New and Notable

Look at that. Crocus tips sticking out last week - and first flowers of the season this week!

I've been knitting a crescent shawl - Indian Feathers pattern by Alina Appasov, a free download on Rav - out of some silk-blend laceweight I dyed a few years ago, testing the possibilities of doing a shaded yarn. I've been picturing it as a shawl all along, so I've been happy to see that it looks as neat as I thought. (Not the best picture I admit, but I just got it blocked this morning. The structure of the crescent, knitted from the edging inwards, really lent itself to getting the best look out of the yarn. Must dye a few more skeins this way.

This actually got knitted twice, since the first time I got to about the 80% mark, and decided it was turning out too short. Ripped and reknit, adding 4 repeats to the edging, and less decreases in the top of the edging. The blocked measurement is now 72" across, so perhaps I overdid it a little - but it will be long enough to wrap and knot, good and versatile at least.

Hot Off The Presses

Remember a while ago I got two patterns accepted to Storey Publishing's new 101 Wonders book? It's just about due to come out. I got an e-mail this week with a picture of the book cover.

See the red shawl at top left? That's mine! Really pretty damn cool, as far as I'm concerned.

My advance copy of the book arrived today, and I've been flipping through. There are some nice patterns in there I've got my eye on already. Worth checking out, guys, even if I do say so myself ;)

I'm guessing the book should be out for real within the next month, because Judith Durant, the editor, is booked for Rhinebeck, and they've got the same cover photo up on the NY Sheep and Wool site beside her profile. My mother's already planning to get Judith Durant's autograph on the book when she goes...

Weekend Roundup

Well, winter was just waiting in the wings for another chance. Snow Friday, snow Saturday, snow today, and everything is calf-deep in white again.

I was out at the parents' this weekend, and spent part of the time finishing the last pysanky graphs. In what proved to be excellent timing for testing purposes, DebT had picked up an egg carton of sample balls of 2/8 wool for weaving when she was at Romni in Toronto, and presented it to me Friday with a request for some knit pysanky. So that will be a project this week, along with a bit of the challenge shawl, which has about 8" done now.

Sunday afternoon we popped over to visit Joanne and give her her cria shawls. She was what you might call very happy with them - first time anyone's ever cried over my knitting, to my knowledge. But they are from her alpacas, who she loves, so I suppose that might have something to do with it.

Returned home to find my aunt had dropped by on the way from visiting elsewhere. She stayed for supper, and commissioned a baby set from me. I had been eyeing a set in the Icelandic Knitting book I had from the library, and sorry I had no excuse to make it - but my aunt thought it was very cute also, so I get to make it, and it will add another project to my 12in2012 destash, and a new technique (intarsia) for me.

The chickens are recovering, although only a couple are currently laying. No-one has reported the dogs roaming about again, but neither have they been disposed of. Mom, disliking the uncertainty of if/when they might show up again, is planning to call on the owners, report the incident, and feel them out on the subject herself, and try to get our neighbor to talk to them also, so at least they might have an idea of what to expect from that quarter, and try to get it resolved by the time spring comes.

Presenting Snowdrop

Maybe it was having both the snow and the snowdrops the weekend before I finished it, but somehow Snowdrop seems the right name for the shawl (well, shawlette). Winter white, kind of a snowy pattern on the upper part, something a bit more floral on the edge.

I was kind of wondering how the points would turn out and all, but it worked.

Stats: almost 300 m/361 yd of laceweight silk/cashmere (1 ball Diamond Luxury silk/cashmere, with a few meters left), 4 mm circular needles, finished size 37” wingspan by 19” deep ( I think a bit bigger might have been nice, maybe I'll make that adjustment when I write up the pattern). Bound off loosely using the (K2tog, slip stitch back on left needle, repeat), which gave enough room to stretch the points – I was a bit worried about that part, kept checking during bind off, but it couldn’t have been better.

I must say, doing all the figuring for this, I think I am getting much better at reading and understanding lace. Excited to use this success as a take off point for more lace design.

News on the Knitting Front

Because, y’know, it’s kind of a knit blog, but it’s been a few days since fiber got mentioned. I’ve been busy, honest! I started a shawl…

The yarn is some I had extra from a Christmas project, beautiful laceweight silk and cashmere from the Diamond Luxury collection. I’m kind of doing my own pattern for it – what’s showing is the blueberry motif (super easy) from Nancy Bush’s book on Estonian shawls, and I’ll put a nice edge on it. I also managed to whip up two pairs of fingerless mitts from project scraps, and they’ll go to the Etsy store.

Not that getting all that out of the way has diminished my stash much. Besides taking advantage of the sale at Knit-Knackers last weekend to the extent of two balls of laceweight merino/silk and one of sock yarn, I was just gifted with a ball of undyed merino/silk roving from a friend, as a thank you for babysitting. Yes, she’s a knitter and dyer, so she knows what I like!