Bitterroot

As I said in earlier posts, my knitty mojo is really working lately. It's so good right now that I finished Bitterroot by Rosemary Hill on the same day that I finished my Ravelympic Mittens. Even better, I was able to get it blocked on a timely basis and the weather cooperated for a photo shoot.



I convinced DQ to take a brief break from her homework and we went down to a local park. I thought that we'd take pictures by the lake but the ground was mushy and gross. We had fun anyway. It was good to get out.



I used Elann Peruvian Baby Silk in gentle violet. I really love the feel of this yarn. It was fun to knit, it behaved well, and the color is lovely. The best thing about using this yarn was that it was stash. It had been in my posession for years. I am so happy that it's moved on.



The pattern was a win too. I am very picky about the lace I knit. I look for graceful transitions between motifs and Bitterroot has them. I also adored the lacy edge. It's light and airy and looks much more difficult than it was. As a bonus, the loops made this much easier to block.



Possibly the most satisfying thing about this knit is that it didn't linger. It was just a month from the time I started it to the time I gifted it. It didn't go to famiily, it didn't even go to a friend. I gave it to a woman I know who's been admiring my knits for quite a while. She loved it and I know that she appreciates it and that makes it a success for me.

My Girl's Shawl

This past weekend was fabulous no matter how you look at it. The weather was grand and our schedule was clear which allowed for lot's of fiber play and even a bit of picture taking. Sadly, my model was a little giddy. I got her and the shawl outside for pictures but I couldn't get her to stand still...



or stop being silly.



This was the best I could do. At least you can see that she likes it and it's a good size for her.



This was my second time knitting the Forest Canopy Shawl by Susan Lawrence. For the record, I like this one better. the last one was in laceweight yarn and I don't think that the gauge was right for the yarn. This time you can see the pattern much better. It also has a better feel, probably because I used Lorna's Laces. It's nice and soft but I suspect that the nylon content will held this hold up to use by my rowdy girl.



I can totally see why Susan recomends it as a first lace project. It's intuitive and, for me, fast. I started it on February 9 and finished it on the 17th. Not quite a one-week shawl but I only missed by a few hours.

It would be perfect as written so my only mod was to add beads to the edging. I used a crochet hook to add them because they show on both sides that way and it looks much more pleasing in my opinion. I also abhor math and adding the beads as I go means that I don't need to calculate the number I'll need to string.



I really enjoyed this project and Stinkerbelle loves the result. I hope that she enjoys it for many years to come.

A Kid Shawl Comes Together

This is the most recent project I've started and it's totally by request... of Stinkerbelle. Last weekend we went dress shopping for my brother's upcoming wedding. We found a dress rather quickly and as Stinkette twirled happily in front of the mirror she told me that it would be perfect with a shawl. Apparently my daughters now think that it's perfectly reasonable to request that I make a little something to complete their ensembles. And I don't mind at all! How can you really complain when your fourth grader, who by rights should think that shawls are terribly "old lady-ish" asks for one? You don't. You ask for preferences and get to work.

Did I mention that the wedding is less than 2 weeks away? Ummmm yeah. I'd love to have a bit more time for this and not be undertaking more deadline knitting but thanks to the stash and Ravelry I think that I've come up with a perfect solution and I'm hopeful that I'll get it done in time.

I wanted something not too fussy or big because my girl isn't into frills and she's only 9. I also knew that I was not going to make myself crazy with laceweight yarn. I poked around Ravelry and was thrilled to see the Forest Canopy Shawl come up. I made one of these before and knew that it was a very simple lace with a short, easily merorized, repeat that will travel well which will allow me to use it as a commuting project.

Monday night I asked Stink-o what color she wanted and as soon as she said light blue and purple I grabbed 2 skeins of Lorna's from the stash in a color called River that my girl pronounced perfect. I cast on the same night and this is what the shawl looked like yesterday afternoon. Since then I've added another 4 repeats. I hate to tempt fate by being to confident but this may be my quickest shawl yet.

Petals

At the party on Sunday DQ debuted her new cashmere wrap. The pattern is Petals by Jeanne Abel that I bought as a kit last fall at the Virginia Fiber Festival at Montpelier.

DQ chose both the pattern and the yarn. The yarn is called Myne and it is super yummy. It feels so good and it held up perfectly well to the frogging. The colors aren't anything that I'd choose since I'm not big on pastels but it was the perfect counterpoint for DQ's dark blue dress.

The pattern offers 2 options for the edge. One is a simple single crochet but the other incorporates beads. In the picture at the left you can just see the beads which are applied in groups of 4 whereever a petal goes off the edge of the wrap. I added bead groups in other spots too when there wasn't a petal for a long stretch so that the pattern continued without interruption. It's a nice touch that also adds just the right amount of weight to this very light piece.

You may recall that my first attempt at this pattern got frogged but don't let that discourage you from trying it. The difficulty that I had was with the gently rounded shaping on the back. It requires stitches to be added at the end of the first rows and sometimes the added stitches come after yarnovers. As you can probably imagine, this gets a little wonky and it's way too easy to screw it up if you're not paying attention.


