Domus Aurea

This is a test knit for Laura knitted during April and May (can it be that long ago??) in a gorgeous greeny soft sheeny pure silk from Sunshine Yarns. It is a lovely pattern whose very clean and simple lines appealed to me from the start - and a very fast knit, not least because I knitted the scarf size. I began my scarf working the nupps written in the pattern butI very soon changed to using the suggested alternative beads because the nupps just didn't show up enough against the variations in the yarn colour. What has taken an inordinate time was getting some decent photos.



Why is this colour so hard to photograph?? It's most accurate on the second picture.



It is so lovely and has been admired by everyone who saw it on my table - so much so that as soon as the green was finished I was inspired to start a second one to be used specifically as a table centre runner. This next is wider and gold as the pattern's name suggests. It is 100% silk with a gorgeous sheen - I just hope I can take some photos that do it justice.

Ishbel

This is my Ishbel by Ysolda Teague knitted in Poshyarn Claudia 4ply alpaca, colour February sock club on 4mm needles.



I worked the same little ksh frilly edging that I used in my Wool Peddler Shawls at the end of the shawl instead of the final pattern repeat. This time I used one strand of two different colours, Meadow (581) and Majestic (589).






It's really soft and floaty and light but warm at the same time. I was so pleased with it once it was all finished and blocked (60" x 24") that I quite forgot my initial misgivings...

It was my first installment of the Posh sock club and I was slightly disappointed in that I'd already used the Claudia yarn a few weeks ago to make Audrey's socks and found it quite splitty. In fact it wasn't the neatest sock I'd made and in retrospect I think I should have used a needle smaller than my usual size of 2.5mm...
I had two attempts at more socks with my new yarn but frogged each time before finally settling on Ishbel and I'm glad I did. The colour is very subtle and this pattern seems suited by it.

And now the next edition of the sock club is almost due - although it will arrive while we're in France for Easter so I shall have to wait until we get back and that won't be until well into April.

Second Wool Peddler

I don't usually like making the same thing again but I liked this shawl so much I had to make another.



Same Wool Peddler's Shawl pattern from Cheryl Oberle published in Folk Shawls but this time in Handmaiden Sea Silk, colour Ebony edged with a KSH frill again.


and it has scarcely been off my shoulders.




The next one is planned already - and yarn ordered from Knitwitches. DK Cashmere again, teal this time. I hope it will be waiting for me when we get home from France.

Dulcavina 2

Rachel loved the first Dulcavina that I'd made last April and asked me if I would make one for her for Christmas in a pale beige colour. I found the perfect yarn in Chameleon Colorworks' Evolution Laceweight colour Mushroom - a similar weight to the Malabrigo and just what she wanted. It would have been finished in time for Christmas but I was held up waiting for more yarn for the edging. Never mind it was ready very soon after and in time for the cold weather.

And she loves it.



Serendipitously I'd got some of Chameleon Colorworks Bambino in the exact shade of mushroom and combined with other yarn from my stash was able to make another pair of Karendipity's Marvelous Mitts

Favourite Books and Frost Flowers Froufrou

Happy New Year to you all!!

But first back to last year with my favourite books from 2008. I've chosen two knitting books - one on socks and one on lace and one cook book.


Janel Laidman's The Eclectic Sole and Nancy Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia and Ottolenghi:The Cookbook.



And my first FO of 2009 - Knit Yoga's Frost Flowers Froufrou
This is destined to be a favourite for 2009.



And some finished pictures:





It's gorgeous isn't it? And Froufrou describes it so well!! I think I shall knit another in Knit Yoga's first choice of Kidsilk Haze.

This one is knitted in Fiddlesticks Jaggerspun Wool/Silk, colour Ruby on Brittany 3.75mm

Estonian Lace Stole

This is the test knit I did for Knityoga of the rectangular version of her Estonian Lace Christening Shawl






I used three skeins plus a tiny bit (~28yds) of Zephyr Jaggerspun in colour Suede on 3.25mm needles. The nupps, which in the past have presented no problem were a bit of a trial to me with my current eye situation. In the end, I managed perfectly well, although slowly, using a darning needle to work the multiple knit-togethers. And there were a lot of them!



