've been told already that once started, the upcoming project will be the only one I can work on, until it's completion.
Last Sunday, as I intimated, we did go to Kalamalka Lake for the afternoon. It was wonderfully relaxing. We took along a picnic lunch, some libation, and no sunscreen, found a cozy little beach for just the two of us and spent a couple of hours soaking in the sun and the scenery. We enjoyed it so much (except for the sunburn I got... bad one!) that we'd like to make the effort to get out a little more often. A two bedroom, third floor apartment can become a bit stifling at times, yanno?
Kalamalka Lake, the jewel of the Okanagan. It isn't visible in these photos, but the lake, seen from other vantage points, is a gorgeous jade green and deep blue. One day, I'll get a good picture of the lake, with it's colours.
The arrow points to the clump of trees where we enjoyed our afternoon. And a just-for-fun picture...
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The No Post Post
There's not much to blog about this week, so I won't. The weather's warm, it's going to get warmer. We're taking a picnic lunch to Kalamalka Lake and finding a spot to relax and enjoy the sun and the water.
See you next week, when there will, hopefully, be something to blog about.
See you next week, when there will, hopefully, be something to blog about.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Knot Much Knitting
There hasn't been much knitting chez Skae this past week. Yes, there has been some; I've worked about two rounds on the Orkney Pi shawl, but that doesn't make for great photography. My time this week has been spent mainly on visiting with family, namely my daughter, Kristen, and my granddaughter, Trinity. We've made some wonderful memories and got to know the four year old Trinity. There will be pictures, but I have to sort through them, process and then upload them. That will happen, just not today. Right now, they're camping with Kristen's Dad and Stepmom and will be heading home tomorrow.
I do have some knitting related content, though. This morning, I walked over to the bakery at the corner, and popped into the thrift store on the way. I came across two things that I just HAD to purchase. By the time I walked out the door, I'd spent a grand sum of $3.00.
I love these! The packaging reads "Smooth Fingertip Aluminum Alloy Pins for Hand Knitting". They're 7", size 12, which is 2.75 mm or US 2. The back of the packaging tells me they were manufactured by Aviation Products Co., Montreal, Canada. Doing a Google search hasn't brought up anything, but I've only just started looking. I'll let you know if I find out anything interesting. I paid $1.00 (originally the lady working in the shop asked for 50 cents, but when I commented that they looked heirloom, she upped the price.....oh well... still a good deal, I think). Oh, and there are seven needles in the package. Very unusual for nowadays. The other two dollars went to purchase this..
"Charted Knitting Designs" by Barbara G. Walker. Today, it's known as "Charted Knitting Designs, a Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns", which I have already, in soft cover. This is the 1972 hard cover edition, published by Scribners. Even though I now have two copies, should I have walked away from it? I think not! For $2.00, I'll gladly keep an extra copy in my library!
Edited to add: I did a more in-depth search on the knitting needles and found some information here; especially relevant is the second paragraph of the Summary. So, the needles are from some time in the early 40's to the 50's, I'm guessing. Cool!
I do have some knitting related content, though. This morning, I walked over to the bakery at the corner, and popped into the thrift store on the way. I came across two things that I just HAD to purchase. By the time I walked out the door, I'd spent a grand sum of $3.00.
(click to see larger image)
I love these! The packaging reads "Smooth Fingertip Aluminum Alloy Pins for Hand Knitting". They're 7", size 12, which is 2.75 mm or US 2. The back of the packaging tells me they were manufactured by Aviation Products Co., Montreal, Canada. Doing a Google search hasn't brought up anything, but I've only just started looking. I'll let you know if I find out anything interesting. I paid $1.00 (originally the lady working in the shop asked for 50 cents, but when I commented that they looked heirloom, she upped the price.....oh well... still a good deal, I think). Oh, and there are seven needles in the package. Very unusual for nowadays. The other two dollars went to purchase this..
"Charted Knitting Designs" by Barbara G. Walker. Today, it's known as "Charted Knitting Designs, a Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns", which I have already, in soft cover. This is the 1972 hard cover edition, published by Scribners. Even though I now have two copies, should I have walked away from it? I think not! For $2.00, I'll gladly keep an extra copy in my library!
Edited to add: I did a more in-depth search on the knitting needles and found some information here; especially relevant is the second paragraph of the Summary. So, the needles are from some time in the early 40's to the 50's, I'm guessing. Cool!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The Blob Grows
This shawl is going to be big! As of yesterday, I've completed tworepeats of section three and, when stretched, it's already about 4 feet.
It's an enjoyable knit. At this stage, the knitting is almost rhythmic, soothing. In the words of the McDonald's ads... I'm loving it!
Tuesday is Canada Day (akin to the american 4th of July). I've got Monday and Tuesday off. My daughter and granddaughter will be arriving here within the next couple of hours and we'll have the chance to spend some time together before she goes camping with her stepmom on Wednesday. Life is good!
It's an enjoyable knit. At this stage, the knitting is almost rhythmic, soothing. In the words of the McDonald's ads... I'm loving it!
Tuesday is Canada Day (akin to the american 4th of July). I've got Monday and Tuesday off. My daughter and granddaughter will be arriving here within the next couple of hours and we'll have the chance to spend some time together before she goes camping with her stepmom on Wednesday. Life is good!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
This and That
I'm certifiable. I'm addicted to lace knitting, no question about it. Either that, or I have knitter's ADD. It doesn't really matter, does it? At least, I'm creating something beautiful.
So, what did I do now? Well, I finally cast on (for the second time) the Orkney Pi Shawl. A few months ago, I joined a knitalong for this shawl, started it in laceweight hemp, made a mistake somewhere, couldn't find it, frogged it and put the yarn back into the stash. This time, it's progressing very well and I'm really enjoying the process.
Right now, it doesn't look like much. It's a blob. It's going to be a large blob. One woman blocked hers out at 9' across. That's a big shawl! The yarn I'm using is, once again, the Jarbo Garn Gastrike Lace 1 tr (ply). For shawls, I really love this yarn. It's almost like a handspun; you can tell by feeling it that it's wool, but once blocked, it's quite soft, with lots of body. This is the third shawl I've used this yarn for (Icelandic shawl, my Evolution Pi shawl, and now this one).
