Wow, look at that Peacock!

This one turned out as well as I hoped and then some......

First, let's look at some contrast. Lace is good for the "ugly duckling to swan" effect anyway but this yarn takes that to a whole new level. Here are a couple of shots showing the contrast between having the oil washed out and straight from the cone.....

Contrast (Washed to the right, same needles for all!):

Look at all those stitches!! Ok so Isis had more - a lot more ;-). But not quite so squished on the needles.

Complete - but wait - this is washed.......and NOT dressed! Looks pretty decent....


Washed, not yet blocked - detail view:

And here she is - a few different shots......




Project Name: White Peacock Feathers
Yarn used: 2/28 white 50/50 cashmere/viscose
Amount used: Just under 1000 yards / 63gr
Total weight ~ 63 gr (2.25oz)
Yarn source: ColourMart
Needles: 3 mm
Finishing method: Hand washed (dish soap, shampoo, conditioner with rinses of course) and run through the dryer on low before wet blocking.
Finished dimensions: 44" center x 69" top x 55" sides
Pattern name/source: Peacock Feathers Shawl

The Veil of Isis Unveiled

She's been off the needles since August 3, but the only pictures I had did not do her justice. Today we changed that at long last. It's true, the size is not quite large enough and I am currently making another......because I just don't want to rip back the hours of error-free work in the border and do it over for this one. Crazy, I know!





Project Name: The Veil of Isis #1
Yarn used: 2/28 white 50/50 cashmere/cotton
Amount used: Just under 1000 yards / 64gr
Other materials? 22 gr clear, silver lined 8/0 beads
Total weight ~ 86 gr (3oz)
Yarn source: ColourMart
Needles: 2.5mm
Finishing method:
- Washed by hand (dish soap, shampoo, multiple rinses and conditioner)
- Run through the dryer on low after washing twice for shrinkage
- Wet Blocked for final dressing
Finished dimensions: 41" square
Pattern name/source: The Veil of Isis by Bad Cat Designs
Modifications: None
Other notes, including techniques used: Should have gone for the 6th repeat for that little bit extra but she's beautiful anyway. (Even if I do say so myself!)

Heartland Lace - Part Two (Final)

Ok so at last perhaps a bit of blog catching up is in order here!

My prior post on this project explained the history, now, the long awaited sequel to close things out with some nice pictures and the details of the project....

The pre-dressing shot:


While dressing:


Complete:

More detail:

Project Name: Heartland Lace Shawl
Yarn used: Handpainted light fingering weight 50/50 wool/silk
Amount used: approx 457 yds / 103 gr (3.5 oz)
Yarn source: Estes Park Wool Market 2007
Needles: 4mm
Finishing method: Hand wash/soak with wet blocking
Finished dimensions: 64" top x 32" center x 44" sides
Pattern name/source: Heartland Lace Shawl, Evelyn Clark Designs/Wild Fibers Magazine Winter 2007
Notes, including techniques used: Did 4 repeats total

Heartland Lace Shawl (Part one)

This began from a combination of events......first I had received an invite to a knit along for the Heartland Lace Shawl pattern. The original was done with buffalo down yarn since the pattern was created for a Buffalo Gold contest. It's a great pattern. A fun knit and quite flexible. At first I toyed with the very fun idea of just doing it well behind the group and spinning up my own yarn. That was a fun option and I might knit it again for that. But.....

The Estes Park Wool Market (EPWM) takes place Father's Day weekend. This year I was NOT going to go because I still have so much yarn and even more unprocessed fleece from my prior visits. I'm in the midst of reorganizing my fiber storage and so on and so forth. Realistically I knew if I went, I'd bring home at least another fleece or two. What to do? I was trying to behave, right? So.....to keep myself busy, distracted and pretending to be virtuous instead of climbing into the car and heading for Estes.....I decided to use a very pretty, hand-dyed 50/50 wool/silk fingering yarn I bought at the 2007 EPWM. It is, perhaps, not the best possible match for this pattern. It has been waiting for the right pattern to come along. This one works for me and it served it's bonus purpose well since I spent my weekend knitting instead of bringing home more to spin/knit. I am rather finicky about using hand-dyed, multi-colored yarns for much of anything, especially lace. I often love the colors, I just rarely think they work well for patterns. I do think that this one works pretty well though, so long as it's on a contrasting surface. The contrast, is however, quite necessary.....and works better when darker but white is what I had for these pictures. I'll see if I can't do something darker for the final pictures.

