Left Overs

This is what I did with the left over wool from the Girasole after a week away in which my camera was brutally left in my pocket naked with random stones and shells given to me by the kids. It deserves better.

It was so nice to do something quick and straightforward for a change.

Finished!

All done! I actually finished a few days ago, but my bleeding camera broke. Of all the times for it to crap out on me. Still I have a shiny new (well not so shiny and refurbished) camera now, and what better to photograph with it that this lovely thing. I do love it, and cant stop admiring the flower and leaf motifs. I will let you admire it before I reveal my reservations.








And the last picture tells the story of my lingering doubts about what to do with it. If I wear it as a shawl, it seems a shame to obscure its loveliness by bunching it up and also, and perhaps more importantly, it makes me look like an old granny. Its the edging I think. While ingeniously designed, it does make it look a bit too doily-like for my tastes. So what the heck am I going to do with it? I could use it as a throw for the couch, but the kids will probably muss it all up and it seems a bit too glorious for that. And it isnt the right colour. So I am musing on its use. M

And strangely, and I am not sure this has happened to me before, I miss knitting it. It was a pain in the end, but such fun making your way through chart after chart. I would kind of like to knit another one, but since I cant decide what to do with this one, it seems a bit pointless. I do have some lovely Cascade 220 in the perfect colours to match my couch, but I dont have enough to do the whole thing. Hmmm.....

Glorious Slog

Wow this Girasole is a mixture of wonder and frustration. You get glimpses of loveliness as you see the pattern emerge, but mostly it looks like a big lump of nothing.

I have had a few setbacks, including failing to read Chart D properly and having to tink back over 600 stitches and thinking I had finished only to find I was still to repeat Chart G.

Anyway, good news! I am now doing the remarkably nifty knitted on edging which is fun for the first 10 repeats until you realise that there are over 200 of them in order to get all the way round. No matter! Today I have been glad I am knitting something I can drape over my knees as its blinking bloody cold out there today (first 'proper' snow for years!) and I must be nearly half way round after a few days at it. The incentive to keep going is to be able to spread it out in all it's glory once its completely cast off. Cant wait!

Still dont know what I am going to do with it though ;)

Market Winding

So last summer I got myself a construction set in the US, and made myself a lovely low tech piece of kit for winding yarn. Those poshies with oodles of cash can by themselves a swift for holding skeins of yarn that need to be wound into a ball. Elegant though they are (and yes, I do lust after one) we have neither the money or space for one. So through the power of Ravelry I discovered that you can make one from Tinker Toy sets, which of course means nothing to me, but Matt tells me its an old stylee construction toy set from his childhood, I suppose a bit like Meccanno is to us. Anyway, a trip to Toys R Us and a squizz at this website and I made my own. Woot!

I did fork out for a proper ball winder though (also not cheap). Makes life so much easier. And I am totally in love with the gorgeousness of the balls they produce. Like little cakes, almost good enough to eat. Yum.


Between wetting myself at Girasole and waiting for the yarn to arrive, I spotted another gorgeous shawl called At the Market, by Ilga Leja. Isnt it lovely? I just had to knit this one too and got my hands on some lovely green
Manos del Uruguay Manos Silk Blend on sale, which is the one I am winding in these pics. The shawl is knit on the bias to get that lovely drape. Its a fun pattern to knit and I love the geometry of it. Sadly, I just had to get on with my Girasole once that yarn came, but will get back to this as soon as that one is done.

Is there any rest?

Love

Did you ever see a piece of knitting and just about wet your knickers in excitement? No? Just me then.

It happened when I saw Girasole by Jared Flood. Isnt it just about the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?? Of course the fact that he is not only a knitting designer but also a professional photographer doesnt hurt. But still. I was so excited when I saw it I immediately spend hours online looking for the perfect yarn. Not an easy task since you can make it in thicker weight (aran) for a blanket effect or thinner weight (4ply) for a shawl effect. I kind of wanted to make a thicker one, but the truth is I really dont enjoy using the chunkier needles. Just not as satisfying for some reason. I also limited myself to sale yarn since the whole thing takes up to 1800yds, which could work out pretty pricey. I almost went for Rowan Cashsoft which is a mid weight DK, but in the end I plumped for Araucania Ranco semi-solid which is a kind of fingering/4ply weight. Its the same yarn I am using for my Meandering Vines shawl and its so lovely to knit with, although not the softest, it seems to be quite tightly spun so doesnt split at all. Its yum.

Anyway, I have been knitting it for a week or so. What fun! It starts with a 'disappearing circular cast on' which is totally mad and quite infuriating, but leaves a lovely ring of stitches in the middle. The knitting goes quickly at first, but as the circle gets bigger and you get more and more stitches it slows down considerably. I still totally love it, but wonder what the heck I am going to do with it when its finished. I have no idea how to wear a circular shawl.

A Hug for a Friend

I have a friend who is going through a hard time, so I decided to knit her a hug. I just love this pattern, Abby from Knitty.com. I used Knitpicks Shimmer in the 'cumulus' colourway that is a lovely subtle grey, but with browny bits, so nice and warm. It is so soft to knit, an alpaca and silk blend. Fortunately for me, I have a ton of it in my stash in various colours. Look forward to knitting with it again. :)


I didnt get great pictures of me modelling it, but you get the idea. Its all very Dr Zhivago dont you think? I am thinking of knitting one for myself, but the specs make it look a bit odd. I had to take them off for these pics otherwise I looked like a nob. Also, my hair got in the way. Maybe a hairnet on first? Urgh.

I think she likes it. And I am sure it looks better on her than it does on me.

Ice Cream

Yum!