If you'd like to see what the Orkney Pi shawl will look like when finished, click here. This shawl was designed by Liz Lovick of Northern Lace, and is comprised of traditional Orkney motifs. The lace itself isn't as open as most because these shawls were meant to be worn and used by the Orkney women. They were functional, rather than dressy. I like that.
This morning, someone on Ravelry posted an interesting link to a turn of the (previous) century publication that's been scanned and posted to the worldwide web. I've read through a few pages and intend to spend more time exploring this document; it's fascinating. It's meant for the ladies of the time, and contains knit and crochet patterns and information, as well as recipes for their toilette (or as is written, the toilet). Check it out here. Pretty cool!
And finally, I have a list of blogs I like to read and one of my favourites has got to be Franklin Habit's "The Panopticon". This past week, he wrote a post about this obsession that is knitting (at least, it's an obsession for some of us). It's a post worth sharing and I would direct you to this post. Click here. Share it with any golfers you know (read the post!).
See you next time. I'm off to create something beautiful.
So, what did I do now? Well, I finally cast on (for the second time) the Orkney Pi Shawl. A few months ago, I joined a knitalong for this shawl, started it in laceweight hemp, made a mistake somewhere, couldn't find it, frogged it and put the yarn back into the stash. This time, it's progressing very well and I'm really enjoying the process.
Right now, it doesn't look like much. It's a blob. It's going to be a large blob. One woman blocked hers out at 9' across. That's a big shawl! The yarn I'm using is, once again, the Jarbo Garn Gastrike Lace 1 tr (ply). For shawls, I really love this yarn. It's almost like a handspun; you can tell by feeling it that it's wool, but once blocked, it's quite soft, with lots of body. This is the third shawl I've used this yarn for (Icelandic shawl, my Evolution Pi shawl, and now this one).
If you'd like to see what the Orkney Pi shawl will look like when finished, click here. This shawl was designed by Liz Lovick of Northern Lace, and is comprised of traditional Orkney motifs. The lace itself isn't as open as most because these shawls were meant to be worn and used by the Orkney women. They were functional, rather than dressy. I like that.
This morning, someone on Ravelry posted an interesting link to a turn of the (previous) century publication that's been scanned and posted to the worldwide web. I've read through a few pages and intend to spend more time exploring this document; it's fascinating. It's meant for the ladies of the time, and contains knit and crochet patterns and information, as well as recipes for their toilette (or as is written, the toilet). Check it out here. Pretty cool!
And finally, I have a list of blogs I like to read and one of my favourites has got to be Franklin Habit's "The Panopticon". This past week, he wrote a post about this obsession that is knitting (at least, it's an obsession for some of us). It's a post worth sharing and I would direct you to this post. Click here. Share it with any golfers you know (read the post!).
See you next time. I'm off to create something beautiful.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Buried Treasure or Fool's Gold?
When I left work today, I popped into the Bibles for Missions store in the same complex as the shop. I went straight for the section where all the craft stuff is located, and found this....
What is it? One pound and 5.75 ounces of cobweb weight yarn. The colour? eh! Not the prettiest, but that's easily remedied, right? So, what does cobweb weight really look like compared to other yarn? I'll show you.
The green yarn is the KnitPicks Shadow Lace, regular lace weight yarn. The light coloured thread is the cobweb weight. It's like thread, sewing thread! We're talking FINE in all caps!
The best part of this find, though? (Incidentally, this next pic is closest to the actual colour.)
Fifty cents. Half a dollar. Treasure? Or Fool's Gold?
What is it? One pound and 5.75 ounces of cobweb weight yarn. The colour? eh! Not the prettiest, but that's easily remedied, right? So, what does cobweb weight really look like compared to other yarn? I'll show you.
The green yarn is the KnitPicks Shadow Lace, regular lace weight yarn. The light coloured thread is the cobweb weight. It's like thread, sewing thread! We're talking FINE in all caps!
The best part of this find, though? (Incidentally, this next pic is closest to the actual colour.)
Fifty cents. Half a dollar. Treasure? Or Fool's Gold?
Monday, June 16, 2008
I Swatched! I Swatched!
It's not something I do often (shhh.. don't tell the knitting police). For the second Swallowtail shawl, though, I wanted to know how the beads will work with the yarn. Would they be too heavy? What combination of beads would work best?
So, I swatched.
I worked two pattern repeats. On one, over the 5 nupp pattern, I incorporated 3 medium beads and two small beads. On the other, I used two large beads, two medium beads and one small bead.
Here's what I've decided so far. First, these beads aren't glass, so weight doesn't seem to be an issue. The swatch has been blocked and holds up quite nicely, even with all those beads. Second, I like the combination of all three sizes of beads (on the left) better than just using the two sizes (on the right).
What do you think?
So, I swatched.
I worked two pattern repeats. On one, over the 5 nupp pattern, I incorporated 3 medium beads and two small beads. On the other, I used two large beads, two medium beads and one small bead.
Here's what I've decided so far. First, these beads aren't glass, so weight doesn't seem to be an issue. The swatch has been blocked and holds up quite nicely, even with all those beads. Second, I like the combination of all three sizes of beads (on the left) better than just using the two sizes (on the right).
What do you think?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
This, so far, has been a great weekend. John picked me up from work on Friday and asked if there was anything I had to do at the apartment. After a negative response from me (that is, I said no, nothing), he said that was a good thing because we weren't going home. Instead, we picked up a bottle of wine, ordered a pizza and went to our favourite spot in Kelowna, the Sibell Maude-Roxby sanctuary. We ate pizza and drank wine out of to-go mugs at the very spot where we were married almost four years ago (June 28). (click here to see the pics)
The wind was really whipping up the water and it almost felt as if we were in the prow of a boat. As we wandered through the sanctuary marvelling at how high the water is and how serene the inner sanctuary was compared to the wildness of the lake, I realized that it was for the little things like this that I so love this man. Neither of us is perfect and I'm sure he gets as frustrated with me at times as I do with him, but no one can deny that this man is a romantic at heart and I love him for it.
Then yesterday, he went to work for a few hours and I had plenty of time to putter around, doing some cleaning and lots of knitting. The Heartland Shawl (in the grey yarn) has been frogged; well, at least as much of it as I could frog. When the yarn became a tangle, I simply tossed it. It was not going well. The grey of the yarn and the "stick" of the yarn, combined with a pattern that needs constant diligence finally did me in. Even in frogging back to the lifeline, I somehow ended up one stitch out.