Once you get past the shaping, this is a very easy piece to knit. It's easily read and even kind of intuitive.

I really don't like working with super fine lace yarn at all and every time I start a new piece I regret it instantly. I don't hate every minute of the knit, I just don't relax as much with it as I do with other things. Fine yarn makes me nervous. The end result is what sucks me back in. It's nearly impossible to look at the light and airy wrap and not crave more.

It's a Wrap

With just 2 more days before things explode around my house it was time to assess the state of the various projects. My daughter's Bat Mitzvah has really gotten my creative juices flowing (I just couldn't seem to stop them) and aside from the kippot and DQ's wrap, I also made a memory book, a photo display of DQ through the years, table signs and all of the place cards. Those last 2 items each required multiple steps - cutting, pasting, outlining, lettering and applying glitter. Thankfully all of that is done.



What I did not finish is my wrap and over the weekend I admitted that it's just not going to get finished in time. The picture above was taken last night right before I put the lace away. It's sitting atop the wrap that I bought to wear in it's place. It's not beaded and it's not lacey but it is cashmere and silk and it'll work just fine and, best of all, I am not stressing over it at all. Not one little bit. As a funny aside I should say that I'm the only chick in my little family that won't be wearing lace that I made. Stinkette found another silk shawl that I made in early 2007 (seen in the picture at the right) and asked if she could wear it. Of course I said yes. I just love that my girls enjoy my hand knits so much. It's like they're wrapping themselves in my love .

Laceuary Continues

Aside fron completing the last of the kippot I concentrated heavily on lace this weekend. Beacause the yarn is such a dark color, my Juno Regina is hard to photograph so you'll have to take my word for it that significant progress was made. I have completed the first 4 charts and I'm now a few inches into the midsection.

Petals is a bit easier to capture. This is a "U" shaped piece and this picture shows the completed bottom of the U. The middle stitches have been bound off and now I'm starting one arm. It should move faster now because the shaping is done and I only have to knit across 2 repeats.

I suggested to DQ that we'll call this a wrap because a shawl sounds too old for a young girl. She replied that it doesn't matter what we call it because it's cashmere and that's all that matters. She's got a point. The pastels on this yarn aren't me at all but the feel of the yarn is enough to make me want to swipe it and roll around in it a bit. Happily it's also pretty sturdy yarn. You may recall that I frogged the whole thing about a third through the bottom of the U and I can say that the yarn held up just fine. It really is gorgeous stuff.

I've got a little less than 3 weeks left to finish these. I feel much more confident today about my chances than I did last week at this time but you never know. Anything can happen and I must allow enough time to block them. Soon I'll be knitting lace in my sleep.

Lace-uary

Although my intent for 2009 is to destress my knitting life, it's going to have to wait until February because both DQ and I are wearing sleeveless party dresses on February 1 and that means we both need wraps. Yes, I could buy them but I won't because I'm stubborn and it irks me to buy something hat I can make myself.

I don't have too much else on my plate right now knitting-wise and there is one more 4-day weekend between now and then so it's possible that I could get both of these done but I'm not sure it's likely. Here's why...

This is DQ's wrap. The pattern is Petals (Rav link) by Jeanne Abel and the yarn is amazingly yummy cashmere called Myne. On the positive side, this is not a huge piece and only uses about 500 yards of yarn. However, I frogged this thing completely on Sunday night because I was hopelessly lost and the pattern is still a bit challenging to me. It also calls for a beaded edging to be crocheted on. In a pinch I could let DQ wear it without the edge to the party and go back to add it afterward.


This is the start of Miriam's Juno Regina (Rav link) in Skacel's Merino Lace. I just love her patterns and this one has been typical in that it's very well written and easy to follow. Another thing that this project has going for it is the simple midsection that will make perfect TV knitting. On the flip side, this is a very lonooong piece requiring more than double the yarn for Petals.

Looking at these two projects and my totally ridiculous "to do" list it's really anyones guess if I'll get these finished in time. I hope so and I'll certainly do my best but I will not risk my sanity. If I had to put money on it I'd say that DQ will be rocking the cashmere and I'll be bare shouldered.

DQ's Lace

Here's yet another thing that's currently on my needles. This is the beginning of a cashmere lace shawl/wrap in a pattern called Petals by Jeanne Abel. I bought it as a kit (something I rarely do) at the Virginia Fiber Festival in October. It's not my colors at all but that's ok because I didn't choose it... DQ did. Yes, my daughter asked me to make her a cashmere lace shawl and I said ok. It was a weak moment. Or maybe I was caught up in the joy of spending the day with my daughter in the cool crispness of a perfect fall day. Maybe it was simply the fiber fumes affecting my already addled brain.

I'm joking of course. I bought the kit because DQ asked for it and I know that she'll love it and appreciate it and wear it proudly. So far it's been kind of slow going. I'm always so happy with the results of lace knitting that I forget how challenging I find it to knit with laceweight. I think it's the contrast with the heavier weight stuff that I usually use.

