Icarus Finished!

With sore hands and a stiff neck, I bound off the last of the hundreds of stitches just in time.  The auction was Saturday night.  I finished knitting by 8pm Friday night, wove in my ends around 9pm, and left it blocking overnight.  Phew!  

With 1,369 Icarus projects on Ravelry, I'm not going to spend any time discussing this pattern (which is beautiful).  So let's talk about this yarn.  I LOVE this yarn.  This is lace weight cormo from Elsa Wool Company.  It is divine.  I owe many thanks to Melanie and Stewart, the grooviest yarn sellers on the planet, for carrying and recommending this yarn.

This is not a true representation of the color - the other pictures capture the silvery gray.

Cormo sheep are a cross between Corriedales and Saxon Merinos.  The resulting yarn is unbelievably soft and luxurious.  The yarn is undyed and is the natural color of the sheep.

But don't just believe me, here's what Clara Parkes has to say in her review of Elsa Wool Company's Cormo:  "Cormo is one of my favorite fibers.  It has all the tenderness of merino but with a little more character and succulence."



Succulence.  Yes.  It is delicious in the hands and on the needles and it blocks like a dream.  This is a woolen-spun yarn which means that it is spun with a core of air in the center resulting in a warm, light, and lofty yarn.  Perfect for a shawl.

Icarus made his ill-fated wings out of wax.  Make your Icarus lace feathers from heavenly cormo!

Deep in the Madness

No, not March Madness.  That's Liz, not me.  I'm deep into lace madness.  I committed to donating an Icarus shawl to the Waldorf school for their auction on Saturday.  Is it done?  NO.

I added an extra repeat on the main body (back when I was proceeding at a leisurely pace), so now I'm up to 427 stitches and have 40 rows before I hit the edging.  I need to be done by Thursday night because my parents are coming to visit Saturday.  I thought that I might try to clean the house Friday while the shawl was blocking.  So I think I'll be up early and late trying to bang this out.  

Good thing there's basketball to watch on TV.

Birth Matters

A few months ago, my very good friend Melissa, a doula, asked me to donate a shawl for a charity auction. I said yes, first because it was Melissa, also because I had the time, but most importantly because the auction supports a wonderful organization: Birth Matters Virginia.


I believe every birth to be a celebration and every mother a goddess no matter how a baby enters the world -- by cesarean or vaginally, with or without drugs, in a hospital or at home. Birth Matters Virginia is working to create a more supportive culture for pre-natal care, birth, and post-partum care.

And now, here is the shawl -- modeled by the beautiful and stunning Kindness Girl. Doesn't she rock pregnancy?


Pattern: Ene's Scarf by Nancy Bush from Scarf Style
Yarn: Knitting Notions Classic Merino Lace in Aubergine
Needles: US 5s

Notes: Although I was quite intimidated at the beginning of this (CO 375 sts - eek!), once I passed the border it was quite enjoyable. Since I've been a lazy knitter this summer (Fran and Katherine can attest to the fact that I didn't knit much even at Knit Night!), I did have to push it into high gear for the past 4 days to get it done on time.


This yarn is fabulous. I bought it at The Fiber Festival in Montpelier and I will buy more this year. It is soft, light and the kettle dyed color is incredible. Here is a link to their website - I was able to load the page last week but seem to be having a bit of trouble today.


Many thanks to Kindness Girl for the modeling!


PS And thank you Fran for the canning information -- I'm going to try to pickle some cukes this weekend!

Perspective

I cast on for Ene's Scarf (Ravelry link) last week. This is the first time I'm knitting a lace shawl from the outside in, so to speak. Casting on 375 stitches just about made me insane and the whole project seems so daunting. But then we discovered that the kids brought back lice from Norway. Thus began hours upon hours of combing hair and laundry.

As a pleasant summer break from the nit-picking, we drove out to the country to pick peaches. Then came the endless peeling, pitting, and canning that nearly put me over the edge.

Now, after 15 quarts of preserves and 2 lice-free girls, Ene's Scarf? Not so intimidating after all.

A Swallowtail at the End of School

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark, Interweave Knits Fall 2006
Yarn: Fleece Artist Sea Wool Bordello Sock Yarn, Kid Silk Haze (shade 628)
Needles: US 6s
Notes: This was supposed to be a quickie one week project to bang out before school ended -- a present for Nora's teacher. It ended up taking a bit longer (about 10 days, but still in time!) due to some errors on my part. The initial lace pattern, the budding lace, is so quick and easy to memorize that I got a bit overzealous. I zipped right past the transition point for the lily-of-the-valley lace. Not a problem, I thought. I'll just have it be a bit longer, I was sure that I had enough yarn and that it would be just fine.