I went stash diving and came up with another yarn, restarted and am now farther along than I was just that morning. Here's how it's looking now...
The yarn I'm using now is Louet Gems Pearl, a fingering weight 100% merino wool in a colour called Ginger; I'm still using the 4.0 mm needles. This is knitting up much better and it's still an earthy colour, which is what I wanted for this pattern. The pattern is made up of two lace patterns, the bison track pattern and the river of life edging. I think the ginger colour is just right. At the moment, like most lace, it doesn't look like much at all, but, once blocked, it will be very nice.
Apparently my mom reads my blog when she visits my sister, so I won't be showing the completed, blocked shawl until Mom's got it in hand. She should be the first to see it complete, don't you think?
Because the Heartland Shawl demands concentration, I couldn't work on it with John home, so I've been alternating between Icarus and the second Swallowtail shawl. Icarus is in the last repeat of the first (striped) section and I'll be starting the edging next. At least, I think I will. When I stretch the shawl out to see approximately what size it is, from the center of the neck to the outer edge is more than half my "wingspan", so I'm pretty sure it's big enough. There's no need for me to skimp on yarn as I still have the leftovers from the previous incarnation of Icarus. I haven't taken any pictures of Icarus at this point because it is, in all honesty, a boring piece of work right now. There's nothing interesting to take pictures of, just a mass of stripes.
I've also been working on the green Swallowtail. I do have pictures of this one, if only to show you the colour. The pictures in my last post did absolutely no justice to the colour. These pictures show the colour much better.
I will have to work quite a few more increases of the budding lace pattern to make this shawl a decent size. At this point, I've worked 13 repeats of the pattern and the pattern calls for 14 repeats. It's tiny. Really tiny.
Thank goodness for Ravelry. I've been doing some researching and reading about how others have increased the size of this shawl and, thanks to the work of others, I now know that, in order for the edging to work out correctly, I need to work increments of five repeats of the budding lace pattern. Others who've made the shawl larger have also added more repeats of the lily of the valley section, but I don't think I'll do that. I don't think it will be necessary; the edging, as is, is large enough for the shawl.
The one concern I do have is that the beads I'm planning to replace the nupps with may be too heavy for the shawl. I think I'll have to swatch (ack, the dreaded swatch!) the lily of the valley section with beads to see how it will turn out. Thankfully, I bought three skeins of this yarn (I love KnitPicks!), so I do have plenty.
On a final note, today is Father's Day. Though he'll never read this, Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you and I miss you, the man you were.
The wind was really whipping up the water and it almost felt as if we were in the prow of a boat. As we wandered through the sanctuary marvelling at how high the water is and how serene the inner sanctuary was compared to the wildness of the lake, I realized that it was for the little things like this that I so love this man. Neither of us is perfect and I'm sure he gets as frustrated with me at times as I do with him, but no one can deny that this man is a romantic at heart and I love him for it.
Then yesterday, he went to work for a few hours and I had plenty of time to putter around, doing some cleaning and lots of knitting. The Heartland Shawl (in the grey yarn) has been frogged; well, at least as much of it as I could frog. When the yarn became a tangle, I simply tossed it. It was not going well. The grey of the yarn and the "stick" of the yarn, combined with a pattern that needs constant diligence finally did me in. Even in frogging back to the lifeline, I somehow ended up one stitch out.
I went stash diving and came up with another yarn, restarted and am now farther along than I was just that morning. Here's how it's looking now...
The yarn I'm using now is Louet Gems Pearl, a fingering weight 100% merino wool in a colour called Ginger; I'm still using the 4.0 mm needles. This is knitting up much better and it's still an earthy colour, which is what I wanted for this pattern. The pattern is made up of two lace patterns, the bison track pattern and the river of life edging. I think the ginger colour is just right. At the moment, like most lace, it doesn't look like much at all, but, once blocked, it will be very nice.
Apparently my mom reads my blog when she visits my sister, so I won't be showing the completed, blocked shawl until Mom's got it in hand. She should be the first to see it complete, don't you think?
Because the Heartland Shawl demands concentration, I couldn't work on it with John home, so I've been alternating between Icarus and the second Swallowtail shawl. Icarus is in the last repeat of the first (striped) section and I'll be starting the edging next. At least, I think I will. When I stretch the shawl out to see approximately what size it is, from the center of the neck to the outer edge is more than half my "wingspan", so I'm pretty sure it's big enough. There's no need for me to skimp on yarn as I still have the leftovers from the previous incarnation of Icarus. I haven't taken any pictures of Icarus at this point because it is, in all honesty, a boring piece of work right now. There's nothing interesting to take pictures of, just a mass of stripes.
I've also been working on the green Swallowtail. I do have pictures of this one, if only to show you the colour. The pictures in my last post did absolutely no justice to the colour. These pictures show the colour much better.
I will have to work quite a few more increases of the budding lace pattern to make this shawl a decent size. At this point, I've worked 13 repeats of the pattern and the pattern calls for 14 repeats. It's tiny. Really tiny.
Thank goodness for Ravelry. I've been doing some researching and reading about how others have increased the size of this shawl and, thanks to the work of others, I now know that, in order for the edging to work out correctly, I need to work increments of five repeats of the budding lace pattern. Others who've made the shawl larger have also added more repeats of the lily of the valley section, but I don't think I'll do that. I don't think it will be necessary; the edging, as is, is large enough for the shawl.
The one concern I do have is that the beads I'm planning to replace the nupps with may be too heavy for the shawl. I think I'll have to swatch (ack, the dreaded swatch!) the lily of the valley section with beads to see how it will turn out. Thankfully, I bought three skeins of this yarn (I love KnitPicks!), so I do have plenty.
On a final note, today is Father's Day. Though he'll never read this, Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you and I miss you, the man you were.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Tagged
As mentioned in yesterday's post, I've been tagged by Rob with a meme. I don't usually respond to these, as most of them seem rather silly to me. This one, however, seemed a bit more interesting, a sharing of more personal information. And, so, I decided to participate. Here we go...
The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was an unhappy housewife, working part time in a print shop and preparing for separation. I left at the end of August that year.