And it was well worth the effort!



It measures 84" x 25"

Cleopatra's Stocking

Although I've belonged to the Rocking Sock Club since January this is the first pattern I've knitted - but not in the club yarn. I used Colinette's Jitterbug in colour 161, Oyster Blush.


The pattern is designed by Yarnissima and is written toe-up - my favourite and I used my usual short row heel.



Most of the socks I've knitted have been in stocking stitch using the many variegated yarns to make the pattern but this one caught my fancy and I love it in this almost- uni- colour. I think if I knit this again - and I probably will - I'll adjust the pattern so that the points of the diamond zig-zags meet at the sides. Well, I might....

Next on my list of socks to do is one from the "Summer Pick 'n' Mix Socks" from Probably Jane.


Here is a peep at the shawl I'm test knitting for Laura Patterson. I'm using Poshyarn Cecilia in a lovely rich ruby red with Japanese Toho size 8 seed beads in a dark copper metallic colour from Beads Direct (thanks Clarabelle) and thanks to them for a very fast service to France - three days from ordering to receiving.


And some fabulous Fleece Artist BFL 2/8 in colour Earth - a gorgeous colour but difficult to photo accurately. The navy is actually black but all the shades are very soft.
And it arrived in just four days from Red Bird Knits - great service.



I'm going to knit another Tempest although I don't know what yarn I'll stripe it with, perhaps I'll find something at the I-Knit day in September. I can't wait!! It's been ages since I chose yarn in person.

Canterbury Bells

This is the lovely Canterbury Bells stole pattern I've been test knitting for Laura at FiberDreams It's been great fun, I really quite like test-knitting.


I used less than one and a half balls of Jaggerspun Zephyr in colour Ice Blue on 3.75mm KnitPicks Options but I think my tension must have been a bit off because my stole isn't quite as big as it should be - it measures 20" x 70" blocked. I must have been tense - that's when I knit more tightly.

The pattern is available now from Laura either here or on ravelry.

I had hoped to be able to take some photographs with the semi-wild Canterbury Bells growing on the edge of the wood but everythng here is so late that they are still in tight bud; I think they'll be in flower in a few days.

Flutter Scarf

Flutter Scarf is a very fast and effective pattern designed by Miriam Felton. I love the way the ruffles flow out of the eyelets.


Pattern: MimKnits Flutter Scarf
Yarn: Violet Green's 55%/45% Silk/Cashmere 2ply lace weight in colour Berries (55gm)
Needles: 4mm Brittany Birch
Size:8" x 52"



Lovely pattern and lovely yarn.

Violet Green's Silk/Cashmere is very like Posh Yarns Eva - same composition and yardage but *slightly* easier to acquire!! I love Posh Yarns yarn but I haven't been fast enough to buy any for at least the last six weeks - and not through lack of trying. In fact last Sunday all the yarn seemed to be sold within about 5 minutes. Dee has got an incredibly effective way of selling and Well Done Dee!! But.... I find it so stressful! I'm sure it wacks up my blood pressure. I expect I'll carry on trying to buy it but I don't hold out much hope that I'll get any.

And right now I'm very tempted by this and this....

ETA The second "this" link above worked when I first typed it but since then I bought 3 hanks of it and I must have had all there was because it's not there now! This link is another colour I liked and this is the link to all the Silk/Cash.

Birds

Besides being a model tree the lovely cedar is also the new home of DH's birthday present.

You can see it easily in the sunshine



But against the light it's very camouflaged.



