Some Other Goodies

I didn’t just stop at one little bit of nothing (aka hand embroidered table scarf), I also bought some other little nothings. I found this beautiful little hand towel (maybe?) with a sweet tatted edging in pink and white. Now, I don’t like pink, but the tatting was too pretty on this to leave it behind. (Sorry for the poor picture, I couldn’t find a good way to display it.)

Then I found this little tatting edged hankie that I just fell in love with and paid entirely too much to own it. The tatter that made this was very skilled and did a beautiful job with the stitching.

Finally, an accidental find amongst several crocheted pieces, this pair of gorgeous pillowcases.

The width of this edging means that the tatter spent hours creating it and I feel so special being in possession of it now. I have no plans to use this pair of pillowcases. I’m going to tuck them away and display them when inspiration strikes me.

Some Goodies

I was visiting my grandmother some days ago and she mentioned that she had a table she wanted to give away. At first my uncle was going to take it, and then my dad, but in the end, neither one of them took it. I thought it had a lot of potential so I brought it home.

It looked a bit bare though, so on my quick trip to Michigan yesterday, I popped into an antique mall and found a lovely hand embroidered table scarf. It had a few age spots, but then again so does the table.

I think it looks rather smashing with the vase of flowers I bought and arranged for my mom for Mother’s Day. She was down here for a few days and I wanted to spruce up her room a bit.

Fresh stock and gerbera daisies, an antique hand embroidered dresser scarf, and an approximately seventy year old table that my grandfather built in his high school shop class. I think it fits the room beautifully.

Bright Sunshiney Day

Knit from my own handspun Merino/Corriedale blend roving that I purchased from Maine Woods Yarn and Fiber on Etsy, this lovely shawl finally graces the Japanese Maple tree. While I originally started this shawl as a triangular shawl in February, the design just wasn’t speaking to me. There was something that just didn’t quite mesh between the yarn and the pattern, so it was subsequently ripped and rethought.

I decided on a different shape for the shawl at that point, feeling that a rectangular stole-type shawl would be a better fit for the yardage and colors. Which then left me with the puzzle of the pattern. Happily, Gabrielle sent me some lovely green beads and it inspired me to flip through most of my pattern books resulting in the choice of the Rose Lace pattern (also known as Rose Trellis Lace).

It’s hard to see the bead accent to the center of each floral pattern, but they sparkle in the sunshine outside. It’s the perfect touch to finish this shawl.

A Little Beading on the Side

After my first failed attempt with this yarn, I went through several of my stitch pattern books and several pattern books looking for just the right combination with this yarn. After much consideration, I finally settled upon the Rose Lace pattern (also known as the Rose Trellis Lace pattern) that can be found in both a Barbara Walker Treasury (sorry, I forget which one) and the book Heirloom Knitting by Sharon Miller.  I used Jacquie’s free charting software to make my own chart of this pattern and then got to work.  I have two repeats done with a lovely bead at the center of each pattern.  They’re hard to see right now, but once it is blocked, the beads should pop.

I really like how this pattern is knitting up and the way that the yarn is sort of striping, but not really striping.

I had a lot of waiting to do yesterday, so I took along a ball of cotton and some size 7 needles and whipped out this quick dish cloth.  It’s the same checkerboard pattern as last time, except I made it one repeat longer (cast on four more stitches).  I really like these checkerboard variegated face cloths. Oh, yes, and it is posed with the clematis so that you can see how green and leafy it is getting.  There are more blossoms too!!

Wisps of Wool

I finished the Alpine Lace shawl/scarf from VLT last night. I really wasn’t sure that I was going to have enough yarn. In the end, I omitted one plain knit row from the edging to ensure that I could bind off. If my cast on hadn’t had such a long tail, I think I could have knit the last row AND bound off. Such is life.

I took a few artistic shots of the blocked shawl on my lovely Japanese Maple Tree. I don’t know which variety it is, but it has the sweetest feathery leaves that are soft and wispy in the spring.

At the end, I let it drift against the sidewalk like it was an after thought to some young woman’s evening, forgotten but still lovely as it spread along the cement.

Sometimes I make up the strangest little stories about my handknits.

I Want to Knit Them All

Well, as close to all as I get.

I recently bought A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd and it is the first book that I have looked through and thought “I would knit AND wear any of these.” There are two vests in the book and I don’t wear vests, but I would knit and wear these vests. The patterns fulfill my intense desire for attractive, classic, beautiful items that will look just as good in ten years or twenty years.

I thought that I would share a few of my favorites in case you were thinking of buying the book, but haven’t been able to flip through. I did skip the first section that deals with fiber and spinning and gauge among other things, and went straight to the patterns, so I can’t comment much on the first section. I do want to say that even if you don’t spin, this is a wonderful book with an alternate commercial yarn listed for each project.

The first pattern that drew my attention was Rhinebeck. I love the small collar, the touch of patterning on the body and the lack of patterning on the sleeves. Plus the big buttons are just the right accent to the finished project.

The next sweater that caught my eye was Kearsarge. With the cute v-neck and and mistake stitch rib sleeves, against that basketweave body, it begs to be cast on.