Let's just stop here for a bit, shall we? Let's just reflect on how little I've learned about myself as a knitter. I won't belabor the point by linking the many, many posts where I've failed to correctly judge my yardage. Or fudged on the swatching. Or thought, no way am I tearing out, I'll just soldier on ... Sigh.

So (surprise!) the lily-of-the-valley lace does not flow easily from the budding lace pattern. The numbers have to be just right and I was coming up with lots of different number situations. In total frustration, I headed over to The Yarn Lounge where Melanie and I had some quality time with a calculator. She was very patient as I regurgitated my numbers at her ("and if you subtract 1 and divide by 2 and then subtract 16 and divide by 10 ... it's all wrong!").


As it worked out (thanks Melanie!), I have two extra repeats of the budding lace pattern and some important ssk's and k2tog's tucked in here and there in order to get the right numbers for the lily-of-the-valley lace.


And (suprise again!) I didn't have enough yarn but I was smart enough to place a lifeline before beginning the edging. So back to TYL, where the crew very wisely advised me to pick an edging yarn that was a contrasting color and type (you know, so it didn't look like I had run out of yarn). Enter the kid silk haze and the shawl was done! Hurray!


The yarns are beautiful together and I really, really loved this pattern -- with a strong exception for the nupps. The p5tog's just about broke my spirit. I was amazed at how the hot pink in the Sea Wool was softened by the heathery purples, pinks, and brownish-greens. Lovely.

May Nora's teacher have a beautifully restorative summer!

Busy ...

... but not with knitting. If I have free time, I'm in the garden marvelling over the little green things that defy all reason and pop out of the soil year after year. This is my 8th year in this house and it's nice to see things coming along.

All the gardening has left me with cracked, dirty hands. Not so good for knitting. And terrible for knitting hemp with my sharp Knit Picks Options. It's inevitable when knitting with this yarn and these needles: I will sustain a knitting injury.

And so I was sidelined for a bit. I wasn't knitting much of consequence since I don't enjoy knitting with a big band aid on my thumb (the needle exploited my dry, cracked thumb on a purl row and punctured the skin).

But I'm back baby! A washcloth is done as is my chevie.

Vandyke Lace Border washcloth


Pattern: Vandyke Lace border from Victorian Lace Today
Yarn: All Hemp 6, DK Weight
Needles: Knit Picks Options US 5s

This was a housewarming present for a friend. I had some All Hemp left in the stash and knew how well it softened with repeated washings. I knit a few garter rows and then knit the body in stockinette. At the end, I knit a few garter rows again, this time double looping on two of them. Then after another knit row, I crochet cast-on stitches for the Clarence border.

Thank you Victorian Lace Today! I am relying on this book more and more for lace information and ideas. There are also other lace books that I would like to get (this and this to be specific) but right now I'm saving my knitting budget for the first week in May.

Chevron Scarf


Pattern: Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: KPPPM
Needles: US 6s


I never said that I was a trend-setter in the knitting world (that's Liz!). In fact I am way behind the trend. But I do finally get there. I love this scarf. It seems so springy and colorful and fun.

I picked up the Koigu at The Needle Lady in C'ville. I was so worried about whether or not I had picked the right colors (when confronted with a large selection of koigu, my mind just freezes up). I love the way these two worked together.


Maybe this year I'll wear mine to MDSW ...

Scarf with the Clarence Border

My auction project is done! And compared to last year's contribution, this one was simple, fast, and just a joy to knit. (Please, learn from my experience last year, do not felt a vest. You end up knitting a very ugly dress and then it takes forever to felt.)

It's doubled over in this picture.

Pattern: Scarf with the Clarence Border from Weldon's, 1886 (Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby)
Yarn: Hand Maiden Lace Silk (1/2 skein)
Needles: US 5s
Notes: I modified the pattern by knitting the border repeat twice instead of 3 times. I wanted a narrower scarf. Therefore, I only had 42 stitches once I had turned my work and picked up to work the center panel. The finished measurements are: 73" long and 7.25" wide.

By the way, what is up with the center panel in the picture in the book? If you have the book, turn to page 83 and compare it with mine:

I swear I knitted the pattern as it reads -- I even had Melanie check it over for a mistake. Maybe they altered the center panel pattern in the book? Maybe the stitches stretched out differently by more aggressive blocking?


Also, I think it's time I think about getting some blocking wires -- see how the edges were pulled by my pins? It does seem to be falling back into place as I let it hang.

This is exquisite yarn. Please knit something lighter than air, slinky, and delicate with this! I think it was the perfect yarn for this scarf and hope that someone special ends up winning it at the auction this Friday!