2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
-Lace class (I’m the teacher)
-Do some grocery shopping with John
-Knit a bit
-Visit John’s step-sister?? (We've been trying to get together for a couple of weeks now)
-Blog. :)
3) Snacks I enjoy:
Cheetos, Fresh, hot-buttered popcorn, potato chips, cheetos (yes, I know, I’m a junk food junkie)
4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
-Set up an education trust fund for my children and grandchildren
-Travel
-Build a nice (not big, just nice) home on an acreage somewhere, making sure it has a functional and inspirational crafts/art room
5) Places I have lived:
Winnipeg, Manitoba; Abbotsford, BC; Calgary, Alberta, Kamloops, BC; Kelowna, BC
6) Jobs I have had:
-Deli clerk
-Janitor of my church
-Secretary/receptionist
-Craft store manager
-Bindery/graphics person in a print shop
There you have it. I, in response, will be tagging Gloria, Robbyn, Lisa, Omly, and Ari
The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was an unhappy housewife, working part time in a print shop and preparing for separation. I left at the end of August that year.
2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
-Lace class (I’m the teacher)
-Do some grocery shopping with John
-Knit a bit
-Visit John’s step-sister?? (We've been trying to get together for a couple of weeks now)
-Blog. :)
3) Snacks I enjoy:
Cheetos, Fresh, hot-buttered popcorn, potato chips, cheetos (yes, I know, I’m a junk food junkie)
4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
-Set up an education trust fund for my children and grandchildren
-Travel
-Build a nice (not big, just nice) home on an acreage somewhere, making sure it has a functional and inspirational crafts/art room
5) Places I have lived:
Winnipeg, Manitoba; Abbotsford, BC; Calgary, Alberta, Kamloops, BC; Kelowna, BC
6) Jobs I have had:
-Deli clerk
-Janitor of my church
-Secretary/receptionist
-Craft store manager
-Bindery/graphics person in a print shop
There you have it. I, in response, will be tagging Gloria, Robbyn, Lisa, Omly, and Ari
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Where does the time go?
I just realized that I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks; time has flown! The knitting is going well. Icarus has 6 completed repeats; there's really no point in showing you because it's still in the striped section, nothing interesting to see. It's become my tv knitting because, at this stage, it's relatively mindless.
The Heartland Shawl, for my mother, is moving more slowly. The pattern is not intuitive (even the designer, Evelyn Clark, agrees... I'm in a Ravelry KAL for this shawl, and she's involved in it as well), the yarn is dark and it just isn't easy to see the individual stitches. I may yet decide to scrap this one in favour of a different pattern. We'll see. Right now, I've completed one repeat and the first two rows of the second repeat. I'm out by one stitch. I assume it's a missed yarn over, but I can't find it so I'll have to tink back the two rows. *sigh*
This little lovely, though, is moving right along.
The picture does not do justice to the yarn. It's a lovely leaf green. The pattern is Evelyn Clark's Swallowtail Shawl, my second go at this pattern. It's a very comfortable knit, easy to read, easy to memorize. The beads are for the lily of the valley section. Instead of nupps, I'll be using beads; I had planned on using pearl beads, but thought they might be a little too stark. These beads are opalescent and look very nice on the green. There are three sizes of beads in the packet I bought, and there are five nupps in each pattern repeat, so I've decided to use 2 large beads, 2 medium beads and 1 small bead for each repeat.
The yarn, as you can see, is KnitPicks Shadow, 100% merino laceweight yarn. I love this yarn! I love the colour, I love the texture. Did you happen to notice the needles? Yep, I got me some KP Harmony needles and I love them! They're pretty. They're slick, with just the right amount of grab for lace knitting. I highly recommend these needles.
This week, I was tagged for a meme (how do you pronounce that, anyway? Me-Me? Mem?). I have my answers ready to go, but I don't want to post an insanely long post today. I have to decide who else to tag as well, and I haven't yet. This is one of the few memes that I have decided to participate in, as the questions are more interesting and reflective. I'll try to post it tomorrow.
One last thing. For anyone interested, yesterday John took a bunch of pictures at the college, where he's one of the gardeners. This morning, I showed him how to upload the pictures and make photo albums on Picture Trail. If you'd like to see some of his handiwork, and where he works, feel free to peruse the pictures here (or there) ----> click here.
Now, it's time for some food and then back to knitting!
The Heartland Shawl, for my mother, is moving more slowly. The pattern is not intuitive (even the designer, Evelyn Clark, agrees... I'm in a Ravelry KAL for this shawl, and she's involved in it as well), the yarn is dark and it just isn't easy to see the individual stitches. I may yet decide to scrap this one in favour of a different pattern. We'll see. Right now, I've completed one repeat and the first two rows of the second repeat. I'm out by one stitch. I assume it's a missed yarn over, but I can't find it so I'll have to tink back the two rows. *sigh*
This little lovely, though, is moving right along.
The picture does not do justice to the yarn. It's a lovely leaf green. The pattern is Evelyn Clark's Swallowtail Shawl, my second go at this pattern. It's a very comfortable knit, easy to read, easy to memorize. The beads are for the lily of the valley section. Instead of nupps, I'll be using beads; I had planned on using pearl beads, but thought they might be a little too stark. These beads are opalescent and look very nice on the green. There are three sizes of beads in the packet I bought, and there are five nupps in each pattern repeat, so I've decided to use 2 large beads, 2 medium beads and 1 small bead for each repeat.
The yarn, as you can see, is KnitPicks Shadow, 100% merino laceweight yarn. I love this yarn! I love the colour, I love the texture. Did you happen to notice the needles? Yep, I got me some KP Harmony needles and I love them! They're pretty. They're slick, with just the right amount of grab for lace knitting. I highly recommend these needles.
This week, I was tagged for a meme (how do you pronounce that, anyway? Me-Me? Mem?). I have my answers ready to go, but I don't want to post an insanely long post today. I have to decide who else to tag as well, and I haven't yet. This is one of the few memes that I have decided to participate in, as the questions are more interesting and reflective. I'll try to post it tomorrow.
One last thing. For anyone interested, yesterday John took a bunch of pictures at the college, where he's one of the gardeners. This morning, I showed him how to upload the pictures and make photo albums on Picture Trail. If you'd like to see some of his handiwork, and where he works, feel free to peruse the pictures here (or there) ----> click here.
Now, it's time for some food and then back to knitting!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Just Call Me Crazy
With two shawls just recently off the needles, I had to get something started. Right? It's not like I have nothing else to work on, but, for some reason I just have to have some lace going. I did say that I'd be starting Icarus again... and I did.
