KnittingNatty

Reversible cable shawl

This project is whipping along nicely - I have been playing with the editing software on the Mac. See what you think:

First repeat of many, no doubt

The lighting for this photo is dreadful, but I wanted to show you some progress made over the weekend. The yarn is Artyarns Silk Mohair Col #418, bought locally.

There is some striping of the colour which I am just going to have to live with. There are worse fates! And  the yarn is delightful - soft, lofty but very strong (that'll be the silk talking). The cable on the left gives you a better indication of how it will look when more of it is knitted up and blocked.

I doubt that this will make a good blogging project (lace sucks that way), but all the same, I will try and capture a better photograph soon for your viewing pleasure.

A good long weekend was had by all, peaceful and relaxing - batteries all recharged and ready for the week ahead. As a family, we are about to embark on a money saving exercise (analysis of bank fees and products, phone accounts, that sort of thing) Don't worry, as is evidenced by the above, the yarn budget is not yet (thankfully) under threat. Although when I was explaining to the Hubster about what Ravelry can do (eg tell you how many yards of yarn you have) he added without skipping a beat "Does it tell you how many years it is going to take you to knit it up?".

Phhhhhhht. Harsh but probably fair.

Swatch

Pretty as a Peacock:

laceweight - 3.25 mm needle - perfect!

Icarus - the FO post

I realised the other day that I had neglected to post more pictures of the finished and blocked Icarus - so here is my favourite FO for 2007 as a kind of retrospective for your viewing pleasure:

More Icarus, all the time

Photos taken at night - maybe I'll get home during daylight hours tomorrow

I missed taking a picture of the tip last night:

I love Icarus's slender spine

Fiona raised an interesting point about knitting injuries this week. I have to confess that I have had tingling ring and pinkie fingers on each hand since being pregnant with Caitlyn, who is now aged now 2 and a half. I even got myself on the waiting list for surgery before discovering that it could in all probability be managed with massage and physiotherapy. But the funniest thing happened when I started working all the time. Although I still work with a computer all day long, because I dont get to knit anywhere near as much any more, (sniff!) I no longer suffer with the tingling and pains that I used to. (And I've taken myself off the surgery waiting list.)

Coincidence? I think not. The other thing is now, I am only prepared to knit things that I really really love. Like 2 ply lace weight...

Like the reversible rib shawl by Lily Chin published in the Vogue Knitting Winter 1999- 2000. Only problem is I don't have that issue (not surprisingly). It is just gorgeous, if you are in Ravelry, go and have a look. I think I could just about wing that pattern too - may take a few goes, but let's see what happens. I do think that a yarn with a halo will be important. 

Now that almost all my old WIPs are finished, yarn shopping, anyone?

Without further ado ... Icarus!!!

Sorry to be such a te@se yesterday

and leave  you hanging

without a photo AT ALL! But I was so very tired...

Caitlyn halped me block by passing me th pins - she is getting so grown up: "me do it me- self!"
("No...")

I think that blocking maybe an artform - I ran out of bed!

I'll take some more photos in the daylight tomorrow. You haven't seen the back of this one just yet!

I'm doing pretty well on my WIP list - its still only September! ;O) Only 2 longstanding WIPS to go!

But now its time for a "quick" baby blankie:

And maybe another pair of socks...

Chart 4

I had the afternoon off work and  took a little time to sit alone with my lace and the Knitpicks needle sent to me by the very generous Bron and comtemplate my lovely lavender Icarus.

I have made it into Chart 4!!!

(Now, not a very exciting photo I grant you, nonetheless I am disproportionately pleased with myslelf)

I have learned my lesson from a recent near miss when many of the stiches came off the needles whilst in transit and laddering down (one of the leaves will never be quite the same) and put in a lifeline.

Chart 4 - you've come a long way, baby! There are about 30 rows to go and I have started worrying about having enough yarn.

Worrying about not having enough yarn is a great motivator in my experience. Lets see how that translates into practice!

By way of postscript, yesterday, in my tired-beyond-tired haze, I forgot to upload the picture of the leftover yarn from my mystery project , so without further ado, here it is, the leftovers

Any guesses?