It's not just a bird's nesting box, it has a little camera inside it. Well, we haven't actually put the camera in yet because I'm still checking that it works ok and I didn't want a wireless one so we've got to organise the cable too. I know that no bird will use it this year or even next but they'll get used to its being there so hopefully, eventually, we'll be able to watch them in their nests- I think the blue-tit sized ones will be most likely. It's a colour camera -except for at night when the infra-red will kick in and it can link either to the tv or direct to the pc; I'm told it's easy to make dvds of them in their nest......

Worcester Peregrines

I love the way web cams have made it easy to see bird activity that otherwise would be hidden.

I've particularly enjoyed watching a pair of peregrine falcons with their two chicks in their nest on St Andrew's spire in Worcester. I think there are still two more eggs to hatch. This web cam updates every 10 seconds, so although it's not a movie it's fast enough to be interesting.

Luna Moth Shawl

This is my first Luna Moth but it definitely won't be my last. I loved knitting it and I love it now it's finished. Actually I finished it last weekend but today was the first day that it was fine enough to be outside and still enough. The last few days have been too windy for lace photos.






You can imagine how it feels when you know it was knit with Poshyarns Eva (55% Silk/45%Cashmere). I used two skeins of colour "Glide" on 4mm needles. Knitpicks options I think. It blocked to 74" wide and 50" long.

Rona Lace Shawl and Mondrian's Treehouse Throw

I'm upset just thinking about the shawl so I'll show you the throw first.


It's a Colinette kit, Mondrian's Treehouse in colour scheme Tableau, knitted on 6.5mm Denises using 6 hanks of each of Giotto colours Lichen 76,Caramel 148 and Cherry 122. In fact the Caramel was a bit pinkier than I wanted so I alternated this with some Mushroom from my ample stash.

It was fairly quick to knit but it took ages to get round to sewing in the thousands of ends.

It's destined for a wall in our French house...not sure which one but it'll be a long wait if I wait until it's in situ.



And here modelled by GS5

This is Harry - the current youngest of my six grandchildren. And I'm expecting three more this year!!!


Oh yes, Rona Lace Shawl.

I'm using Violet Green's lace weight Cashmere/Silk again, this time it's colour Emerald and it really does have a jewel-like shine and of course the soft handle from the cashmere.

This is the new beginning.....


Last week I was making excellent progress. On Saturday I told Clarabelle ( who by the way is having a Super Shawl Raffle) that I had done a third of it and over the weekend I made very speedy progress. For some bizarre reason it didn't occur to me to wonder why my yarn seemed to be lasting so long - I expected I would use three skeins to make this shawl so why didn't alarm bells ring when I was still on the first ball and already three quarters finished??

How could I have been so stupid????

In my hurry to get going I managed to omit one of the initial increase rounds so that the whole of my shawl was based on six initial pattern repeats per round and not the twelve needed. So for the rest of the shawl my circumference had half the required number of stitches. So it could never be flat. Only a sort of large pudding basin thingy. Why ever didn't I notice??? 180 stitches instead of 360!!! A bit of a difference....

I was too upset to take a photo and just undid it very quickly. Of course, progress is half the speed of before and I'm itching to get started on The Orkney Pi but I can't start that yet.

Laminaria

I make no excuse for the large number of photos here.

I. Love. Laminaria.


Elizabeth Freeman's Laminaria from Knitty

It's lovely isn't it!!

I used two skeins of Violet Green's beautifully soft 2ply laceweight 55% Silk/ 45% Cashmere on 3.75 Brittany needles and Hiyahiya as the number of stitches increased. It drapes fantastically.

The final blocked measurements are 34" centre back length and 68" wide
Although it was a very straightforward pattern I actually had quite a lot of problems knitting the five stitches made on a previous row from k3tog, yo several times into one stitch. I think it was a vision thing trying to sort out the order of these stitches and I know I got it wrong from time to time.

But those minor problems faded into insignificance when I saw the finally blocked shawl.




And a few close-ups for you-





And (eta) just one more





Here are some pictures of the lace patterns used.

I was worried that this little star pattern at the beginning of the shawl was going to be too dense but it's blocked out just fine and in fact thecloser texture seems to help it stay in position.