Even though I woke up with a blinding headache on Saturday, I cast on and got Icarus off to a great start. For those of you who may not remember, I knitted Icarus once before, about two years ago now, I think. Once it was off the needles, I discovered two small holes in the center of the shawl. I was able to repair one of the holes, but the second one was beyond me, so I frogged the entire shawl. Fortunately, when I had purchased the yarn (Jaggerspun Zephyr wool/silk blend), I'd bought two balls. That means I have more than enough to remake the shawl.
As of last night, here's how it's looking...
This part of the shawl is pretty close to being mindless, which makes it perfect for Stanley Cup playoff watching (great first game, wasn't it??). I'm loving the rhythm of this shawl, at this point. I know once I get to the edging, it will demand more concentration, but by that time the playoffs will be over and I'll be able to give it the time it needs. And, having knitted this shawl before, I know what to expect. Piece of cake.
Then, again, because I finished TWO shawls in the last two weeks, I cast on for another one. See? Crazy!
I read about this one in Ravelry and found a knitalong for it as well, so I decided it would be the perfect shawl for my mom (if any of my sisters, or family, are reading this DON'T TELL MOM!!). She knows I was planning on knitting a shawl for her; she promised she'd wear it while watching tv in the evenings, when she gets chilly. That's good enough for me. (I'm actually knitting two shawls for her... this one and a very plain, cushy one out of a boucle yarn from Michael's... no, I won't post pictures of that one.. it's very plain, trust me.)
Anyway, it's Evelyn A. Clark's Heartland Lace Shawl, a free download on Evelyn's website. I'm using the leftover Jarbogarn Gastrike 1 ply lace weight yarn, leftover from the Evolution Pi Shawl. So far, I've completed one repeat and I really like it (it will be difficult to part with it, I'm thinking). This one does demand concentration, but it will be worth it; it certainly isn't a difficult pattern to follow and Evelyn writes her patterns well. It has both charts and written instructions, including directions for making the shawl larger.
Here's the Heartland Lace shawl after one completed repeat...
Told you I'm crazy, but I do love laceknitting. It gives so much satisfaction.... and there's no sewing anything together!
Back to my knitting. I was going to go to work today, but, while waiting for the bus, my neck went ping and gave me an instant migraine. I'm on muscle relaxants right now (so, if there are typos, blame them on the meds) so, hopefully, I'll be okay to work tomorrow. For today, I'm just taking it very easy... knitting.
Even though I woke up with a blinding headache on Saturday, I cast on and got Icarus off to a great start. For those of you who may not remember, I knitted Icarus once before, about two years ago now, I think. Once it was off the needles, I discovered two small holes in the center of the shawl. I was able to repair one of the holes, but the second one was beyond me, so I frogged the entire shawl. Fortunately, when I had purchased the yarn (Jaggerspun Zephyr wool/silk blend), I'd bought two balls. That means I have more than enough to remake the shawl.
As of last night, here's how it's looking...
This part of the shawl is pretty close to being mindless, which makes it perfect for Stanley Cup playoff watching (great first game, wasn't it??). I'm loving the rhythm of this shawl, at this point. I know once I get to the edging, it will demand more concentration, but by that time the playoffs will be over and I'll be able to give it the time it needs. And, having knitted this shawl before, I know what to expect. Piece of cake.
Then, again, because I finished TWO shawls in the last two weeks, I cast on for another one. See? Crazy!
I read about this one in Ravelry and found a knitalong for it as well, so I decided it would be the perfect shawl for my mom (if any of my sisters, or family, are reading this DON'T TELL MOM!!). She knows I was planning on knitting a shawl for her; she promised she'd wear it while watching tv in the evenings, when she gets chilly. That's good enough for me. (I'm actually knitting two shawls for her... this one and a very plain, cushy one out of a boucle yarn from Michael's... no, I won't post pictures of that one.. it's very plain, trust me.)
Anyway, it's Evelyn A. Clark's Heartland Lace Shawl, a free download on Evelyn's website. I'm using the leftover Jarbogarn Gastrike 1 ply lace weight yarn, leftover from the Evolution Pi Shawl. So far, I've completed one repeat and I really like it (it will be difficult to part with it, I'm thinking). This one does demand concentration, but it will be worth it; it certainly isn't a difficult pattern to follow and Evelyn writes her patterns well. It has both charts and written instructions, including directions for making the shawl larger.
Here's the Heartland Lace shawl after one completed repeat...
Told you I'm crazy, but I do love laceknitting. It gives so much satisfaction.... and there's no sewing anything together!
Back to my knitting. I was going to go to work today, but, while waiting for the bus, my neck went ping and gave me an instant migraine. I'm on muscle relaxants right now (so, if there are typos, blame them on the meds) so, hopefully, I'll be okay to work tomorrow. For today, I'm just taking it very easy... knitting.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
One More FO
Finally, the Pi Are Squared shawl is off the needles! It's been a long go of it, especially the border. Here it is, on a queen sized bed, with my glasses on it for the sake of comparison. It's not a small shawl!
Interestingly, when I had it off the needles, John said he might just claim this one as his own. He loves the colours, loves the texture, loves the drape... just plain old loves it! I must say that the garter stitch does give this shawl a nice cushy feel. It's very cozy. It sits well on the shoulders and comes down far enough on the back to feel very comfy and warm.
The yarn is Sirdar's Country Style DK (75% acrylic, 25% wool), worked on a 4.5 mm needle (US 7?). I started it in February and finished it this week. I haven't blocked it since it is mostly acrylic (talk about stash busting!), but I may need to block it slightly as I don't like the ruffled effect of the last increase section. That's easily done with a damp towel and some steam.
Now, I'm off to knit some more. I've just re-started Icarus (the first one was frogged after I discovered small holes that I couldn't repair... remember?) in the same yarn, a copper coloured Jaggerspun Zephyr. It's moving along quite nicely already. And, I'm going to watch the hockey game, the first in the final series of the run for the Stanley Cup, between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Should be a good series!
Interestingly, when I had it off the needles, John said he might just claim this one as his own. He loves the colours, loves the texture, loves the drape... just plain old loves it! I must say that the garter stitch does give this shawl a nice cushy feel. It's very cozy. It sits well on the shoulders and comes down far enough on the back to feel very comfy and warm.