And then Halcyon. Oh, that bold back cable wending its graceful way up the models curves. I want to trace the cable crossings with my fingers over and over.

The final piece that I want to share is Ravensong. There is something about that simple lace eyelet ribbing and the big cowl neck (is that the right terminology?) make it look so sweet and sophisticated. It’s almost something that I could wear to the office by day and out to an elegant party that night.

Every time I look through this book, my favorites change. I may never find another book of patterns that appeals to me as much as this one and I am going to make full use of it . . . as soon as I finish a few things first.

Speaking of which, I finished a washcloth because I needed to finish something. I knit until I ran out of yarn in a simple K4P4, repeat across row for four rows, then P4K4, repeat across row for four rows. I like the little bubbles of stockinette and garter stitch. I’m sure this has a pattern name somewhere, but I just made it up as I went along.

Work Goes Slowly When You Start More Projects

I have made progress and am past the halfway point on my Alpine Lace shawl. I still like the pattern, the yarn, the stitchmarkers, and the Julip bag. Very much.

The shawl is bit more red-purple than it is coming across in this picture, but I like it anyway.  My clematis came back this year too, so I had to pose the shawl with it.  I’m terribly excited, waiting for it to blossom.  I already have buds.

Just to show you what has kept me occupied instead of finishing my shawl, here is a picture of the first NHM #9 mitten from Terri Shea’s Selbuvotter.  It’s a lovely pattern and working up fantastically in the Apple Laine Apple Pie in dark chocolate and cornflower blue that I bought from the Loopy Ewe a while back.

I did royally screw up the back of the thumb (palm side), but I decided that I didn’t care, because it gave it character.  I’m not even sure that I’ll wear these mittens.  I’m not much of a mitten person really, but I wanted to knit this pair.  The pattern was just too pretty to pass by.

Finally, a new picture of the bleeding hearts so that you can see how much they’ve changed in three days. I took the original photos on Monday and these today.  Amazing isn’t it?

Bleeding Hearts

This one is my favorite.

This one shows the hearts really well.

But this one, this one captures me because of the blurry bunny in the background.

A Little Stash Enhancement

Via the lovely Loopy Ewe. I only bought a teeny bit. Some Numma Numma Toasty in Blackberry Jam.

Some Loopy Legends in Theresa’s Italian Vineyards.

Some Araucania Ranco Semi-solid in Brick and Lime.

I’ve already planned socks for the AR in Lime. Sad isn’t it? lol

Um, Wow.

So, apparently, I caused a little furor of contest entering. lol  Who knew that a little STR would get you all up in arms. ;)  Thank you for entering my little contest.  I’ve had quite a bit of fun reading through blogs and checking out the commenters.

I used random.org to generate the random number for the commenters for prize #1 and it told me that comment #53 (out of 53, how odd is that?), Sarah Lou, is the winner of the STR, so Sarah Lou please email me your address so that I can send it off to you.  I don’t gaurantee that you will receive it quickly, but I’ll try to send it before the end of the month.

 

Prize #2 was a bit trickier as I had to read through and then number who sent extra comments my way.  In the end, there were 15 entries that stated they were sent by ___someone_____. Using the random number generator again, Hanna of WiKnits became the winner of prize #2.  Again with the address and blah, blah, blah.

Now prize #3, that one is seriously amusing.  First here are the answers to the questions.

1.  This is Beau, my wonderful mutt puppy, who occassionally graces my blog pages.

2.  This is Misstress Stash Olivia Licking.  She of the bare toes fetish that garnered her the last name of Licking. ( I gave credit for any of her names, although sometimes I call her fumble butt when she gets under my feet.  I don’t think I’ve mentioned that on the blog though.)

3.  There are six recognized varieties of Dutch rabbits in the U.S., black, blue, chocolate, gray, steel, and tortoise.  Of those six, I currently raise three varieties: blue, tortoise, and black (as per the pictures). Don’t you want to squish their little noses?

4. I have finished 14 pairs of socks since the start of the year, although one pair was started before the new year and finished within the first few days of 2008.  So, if you guessed 13 or 14, I still gave you the benefit of a doubt. :)  Sometimes I’m tricky and I didn’t want to exclude someone because they second guessed the answer.

5.  Episode 1 of the Sock Hunter premiered on Mar. 27, 2007 and featured the first of a pair of Go With the Flow socks by Evelyn Clark.   I couldn’t wait until I finished the pair to try out my idea for the Sock Hunter episodes, so the first two episodes actually feature one pair of socks. :) 

Now, to the winner of prize #3.  Nicole (ikkinlala) you nailed every question.  You absolutely got them all, right down to the third color of Dutch.  Prize #3 is yours, so measure your feet and email me to discuss pattern/color/yarn.

AND, seeing as I’m a softhearted person, I’m going to send some consolation prizes to Kelly and Dana.  You see, those two were barely wrong, missing one variety of Dutch each. I don’t know what they will be yet, but I will send you each a little something. So, ladies, I’m emailing you.

ETA: Aija of Sock Pron has graciously allowed me to purchase $10 gift certificates for Kelly and Dana to her etsy shop, one of my absolute favorites, Zero Markers. Go, shop, enjoy.

Thanks for playing along with my contest. This was a blast!