Some early in progress pics:

June 15 -


June 23 -

A little news.......

Well how time just flies right by. Update the blog? Answer email? Knit? Garden? What DO I do with my time? hehehe

No pictures today, just a very quick blurb to say I'm not only still around but yes, pictures are coming. So many things actually moving along or even FINISHED. Weekend before last I finished knitting the Heartland Lace Shawl. I haven't posted about this one - it was a quick knit in terms of knitting time but had many time-outs while I worked on other things. I did that one to both console myself and keep myself away from this year's Estes Park Wool Market where I would have had many new things just follow me right home ;-). It worked. Blocking and pictures coming soon.....

Last weekend, I finished binding off the first of my Veil of Isis shawls WAHOO! It's amazing...... blocking plus pictures of that will also be coming soon.

I am cruisin' on Peacock with the intent of finishing THAT also before my sister's wedding shower since she is having it here in Colorado in 9 days. Cross your fingers for me.

I have so many things on the needles calling me and more to come.......but approaching the finish of several others in addition to these. So far I have actually NOT cast on anything new.....yet.

Many other things going on.......so I'm still around, just running a good bit.

Summer Sampler Study.......

Study? Well sure......and doesn't that make a great reason to have another thing going? hehehe

I am making this for my darling daughter as an ongoing birthday present. She's enjoying the progress-watching and anticipation. Since her birthday was last week this one is obviously not a surprise, nor was it intended to be. She chose a meadow green Yubina cashmere lace yarn.

The Summer Sampler Study is another of Andrea's projects she is generously sharing with us. She's also including all sorts of extras like tips on figuring out gauge, blocking, etc. A post a week and now that we are officially into the charts it may come as a shock to know that while, yes, I started a few days late.....I swatched on 3mm needles......


And then I cast on.......and caught up for the first chart.....



.....with days to spare before the second chart.......


......and can now continue with other projects guilt-free on all fronts as this project awaits the next happy installment ;-).

New beginnings.....

Well now that the immediate round of marathon knitting is finished I'm reorganizing a bit. The list of things on the needles is warring with the list of things I'm wanting quite badly to make so I'm trying to reset things a bit for priorities and also efficiency. It's much easier for me to work on some things "anywhere" and other things only where I can focus a bit hmore. One of my excuses....ah, I mean reasons.....for having multiple projects going at once. Quite valid really but even so, it helps to reset a tad here and there.

So what's still on the needles? Peacock is still moving along a bit. Unfortunately she is one of those that takes paying a bit more attention to counting on right side rows and thus does not get as much attention as others! Still, she will be quite gorgeous when finished. Peacock is another that the number of stitches grows as the project does. I've done 3/5 of the NUMBER of rows but......not 3/5 of the total actual stitches. The yarn is still super yummy. Wonderful to work with and will be just gorgeous. Note that she needed a bath and I finally was able to capture some of the shimmer effect of the yarn. I still love it. We shall see if Sally does.

Isis #1 is about 50%+ complete. I have decided 5 repeats for that one will be enough. It's a fun knit still and one that's good for taking most places. It could go even more places if it weren't white - such a dirt magnet! To give you some idea......right now it's more than 600 stitches per row. By the end of repeat five, it will be close to 750.....with the border ending a bit short of 900!


I'm still working a bit on the second one but am a little more focused on the first iteration at the moment. They'll both get done. But only #1 has to be finished before October.....in case Sally likes that better than Peacock!

My Faroese Shawl and Branching Out scarf are both also still works in progress and are moving along a bit. I'm toying with setting aside other works temporarily to wrap both of these up since they really are getting close to done. We'll see.

I have been swatching like mad for the other projects I want to begin. Some have been on my mind for a long time......some are much newer. Even so, I'm keeping options open for a few add-in's ;-). Some of these knit alongs are nice and easy that way - you can only finish your clue and wait......so if you're like me, that means more than one thing at a time, for sure! It's also part of the organizing. One project I will probably cast on for in the next couple of days is a pair of socks. There's a birthday coming up (July)......... As for others.....well, I might fit in another couple of quickie projects like this:

Isn't she cute? This is the Little Flower Doily from Bad Cat Designs. Doesn't Andrea come up with the best designs? Project specs:

Project Name: Little Flower Doily
Yarn used: 2/28 Silk - Sky Blue
Yarn source: Colourmart
Needles: 2.25mm (US 1)