If you're in the Richmond area, come on down to ArtWorks this Friday (March 14th) at 7pm for the Richmond Waldorf School Auction! We've got loads of handmade items, art, gift certificates, and even some autographed items from my former neighbor!

Angel of Darkness Finished

There is not much to say about this project except I adore this yarn and I think Evelyn Clark is brilliant. First the project specs ...

Pattern: Angel Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clark
Yarn: Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette, Pewter
Needles: Knitpicks Options US6s
Finished size: 13 pattern repeats -- 63" wide and 30.5" deep
Notes: The yarn (40% Alpaca, 40% Merino, 20% Silk) is exquisite. I think it was just wonderful for this project (since I like a shawl that can provide a bit of warmth but have gorgeous drape). It was a joy to knit with, it just flowed perfectly. Wouldn't a snug fitting top knit with this be just luxurious?

The pattern is simple and fast to memorize as was my experience with the Leaf Lace Shawl. I was able to go from start to finish in 3 weeks with lots of other non-knitting things going on in my life. I think I want to knit an Evelyn Clark shawl at least once a year. It is just so gratifying.

My gauge was 6.5 spi so my finished shawl was larger than the pattern dictated. I used up about 4 skeins.

After I showed it off a bit here, I donated the shawl to Art 180 for its Art Karma Auction that happens on November 29th. Please tell your friends to come bid on this shawl! I'd love to have it bring in some money for this wonderful organization that brings art to children. I mean really, here in Virginia where standardized testing trumps all else, we need Art 180 desperately.

Scarf with the No. 20 Edging

It is done! Can you believe that I actually stated at one point that this would take me just a month to finish? It has been months and months. What was I thinking? I never seemed to get into a groove with the pattern and I realized, after tinking one too many times, that I just couldn't be around other people while knitting this border with this yarn on these needles.

I finished this during the football game Monday night (was I the only Redskins fan out there listening to the game on the radio and knitting Victorian lace?) and blocked it last night so that my friend Dana could borrow it for a fancy schmancy party tonight celebrating the new Luck Stone Building. She modeled it for me at R's preschool this morning at drop off.

So here it is.




Pattern: Scarf with the No. 20 edging from The Knitted Lace Pattern Book, 1850 from Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby
Yarn: Sea Silk by Hand Maiden Yarn (about 1 2/3 skeins)
Needles: Knit Picks Options, US 8s

Modifications: I only knit the border pattern repeat 20 times instead of 22 since my gauge was different with this yarn and 20 times gave me close to the 72". Also, I may have misread the pattern but I did not purl one row after completing Chart B. If I eliminated this instruction, I was exactly where I needed to be when I began to pick up the stitches for the 2nd border. I'm not sure whether the pattern is wrong or I was. I only found one reference to this here. Any ideas about what I did wrong? It looks fine ...



This was a challenging project for me simply because the repeat was 20 rows (really 10 since the wrong side rows were all the same) and I found the yarn hard to read and the pattern difficult to anticipate. I assume that my tolerance for this will grow as I become more experienced with lace.



I used the suspended bind-off but needed to use a size 10 needle in order to keep it loose enough to match the cast-on edge. This is a perennial problem for me. I think I would maybe try a different bind off next time (maybe the modified Russian?).



The yarn is beautiful. I was concerned about the colors pooling since when I blocked it I noticed all the lighter pinks were more on one side the the darker blues and purples on another; however, as it dried this was less noticeable and when worn becomes irrelevant. The yarn is divine. Just divine. The colors are jewel-like and brilliant.




And the crocheted edging worked out grand as well. I fumbled around a bit at first ... how should I hold the yarn for the correct tension? what is that twisting motion again? But finally I remembered my few crochet lessons.

I have another lace project in my very near future, but for now I am simply happy to have this as a finished object!

XRK Yarn-Along: Leaf Lace Scarf

Yarn-Along completed!

Liz and I acquired 4 skeins of Green Mountain Spinnery Sylvan Spirit for each of us and Mo at MDSW this past Spring. How would our projects diverge using the same yarn?

Initially, I wanted to try a short sleeve sweater with the Spirit, but then I read Liz's post on her experience with the yarn. No, no, no. That wouldn't do. Crunchy? Itchy? No way. Since Liz mentioned that she thought it would do for a simple shawl, I began to flip through some shawl patterns. I had never knit a triangular shawl before -- I was intimidated by the patterns: provisional cast-ons, endless repeats, and the dreaded yet all-important blocking.

Encouraged by Melanie and Stewart, my most excellent LYS buddies, I chose the Lace Leaf Shawl. What a perfect choice. This was easy. Easy. Easy. I couldn't believe how easy this pattern was. If you are looking to knit your first triangular shawl, look no further.

