The weather outside is frightful........

.......but inside, I'm thinking spring! I started this little number for DD yesterday and after a round of gauge issues, I'm finally off and running. It's one of the patterns I traded for from the Destash list and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was perfect for my girl. Who knows if she'll like it, but it's a fun knit and not a tiny thread and a zillion yarnovers!

The yarn is actually a nice cotton - Mandarin Petit - with nice stitch definition and a soft feel. I just wished I liked knitting with cotton more...it feels so "dead" in my hands compared to wools. Maybe that's all in my head because I know it will stretch out and hang there... In any case, it's soft and a nice change of pace knit.

And yes, the weather is frightful! Snow, snow and more snow. It took this winter forever to get started but, now that it has, it won't leave! It's supposed to get windy later and be very stormy indeed. For now, it's just a strong, steady snowfall...beautiful, but I'm done with it just the same.

I finished the Three Cornered Shawl! I will block it later today and have photos up soon. I think I love it.

One done...two to go

I finished the Shoulder Shawl from VLT for Sharon and she loves it. I don't know what it is, but I have a complete brain lapse when it comes to adding the knitted on border. It's like I have never knit before in my life...I get all thumbs and can't imagine how to do it. So, once again, I picked up a bizillion stitches and did the peaked edge from the Swallowtail pattern.

It didn't block as well as I would have liked, but the yarn is drop dead gorgeous and I used less than one full skein! It's the gorgeous "Thistle" colorway from Handpainted Yarns and what a bargain that ended up being, since I expanded it to a full 281 stitches! For $5.95! It blocked out at 60" wide and 24" from top edge to center point. I wish I had pulled it a bit further down...making it longer and the lace edging more expanded, but that's what it is for now.

Now I'm plugging away on finishing the Three-Cornered Shawl, but I'm still loving this lace phase!

Project Harlot

There's the "Yarn Harlot" and then there's me... the "Project Harlot". The Victorian Lace Today book has me by the teeth and I currently have three different WIP.

First I started the Maltese Shawl...it's not blocked or anything but I just needed to get a photo of it. It's a slow go since each row is worked in pattern with no "rest row" so, as a reprieve from that when I'm feeling tired, I started.....




...the amazing Three Cornered Shawl. This little number begins with 684 stitches! I've actually started it twice, had a major error the first time and redid it. It was a heartbreaker since I had followed the directions and done an unreal e-loop cast on, making the first row one from hell. Never again. In fact, when I started over I did a typical cable cast on and it seems plenty loose enough. I have just reached the end of the first chart repeat.



I would probably be a lot further on both if I hadn't started the Shoulder Shawl.

This is the second one of these I've done and I thought it would be a quickie but...

I choose to use the incredible soft (and fine!) Handpainted Yarn lace weight so my gauge is completely off and I need to make it much larger than the pattern calls for.

In fact all of the above are in the same yarn...it is so soft, it's like silk and I love the weight. I will see what I really think when I have it all washed and blocked, but if it's anything like their heavier weight yarn, it will only get nicer.

Another Swallowtail finished

From this...









To this....









...another Swallowtail Scarf for mom's birthday. Made from Misti Alpaca in a glorious and succulent red for an 85 year old hot shot!


I failed to get a picture of the beautiful Shoulder Shawl from VLT that I made for Becky's going away gift. I did it with lovely yarn from Ebay's JoJo Land and it came out stunning!

Now I just need to finish the Maltese I am working on as well as the Three Cornered Shawl which I just love! Is there anything in this book I don't want to knit???? No!

Shawl Magic

First, it gets wet. I soaked for a good twenty minutes, shooting for the full immersion technique since this was my first attempt at blocking lace and I wanted it to be as pliable as possible!


















It's very hard to believe this pile of wet wool is going to turn into anything, never mind something beautiful and elegant!











Rolled in a towel and ready to begin the blocking process!





It's magic watching the transformation take place. It's also amazing how one slight adjustment and you have to move 1000 pins as a result! Around and around the bed I go....















Blurry shot but it's finally all pinned out and ready to dry. I am in awe of what I have done!






And yes, it DOES turn into something beautiful and elegant! Who knew?????

Some of the Christmas knitting....

The incredible Harrisville "Orchid Line" sweater I made for Kristin for Christmas. Wonderful yarn...a joy to work with and I loved how it turned out!










Chelsea's luscious mittens done in Kid Seta and Cool Wool. They feel like you are placing your hand into velvet. She loves them!






She also loves her cabled hat which was my own design. I loved the way the cables spiraled out of the top and wanted to work that design into a hat. Turns out it was exactly what my DD wanted, complete with braids!