The pattern itself has been a little slow to set up. It's a U-shaped shawl and you start knitting at the bottom of the U and increase the stitch count while incorporating the new stitches into the pattern. I can see the pattern becoming much easier to knit once I get beyond the increases. It's not difficult and intuition is already starting to kick in.

One thing that is a little vexing is the needles. I used my usual KP Options when knitting the Alpine Lace stole and had no problem but this time I feel, for the first time, that these just aren't pointy enough. I'm thinking that it may be time to try the Addi Lace needles.

Happiest Knit Ever

That's really the best way to describe this shawl. I love it beyond words and, as you can see, with a little hard work and focus I managed to finish it in time to wear to the Bar Mitzvah last weekend with the dress that inspired me to make it. In fact it was all blocked and ready to go with days to spare. All that week I sat with it draped across my lap petting it and admiring it. I have never created something so delicate and lovely before. I am so prod of this.


There are so many reasons to love this project like the fact that it was made with stash yarn that turned out to be a perfect match to my dress. It was Fino from Alpaca With a Twist and I got it at Mudfest 2006. It was one of this things where the yarn just begged to come home with me and then took up permanent residence in the stash because I had no purpose for it. It happens to all of us at some point.

Anyway, the yarn is silk/alpaca laceweight and it knit up beautifully. I'm still not comfortable using such fine yarn but this was really nice. It's got a lovely drape and a subtle sheen to it that's just lovely. The color is a wonderful warm wine that's nice and versatile. I'm sure that it'll go with lots of things.


The pattern is the Alpine knit scarf with double rose leaf center pattern and diamond border (Rav link) from Victorian Lace Today. I've heard people refer to lace without rest rows as being true lace and if that's the case then this is my first. I was a little worried about the lack of rest rows because they provide a nice break but it was no problem and the effect of lace without solid areas is so fine and light that it's worth the extra concentration.

The pattern was well-written and clear enough so that I got through the whole project without needing to use my lifelines at all. I did make a few errors but they weren't major and totally due to clumsiness on my part. Each time I noted an error I was ablte to correct it without ripping back because the lace was pretty easy to read. I like that.

The only change I made was the addition of glass beads along the ends and in the diamonds in the borders. They're kind of soft and subtle but I think that they add to the shawl in 2 ways. They obviously add shine and sparkle. The beads along the edges also add a little weight so that the ends fall nicely.


I wore this shawl all day on Saturday. I draped it over my shoulders and felt so happy and warm. It really didn't even matter if anyone noticed it or not but they did. Late Saturday night, as the party started to die down, my friend who's son we were celebrating, came over and asked if I made the shawl. You have to love friends who notice stuff like that.

She insisted that we go find her mother to show her and a few other relatives. They wre all impressed and said that it wasn't like the knitting they were used to seeing and threatened to swipe it if I wasn't careful. It was the perfect ending to a great day.

Hooray for Finishing

On Friday afternoon I finished knitting the shrug. Now it just needs a little finishing work.

With that out of the way this weekend was clear for the shawl. It was my constant companion everywhere I went. I think that by the time I bound off the last stitch my whole family heaved a sigh of relief because it was making me crazy.



It is blocking now and I couldn't be happier. It's pretty big - 26" by about 66" so I had to use 2 of the gym mats to block it. They work really well. The pins stay put and the mats are firm enough to move around without disturbing the lace. I suspect that by tonight I'll be able to take the pins out but you'll have to wait a bit for the modeled shots because I've got something specific in mind.

For now the picture above will have to suffice. Once the shawl was all blocked out I noted 3 errors which I believe are probably misplaced yarnovers. They're small errors and most people will probably never notice them. Two are visible above. They don't bother me at all. I am beyond thrilled with the results and I can't wait to show it off. Just thinking about it makes me fell happy all over again.

Still Growing

This has been one of the rainiest seasons in recent memory and, while rain isn't a lot of fun, it's been great for the growth of stuff both inside and out. A great example is my cantaloupe plants. Look at how they've spread out. Can you see all of the blossoms on there? There are easily a dozen on there and I'm the only one in the house who will eat them. Maybe I'll set Stinky up with a fruit stand or I can give them away as parting gifts to anyone who visits my house. I wonder how many melons we'd have to sell to buy another wheel. Maybe I'll settle for a bit more yarn.

Blossoms by themselves don't mean much but we've had many visitors in the garden this summer - like this little guy. The bees are loving my little garden and they are there every single day checking to see if they missed anything new. Chances are good that we'll have an abundant harvest this year.
Look at the peppers growing. It's weird because most of them are like the one one on the left - teeny, tiny.


Not all of the growth is taking place in the garden. My Alpine Shawl is growing too. Here it is pinned out a little bit on one of the mats I got last year for blocking. This is the first time I tried them out at all. I think they'll work really well.



I try to do a repeat or 2 each night but it's been fighting with the wheel, the kippot and socks for my attention. Slowly but surely all of the projects in progress are moving along and it's possible that I'll get them all done on time.