The yarn is Sirdar's Country Style DK (75% acrylic, 25% wool), worked on a 4.5 mm needle (US 7?). I started it in February and finished it this week. I haven't blocked it since it is mostly acrylic (talk about stash busting!), but I may need to block it slightly as I don't like the ruffled effect of the last increase section. That's easily done with a damp towel and some steam.
Now, I'm off to knit some more. I've just re-started Icarus (the first one was frogged after I discovered small holes that I couldn't repair... remember?) in the same yarn, a copper coloured Jaggerspun Zephyr. It's moving along quite nicely already. And, I'm going to watch the hockey game, the first in the final series of the run for the Stanley Cup, between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Should be a good series!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
An FO, finally!
It feels like a long time since I've finished anything. Well, today I have a finished object to share with you. Evelyn A. Clark's Swallowtail Shawl is off the needles.
And for the sake of comparison, here is the shawl before blocking...
I tried, intentionally, to take these sets of pictures in the same position and the same detail just to show what a difference blocking makes. I know that those of you who knit lace know that blocking is what brings your lace to life; it's just such a dramatic difference!
The project details: I started this shawl on May 4 (thanks to notes on Ravelry!) and finished it on May 17... that's just shy of two weeks from start to finish. In other words, it wasn't a difficult pattern. I used Fleece Artist Merino, 100% wool, 26 st/4" on 4.0 mm (US 6) Knitpicks Options circular needle. The shawl blocked out to 49" x 25", not a large shawl, but the perfect size for a shoulder shawl/scarf.
The one thing I can't tell you about this yarn is the colourway number. It didn't have one. It is hand-dyed, that's all I know.
I will definitely knit this pattern again, with a few changes. First, I won't be doing the nupps on the next one. I'd like to knit it in a lily of the valley green (already ordered), using pearly beads in the lily of the valley border, mimicking the look of the actual flower. I think that would look really pretty. I would also make it bigger, working more repeats of the main "bud" section. As long as you begin the border section with a multiple of 10 in the actual shawl section (excluding the first and last 2 edge stitches), the pattern will work. Speaking of the first and last edge stitches, I started the shawl with 3 edge stitches rather than 2, the only change I made to this shawl.
Now, it's time to enjoy the remainder of this long weekend... a much needed and appreciated break!
P.S. I almost forgot! For the time being, my free patterns are unavailable. MediaMax has decided to do a name change and a move and, because I have the free membership, deleted all my files. I do have them all here, on a disk, but I will need some time to upload them all and get the posts back up again. I think I'll use the webspace provided by my cable company to set up a web page of my own rather than using Blogger for the free patterns, once I have time to get it all up and running. I will happen, but not today. In the meantime, if there are any patterns you'd like, please feel free to email me and ask.
And for the sake of comparison, here is the shawl before blocking...
I tried, intentionally, to take these sets of pictures in the same position and the same detail just to show what a difference blocking makes. I know that those of you who knit lace know that blocking is what brings your lace to life; it's just such a dramatic difference!
The project details: I started this shawl on May 4 (thanks to notes on Ravelry!) and finished it on May 17... that's just shy of two weeks from start to finish. In other words, it wasn't a difficult pattern. I used Fleece Artist Merino, 100% wool, 26 st/4" on 4.0 mm (US 6) Knitpicks Options circular needle. The shawl blocked out to 49" x 25", not a large shawl, but the perfect size for a shoulder shawl/scarf.
The one thing I can't tell you about this yarn is the colourway number. It didn't have one. It is hand-dyed, that's all I know.
I will definitely knit this pattern again, with a few changes. First, I won't be doing the nupps on the next one. I'd like to knit it in a lily of the valley green (already ordered), using pearly beads in the lily of the valley border, mimicking the look of the actual flower. I think that would look really pretty. I would also make it bigger, working more repeats of the main "bud" section. As long as you begin the border section with a multiple of 10 in the actual shawl section (excluding the first and last 2 edge stitches), the pattern will work. Speaking of the first and last edge stitches, I started the shawl with 3 edge stitches rather than 2, the only change I made to this shawl.
Now, it's time to enjoy the remainder of this long weekend... a much needed and appreciated break!
P.S. I almost forgot! For the time being, my free patterns are unavailable. MediaMax has decided to do a name change and a move and, because I have the free membership, deleted all my files. I do have them all here, on a disk, but I will need some time to upload them all and get the posts back up again. I think I'll use the webspace provided by my cable company to set up a web page of my own rather than using Blogger for the free patterns, once I have time to get it all up and running. I will happen, but not today. In the meantime, if there are any patterns you'd like, please feel free to email me and ask.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Spring Rains and Swallowtails
Last week, we had gorgeous weather. Today, it's gray and yucky. A perfect knitting day, for sure!
I've been doing a few rows here and there on the Swallowtail shawl; I've now completed the main body of the shawl and have also gotten through the first Lily of the Valley chart. That leaves one repeat of the second Lily of the Valley chart (12 rows) and the edging chart.
I was surprised to find out that I really hadn't read the pattern very carefully before starting; it contains nupps. I don't like nupps. At least, I didn't like nupps in laceweight yarn.
The arrows are pointing at some of the nupps. In this yarn, I don't mind them at all. As long as I make the increased stitches rather loosely, I don't have too much difficulty in purling the 5 stitches together on the wrong side. Using Knitpicks Options needles helps, too. Have I mentioned how much I love my Options needles? So far, they are THE best for lace knitting, even better than the Addi Lace needles, which make my fingers smell like copper, not to mention the price. I really, really want to get more of the KP needles!
While grazing through some Ravelry discussions this morning, I came across one that was discussing preferred colours for lace knitting. If you had asked me that question two weeks ago, I would have said that I preferred lighter colours for lace, colours that reflect nature. One of my favourite shawls is in autumn shades, copper, green, gold; another fave is a natural white. The Swallowtail shawl, in it's gorgeous jewel tones, is really wowing me. The colours are vibrant, strong. And I love how it's working up into this shawl.
The pattern... it isn't a difficult pattern. The nupps are the most difficult part of the entire pattern (so far, and I don't anticipate anything more daunting than the nupps), so I would heartily recommend the pattern for anyone wanting a fun, not too challenging shawl pattern.
I've been doing a few rows here and there on the Swallowtail shawl; I've now completed the main body of the shawl and have also gotten through the first Lily of the Valley chart. That leaves one repeat of the second Lily of the Valley chart (12 rows) and the edging chart.
