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.

Rona Lace Shawl and Thanks to Violet Green

First I must apologise for showing you photos of Rona unblocked. I was so pleased with it I couldn't wait to block it especially as blocking can't happen for a while......


It's Violet Green's Silk/Cashmere in colour Emerald and the pattern is Rona Lace Shawl by Anna Marie Jenson from Knitpicks

Those edges will have the points pulled out when it's blocked.

You'll see in this next photo why that can't happen yet.


You see although I thought I'd been very clever when I worked out how much yarn I'd need for the lace cast-off I wasn't quite clever enough. I cast off over 900 stitches but ran out of yarn with another 100 to go. I could have undone the cast off and part of the previous round but undoing so much gives so much opportunity to drop stitches so I decided that wasn't an option and I would have to buy some more - albeit a different dye batch.

But Violet Green came up absolute trumps and offered to dye me just a strand of yarn long enough to complete it!! What fantastic service isn't it??!

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.