Pattern: Leaf Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clark
Yarn: Green Mountain Spinnery's Sylvan Spirit in Peridot, about 3.5 skeins
Needles: Knit Picks Options US 10.5, 32" circulars

Notes: I did not make any modifications to the pattern. I knit the DK size and completed 10 pattern repeats which gave me a medium size (the small was 7 pattern repeats and the large was 12). I probably could have done another pattern repeat, maybe two, with my yarn but I was ready to finish and wanted to be sure to have enough yarn.

The pattern is clear and easy to read. I am a chart person and I thought the charts were excellent although the repeats are easy enough to memorize quickly so I was never a slave to the chart. Even with lots of other concurrent knitting I was able to finish this in a few weeks -- and I am a slow, slow knitter.

The yarn behaved extremely well. (Read the excellent review here.) It was a joy to knit on 10.5s unlike the 7s that Liz was using (my 3.25 spi vs. her 5 spi). The color does become more beautiful when knit up -- with a silvery tone and flecks of yellow that are so hard for me to capture with the camera. The drape is divine, is this maybe the tencel? The shawl is light yet substantial feeling after blocking. It will become my favorite fall/winter/spring wrap (it was not perfect during the photo shoot in 90 degree weather!).

And what about the blocking? Did I have a recurrence of my aqualanophobia? After a nervous phone call to Melanie at The Yarn Lounge about blocking wires and the pinning process, I dunked this baby in lukewarm water, rolled it in towels, and then pinned it using plain old straight pins to my bed.


I kept gasping as I pinned, I really knit this?



I have never thought of myself as a shawl person. That has all changed! I can't wait for the temps to drop so that I can strut around town wearing this. Maybe I'll bring it to the grocery store so that I can drape it on me in the frozen food aisle ...



Fun, easy and extremely rewarding. What more could you ask for in a project?

With Friends Like This...

My friend Aileen shops for me. She'll call me from Old Navy saying, "there's cute little black patent flats here for $10. You want me to pick up a pair for you?" Um, yeah! Aileen is a member of my knitting group, and last Spring, she went to a closing sale at an LYS, and managed to score 12 balls (6 black, 6 cream) of Baruffa Bollicina, a gorgeous but quite spendy cashmere/silk fingering yarn for 50% off. Was I interested? Um, yeah! This is the best kind of friend to have, isn't it?

At the time, I had been working with my sister-in-law, Karla, who had requested a lace wrap. Since I prefer to knit for others with their input on project, pattern, and color, she and I looked at multiple shawl patterns and shapes, and settled on the Shetland Triangle in goes-with-everything black.


Pattern: Shetland Triangle by Evelyn Clark, Wrap Style
Yarn and Needles: Baruffa Bollicina, US 5 Addi lace needles
Mods: I added additional repeats for the fir cone pattern.

I'm so lucky that Aileen picked this luxurious yarn up for me. It was the perfect substitute for this pattern. It blocked out into a lightweight but warm, very smooth and silky fabric, and is just what you would expect from a true luxury yarn. Karla will be thrilled to wrap up in it.

This is a very simple lace shawl to knit. I added a few repeats, and used just about all of 5 balls. I'm a little disappointed that, even though I went up several needle sizes for the last row and the bind-off, I still bound off tight enough that I didn't get any scallops and points. But with a black lace shawl, I think you have to walk that very thin line between classic and romantic and Italian grandma/witch costume, and I think having points along the edge of this shawl might have pushed it a little closer to the witch-side of the spectrum.

I was thinking it was going to be hard to give up this shawl, but really, having seen Karla's delighted reaction to the unblocked version, I am really going to enjoy giving it to her in its finished state. And I still have those balls of the cream Bollicina, which would make an incredible Swallowtail for me!

Digging the Lace

I've been working on a lace scarf with my Sea Silk. I had to knit and frog a few times before I got the hang of the pattern and of correcting my mistakes. Now, after 10 repeats of the border I feel good. Real good. I love it. It is currently sharing knitting time with some other projects, but I hope to be done with this in about 3 weeks or so (I am not a fast knitter!).

The pattern is from Victorian Lace Today: Scarf with the No. 20 edging. Or as I have been referring to it: The Diamond Border Scarf.

I cannot impress upon you all enough how much I love this Sea Silk. I have been unable to capture the beauty of the colors and certainly if you have felt it, you know that one would have to be a poet to fully describe the texture. And the smell is ... well, vacation. Knitting this project is just a feast for the senses (I guess the hearing thing is lacking. But I've been listening to lots of good music while knitting as well ...)

I leave you with today's colors in the garden.