I was surprised to find out that I really hadn't read the pattern very carefully before starting; it contains nupps. I don't like nupps. At least, I didn't like nupps in laceweight yarn.
The arrows are pointing at some of the nupps. In this yarn, I don't mind them at all. As long as I make the increased stitches rather loosely, I don't have too much difficulty in purling the 5 stitches together on the wrong side. Using Knitpicks Options needles helps, too. Have I mentioned how much I love my Options needles? So far, they are THE best for lace knitting, even better than the Addi Lace needles, which make my fingers smell like copper, not to mention the price. I really, really want to get more of the KP needles!
While grazing through some Ravelry discussions this morning, I came across one that was discussing preferred colours for lace knitting. If you had asked me that question two weeks ago, I would have said that I preferred lighter colours for lace, colours that reflect nature. One of my favourite shawls is in autumn shades, copper, green, gold; another fave is a natural white. The Swallowtail shawl, in it's gorgeous jewel tones, is really wowing me. The colours are vibrant, strong. And I love how it's working up into this shawl.
The pattern... it isn't a difficult pattern. The nupps are the most difficult part of the entire pattern (so far, and I don't anticipate anything more daunting than the nupps), so I would heartily recommend the pattern for anyone wanting a fun, not too challenging shawl pattern.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
May, and Finally Spring
Yup, spring has finally arrived in the Okanagan. The weather's gorgeous again today, sunny, with a promise of warm. It's the perfect day to start a lace-knitting class. And, that is exactly what I'm doing today. No, I'm not taking the class, I'll be teaching it. As always, when I start a class, I'm terrified. I know it will be fine once I get there, but I'm always nervous and anxious before the class starts. I just keep telling myself that, really, all I'm doing is sharing something I love, and that is never a difficult thing to do.
Because I'll be leading this class, I've been doing some casting on.
This little bit of knitting will eventually be the "Fundamentals of Lace Scarf", graciously shared with me by Colette Simon. Colette designed this scarf to introduce knitters to some of the fundamentals of lace knitting, such as provisional cast-on, directional decreases, yarn overs before and after purl stitches and knitted on edgings. All in all, a good intro to lace. To be honest, I'm not sure I'll be using the pattern in the class; it will depend on the skill levels of the students, 5 of them, if I'm not mistaken.
I did, however, decide to take this bit of knitting with me in order to show them the method of provisional cast-on that I prefer... the crochet cast-on. If they decide they'd like to try this scarf, great; if not, we'll find another project.
The past couple of weeks, and this week in particular, have found me a little restless in my knitting. I've been doing a lot of casting on and frogging. Remember the Ene Scarf? Frogged. Another lace project was started and frogged. Yesterday, though, I cast on for a project that I don't think will end up in the frog pond.
Any of you who are signed up with IK's Knitting Daily will recognize the ubiquitous Swallowtail Shawl, by Evelyn A. Clark. I tend to resist patterns that everyone else is knitting, but for some reason the pattern and the yarn just seemed to be attracted to each other. I had started the shawl in a different yarn, but it just wasn't working. So far, this is a perfect match. The knitting is flowing well, the pattern is easy to remember and I'm loving it.
I made one small change to the pattern as written: the pattern begins with two stitches that are cast on to a crochet chain, then, when 6 rows have been knit, 3 stitches and the provisional stitches are picked up. I had a bear of a time trying to pick up from 2 stitches, so I cast on 3. Once I get to the edging, I'll have to knit 2 together at each edge in order to have the correct number of stitches, but I don't think that will be a big deal. It just made the beginning a little easier for me.
This piece of knitting will also come with me to the class today, to demonstrate how the shawl begins, at the neck edge. I'll also be taking my Evolution Shawl (Emily Ocker's circular cast-on) and the Pi Are Square shawl, to demonstrate the knitted on edging.
It's a lovely day here and it's time for me to enjoy it, now that I seem to be over the worst of this head cold.
Because I'll be leading this class, I've been doing some casting on.
This little bit of knitting will eventually be the "Fundamentals of Lace Scarf", graciously shared with me by Colette Simon. Colette designed this scarf to introduce knitters to some of the fundamentals of lace knitting, such as provisional cast-on, directional decreases, yarn overs before and after purl stitches and knitted on edgings. All in all, a good intro to lace. To be honest, I'm not sure I'll be using the pattern in the class; it will depend on the skill levels of the students, 5 of them, if I'm not mistaken.
I did, however, decide to take this bit of knitting with me in order to show them the method of provisional cast-on that I prefer... the crochet cast-on. If they decide they'd like to try this scarf, great; if not, we'll find another project.
The past couple of weeks, and this week in particular, have found me a little restless in my knitting. I've been doing a lot of casting on and frogging. Remember the Ene Scarf? Frogged. Another lace project was started and frogged. Yesterday, though, I cast on for a project that I don't think will end up in the frog pond.
Any of you who are signed up with IK's Knitting Daily will recognize the ubiquitous Swallowtail Shawl, by Evelyn A. Clark. I tend to resist patterns that everyone else is knitting, but for some reason the pattern and the yarn just seemed to be attracted to each other. I had started the shawl in a different yarn, but it just wasn't working. So far, this is a perfect match. The knitting is flowing well, the pattern is easy to remember and I'm loving it.
I made one small change to the pattern as written: the pattern begins with two stitches that are cast on to a crochet chain, then, when 6 rows have been knit, 3 stitches and the provisional stitches are picked up. I had a bear of a time trying to pick up from 2 stitches, so I cast on 3. Once I get to the edging, I'll have to knit 2 together at each edge in order to have the correct number of stitches, but I don't think that will be a big deal. It just made the beginning a little easier for me.
This piece of knitting will also come with me to the class today, to demonstrate how the shawl begins, at the neck edge. I'll also be taking my Evolution Shawl (Emily Ocker's circular cast-on) and the Pi Are Square shawl, to demonstrate the knitted on edging.
It's a lovely day here and it's time for me to enjoy it, now that I seem to be over the worst of this head cold.
Friday, May 02, 2008
With My Apologies
I generally try to post at least once per week. Last week, I didn't. I made the decision to head to Abbotsford for my ex mother-in-law's funeral. On Saturday morning, I boarded the bus and returned on Tuesday evening. By Wednesday morning, I realized I'd caught a cold (thanks to one of the girls at work, I think) and today, I'm home with a sinus headache. That's it for the whining!
