One Down and 10 More Rows to Go

I finished the Ishbel on Friday and have 10 more rows on the Leaf and Flower Stole to go.

I'm considering blocking options. I have ordered some foam board. This will give me a 40"x60" area to work with for blocking.

I splashed out ordering a used copy of Creating Original Handknitted Lace by Margaret Stove. This is a book to spend years with. The first thing that struck me, is like Elizabeth Zimmermann, Margaret Stove has a voice. It's the voice of years of knitting experience combined with research. It's the voice that teaches you fundamentals and principles: teaching you the rules of the road so that you can drive or in this case, knit your own designs. This book goes in the pantheon with EZ, Barbara Walker and Mary Thomas.

Wendy of Wendy Knits was given some skeins of hand-painted yarn by 3AM Enchantments. I didn't want to risk not winning a skein in Wendy's give away and went to the 3AM Enchantments Esty store and bought a skein. It arrived yesterday. It's the most stunningly beautiful yarn I've ever seen. Fingering weight, 100% Superwash Merino. Yes, I will post piccys.

Vacation, Work, Knitting

I'm supposed to be on vacation, but as usual work has interrupted that and until Thursday, I was furiously beavering away at home.

But I have managed to get some knitting time in.


Leaf and Flower Stole is proceeding towards it's end.

Ishbel

Bought Whimsical Little Knits on Wednesday. This e-book by Isolda Teague had long been on my wish list. I started the Ishbel shawl and almost gave it up. The tab beginning I don’t think I did correctly (hopefully I can correct the error during blocking) and the k3, yo, p threw me until I looked it up in Mary Thomas and Vogue Knitting book. And then lo and behold, the yarn over was discussed in this week’s Ask a Knitter blog on Ravelry. Paid close attention to counting the number of stitches in the stockingnette section and am now starting the lace and it’s going a treat.

I do credit Linda CC and her Leaf and Flower Stole for my new found comfort and confidence in knitting lace. Knitting that pattern helped me to "get it."

Suddenly looking at the Orenburg Lace Shawl book last night I was able to see that in Orenburg lace there is only k2tog with no accompanying sl1 k2 psso.

I also spent some time exploring Japanese knit and crochet patterns. I'm particularly interested in Japanese crochet patterns. My aunt Fannie (my father's sister) taught me to crochet. She didn't crochet from patterns or samples but from memory and that's how I learned (although I have never mastered filet crochet). I have a lot of her pieces.

What I have never mastered is the ability to read written crochet instructions, but what I can read (odd considering that I am symbol-challenged) is charted crochet symbols. Japanese knit and crochet patterns are printed with symbols and numbers (although there is some translation to written patterns underway). This makes it possible for me to crochet from patterns. Yay!!! So this is my next frontier.

I was very fortunate in making the crochet scarf http://ravel.me/croberon/jwjeq I did last year, because the woman who wrote the pattern also did You-tube videos of each step in the construction.

Toupie has enjoyed my being at home. He's getting lots of cuddle and play time.

WWF - Government Relations and Policy - Reports from the Gulf

WWF - Government Relations and Policy - Reports from the Gulf

Stole Progess

I'm in the final stretch. Have four more repeats of the flower chart and one more chart to complete and then....blocking!!!

Early in the last transition chart, I hit a zen moment when I understood perfectly what each of the stitches was contributing to the design. This pattern has taught me a lot about lace knitting.

I have blocking wires and pins and am hoping in the next couple of days to put up permanently the table I use for cutting out my sewing. This will give me a surface for blocking but it will require some coordination because I can't do blocking and cutting out simulataneously.

Yes, it also means that I am going to start sewing again. I've got tons of fabric and a stash of patterns. Oh, you might ask: Am I not the person who complains that I have so many clothes my closet is over full? Yeah, I am, but hey...who doesn't like a new outfit now and again.

I've been experimenting with swiss chard. What a lovely veggie. I've done swiss chard chips. Oven steamed swiss chard; sauteed swiss chard. I've found that using "real" sesame seed oil eliminates the need for any other seasoning. Check the ingredients label on the seasame seed oil bottle. Lots of brands are part or all canola oil with flavoring. Also toasted pine nuts (just put the pine nuts in the oven at 350F until they turn brown) are a wonderful addition.

I bought Whimsical Little Knits by Ysolda Teague and next on the needles will be an Ishabel from sock yarn.

Lace Progress

My first lace project is still on the needles. It is partly a disaster because it was my first attempt at lace and partly because there was a mistake in the charts. This second one is coming along a treat, except I didn't think ahead about how much yarn I would need. Here are photos of the progress so far:



I've made some mistakes due to my difficulty with symbols, but they are now under control. Because of the repeats, I am able to knit this on my bus commute which accounts for much of the progress I've made.

What a difference a weekend makes:
Last weekend was unusually hot. We had no air conditioning and I was like limp rag by Sunday morning. This weekend is usually cool. The winds were really whipping last night but seem to have calmed down this morning. However, the air remains brisk. I'm looking forward to Chelsea vs Wigan in a few hours. The World Cup starts next month.

April, Shell Game, and Leaf and Flower Stole

It's been a lovely month full of mostly warm days and cool nights. Between volcanic eruptions stranding staff in Europe, volunteering at the meditation center and life in general, I've been busy. But I have been knitting.

WIPS

Shell Game using Knit Picks Comfy with waist and bust darts. All the darts are in for the front just need to knit the armholes and neck and then on to the back.

Been itching to knit lace. I have lots of lace weight that needs knitting up. Some for prezzies, others for me. Found a lovely stole pattern that is going like gangbusters. Here's a photo after one edging and first pattern repeat

Where have I been; what have I been doing

After finishing the kippah, I've been swatching for my next project: a knit shell. I purchased a pattern with darts for both the waist and bust written in the instructions. Spent the weekend swatching the yarn with different needle sizes until I was able to achieve gauge. Have finished the lace edging for the front and now begin the stockingnette stitch portion.

I will add photos later, but have purchased one cone of Colourmart 3/20 Silk and Cotton in Hot Sand which is a golden yellow. The cone is 1500 yards. I also purchased a 1lb cone of 100% bamboo from DBNY.

We are having a week of early July weather.