Reintroducing an old friend

So I am sick and at home today, which gives me the chance to blog a teeny leetle bit, and to catch up on some podcasts. I don't enjoy being interrupted once I start listening to a podcast and I don't like listening to portions of a podcast that I have already listened to, so this  limits my opportunities to days like today. I can rest and listen at the same time!...

This is my current project in rotation. It is Icarus (pattern here), the first Project Spectrum item on the agenda for the WIPs:

(It looks just the same as the last time I photographed it for you about October 06, at which time I remember  saying that I was going to get it done by Christmas. Well, HA! I never said which year...)

Amanda J is using the same yarn from the same place to also knit a shawl/ stole. Her deadline is also Christmas, but THIS YEAR! Good luck Amanda! Hopefully you will not be as easily distracted as I am!

I am **this close** to Chart 2, but I must say at this point, the rows are so long that they seem endless. On the "upside", Chart 1 now qualifies as TV knitting, so that much at least will get done soonish. I just can't have socks as the main course. They are always a side dish for me. If I ever try to concentrate solely on socks (ha, got you again!) I lose momentum on the knitting front.

PS: I won't be updating the WIP percentage bar for Icarus very often because I find it hard to guess how much of the project I have to go, given the triangular shape of the shawl.

Now where did  I put my hankie?

A stitch in time

saves the crime. From being committed, that is.

Last Sunday evening, I put the shawl down for a moment mid row to go do something important, and next thing you know, DD Caitlyn has pulled Icarus off the needles a little. Even a Knitpicks needle won't save me from my own foolishness (and it was going so swimmingly!)

Looks like Caitlyn has graduated from lace socks to shawls in the pulling needles out department. Sigh. My Mum always did say to never put our work down mid row. I guess she was right.

Do you think this angel face is capable of such an act, though?

I have been working on this a little over the weekend as time has permitted, and I have now overcome my fear of making mistakes and having to tinker.

I personally credit the awesome powers of the Knitpicks needle. It makes tinkering less of a chore, with its sharp tips. It gave me confidence that it would all be alright. Or maybe there are secret magical powers in the purple cord. ;)

With approx 250 sts on the needle, I have only 2 repeats of the first Chart to go! The maroon threads are my lifelines, and mark my progress through this pattern.

I know the photo doesn't look like much, but that's the way of lace knitting progress shots until blocked, I guess.

Warning: skite heavy post ahead

Yay! Yay! Yay!

My parcel arrived all the way from Newport Kentucky! Julia (apparently blogless?) was my swap pal, and folks, she works in a yarn shop! Wow! I'd just take my pay in yarn if I worked there, and my startitis would be terminal!

Inside the box was a long and lovely letter and some very special Italian and hand-dyed by Julia laceweight yarn. This photo does not do it justice - it has a lovely lustre, and has lovely shades of blue, and I can't wait to cast it on (tell me something new!)

Hang on, lets try some photos outdoors:
First, a sunshot:

What you also can't see is how soft it is! Second, a shade shot:

to go with the yarn, the Estonian Garden Wrap shawl pattern, which I have been eyeing off for some time

some handmade soap made from the pear tree growing in the back of Julia's LYS, and fashioned by the good folk a couple of doors down from the LYS. Now here's something I haven't shared with you yet - I have recently become addicted to handmade soaps, so this is a particularly well suited gift!

and some "Jordan Almonds". Now this reminds me of a story. Thirty or so years ago, when I was born in Brisbane Australia, you couldn't buy these sweets. And many of you know that my mum is French, where these sweets are called dragee (with an acute accent over the first "e"). Traditionally, when a baby is christened, pink and white dragees are given for a girl and blue and white ones for a boy. When I was christened, my French Aunty sent over an oval white satin covered and embriodered box full of dragees. This beautiful box was placed (full) in the wine glass cabinet, where it still resides to this day. The dragees were eaten slowly I would think, because even today when you open the cabinet doors, you can still smell them. This is one of my favourite smells of childhood, along with how my mum's clothes smell. So this, again, is a poignant and meaningful gift.

Talk about spoilt by a generous pal! Julia was also very thoughtful, checking for pet hair allergies, colour preferences and such; and to top it off, I felt it was a very personal and refined offering, her letter was warm and very interesting (not rambling at all!)

Trust me, in a swap situation, Julia just rocks!