I'm glad I chose to attend the funeral. It was an opportunity to say my own goodbyes and to see a lot of family (on the in-law side) that I hadn't seen in ten years (it will be ten years ago this August that I left my husband). I also got a chance to get together with children and grandchildren, as well as a great visit with my Dad. The day Mom took me there, he was very lucid, recognized me and, once his hearing aids had fresh batteries, we even had a conversation. (He liked my alpaca shawl.)
I thought I would share one picture with you; my daughter and I were going through some pictures and we came across one that I really liked, so I took a picture of it.
This was Oma. She loved to have the kids over and babysat them every Friday for a lot of years while my husband and I were janitors of our church. Even after we left that position, she loved having them over at least once a week; she felt that if she did that, they would remember her after she was gone. They'll never forget her.
That picture was taken over 20 years ago; my son will be turning 32 on May 6. She would have been in her mid to late 70's at the time.
Because I was taking the bus, I needed something to do. The projects I've got on the go right now are either too big or needing too much concentration (read that as lace) to take on a bus trip; I needed something relatively mindless. To that end, I took along a ball of sock yarn and a set of 2.25 mm (US 1) dpns and cast on for a pair of socks shortly after leaving Kelowna. By the time I got to Abbotsford, I had about 4" of cuff on my needles (incidentally, the bus was an hour late getting in to Abbotsford).
That's what it looked like. That, however, is not the sock I was working on. I started the above sock on the return trip because this is what the sock looked like by the time I got on the bus for the return trip...
So, now I just have to finish the second sock, and because it's already this far I don't think second sock syndrome will become a factor. It feels good to have another pair of socks almost off the needles. I have one pair that's becoming a little thin at the toes, so I figured I needed another pair. Besides, even though the weather's warming up, I still like to wear my wool socks with my Birkenstocks... at least, until the weather's warm enough for bare toes.
Now, I'm off to pamper myself.
I'm glad I chose to attend the funeral. It was an opportunity to say my own goodbyes and to see a lot of family (on the in-law side) that I hadn't seen in ten years (it will be ten years ago this August that I left my husband). I also got a chance to get together with children and grandchildren, as well as a great visit with my Dad. The day Mom took me there, he was very lucid, recognized me and, once his hearing aids had fresh batteries, we even had a conversation. (He liked my alpaca shawl.)
I thought I would share one picture with you; my daughter and I were going through some pictures and we came across one that I really liked, so I took a picture of it.
This was Oma. She loved to have the kids over and babysat them every Friday for a lot of years while my husband and I were janitors of our church. Even after we left that position, she loved having them over at least once a week; she felt that if she did that, they would remember her after she was gone. They'll never forget her.
That picture was taken over 20 years ago; my son will be turning 32 on May 6. She would have been in her mid to late 70's at the time.
Because I was taking the bus, I needed something to do. The projects I've got on the go right now are either too big or needing too much concentration (read that as lace) to take on a bus trip; I needed something relatively mindless. To that end, I took along a ball of sock yarn and a set of 2.25 mm (US 1) dpns and cast on for a pair of socks shortly after leaving Kelowna. By the time I got to Abbotsford, I had about 4" of cuff on my needles (incidentally, the bus was an hour late getting in to Abbotsford).
That's what it looked like. That, however, is not the sock I was working on. I started the above sock on the return trip because this is what the sock looked like by the time I got on the bus for the return trip...
So, now I just have to finish the second sock, and because it's already this far I don't think second sock syndrome will become a factor. It feels good to have another pair of socks almost off the needles. I have one pair that's becoming a little thin at the toes, so I figured I needed another pair. Besides, even though the weather's warming up, I still like to wear my wool socks with my Birkenstocks... at least, until the weather's warm enough for bare toes.
Now, I'm off to pamper myself.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
April 23, 2008
Today is my granddaughter’s 4th birthday. Today, my ex-mother-in-law died.
Aaltje Stolte, formerly Den Uyl, nee Westerhuis, born on April 11, 1911, in the Netherlands, was 97 years old and lived on her own until about two weeks ago.
She was a strong woman, a woman who made her own way through life. Her way was the only way, the right way, and no one could tell her otherwise. She was, at times, my nemesis and my inspiration. She was a part of my daily life for about 25 years.
To her, a clean home was the most important part of being a wife and mother. There were times I hated her and, at the same time I wished I could have been more like her. She was married twice, first to the father of her only child, my ex-husband. He died when my ex was just a small child. She married again when he was about 16 years old, emigrating to Canada to marry her second husband. She never expected to see grandchildren of her own and was grateful to have three of them. She loved them dearly and babysat them every week for a lot of years. At her death, she even had six great grandchildren.
There are stories I could tell about her, but none of it is important now. She was courageous; she was strong; she was stubborn; she was hardworking; she loved on her own terms. She was my mother-in-law.
April 23, 2008, Trinity Eliana Renee’s 4th Birthday and Aaltje Stolte’s last day on this earth. She is at rest in the arms of her God; I’m thankful she died a peaceful death. And I’m thankful I knew her.
Aaltje Stolte, formerly Den Uyl, nee Westerhuis, born on April 11, 1911, in the Netherlands, was 97 years old and lived on her own until about two weeks ago.
She was a strong woman, a woman who made her own way through life. Her way was the only way, the right way, and no one could tell her otherwise. She was, at times, my nemesis and my inspiration. She was a part of my daily life for about 25 years.
To her, a clean home was the most important part of being a wife and mother. There were times I hated her and, at the same time I wished I could have been more like her. She was married twice, first to the father of her only child, my ex-husband. He died when my ex was just a small child. She married again when he was about 16 years old, emigrating to Canada to marry her second husband. She never expected to see grandchildren of her own and was grateful to have three of them. She loved them dearly and babysat them every week for a lot of years. At her death, she even had six great grandchildren.
There are stories I could tell about her, but none of it is important now. She was courageous; she was strong; she was stubborn; she was hardworking; she loved on her own terms. She was my mother-in-law.
April 23, 2008, Trinity Eliana Renee’s 4th Birthday and Aaltje Stolte’s last day on this earth. She is at rest in the arms of her God; I’m thankful she died a peaceful death. And I’m thankful I knew her.
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