Thursday, September 20, 2007

Update

Sorry I haven't had anything to share, guys! I've just moved across the country to Boulder, CO, and I'm still at the busy work of finding work and a home. Also, as I have read Eunny Jang to observe, there are only so many pictures you can take of the crumpled mass that is pre-blocked lace! I'm knitting the lace on my size 2 needles, which are also what I need to start the ribbing on my fair-isle sweater, so I won't dare to start that until the shawl is done :)

Wish me luck in my job search, andI'll get back to posting ASAP.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Taking So Long

I finally finished the body of the shawl, and I've been working on the Vandyke edging. It is slow going. But there is one thing that's really cool about working the edging -- I'm starting to be able to see what the shawl will actually look like. See above! Formerly, the whole circle (and it turns out it's a big honkin' circle) was held on my rather small circular needles. Well, because the knitted-on border also finishes the raw edges of the body, each time I finish a set of rows another body stitch slips off the needles. What you stretched out above is pictured from a distance of about six feet and is less than a third of the whole thing.

I'm starting to think that this may actually end up being very beautiful. I've been feeling some anxiety about it, because this is my first large lace project; maybe me gauge was too loose? Maybe I made some visible mistakes? Maybe I should have made it in the yarn the pattern called for? Well, phew. I like. I may actually be done with it someday. I can't WAIT to block it.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Not So Secret


vtwopoint5, you were right -- it's the beginnings of a fair isle sweater. Here is what my gauge swatch looks like. You can see I'm still fiddling with the gauge a little. For reference, the swatch is just wide enough to make a sleeve fitted to my wrist, and the picture was taken in bright sun, so the colors are a little more subdued.

The yarn is New England Shetland by Harrisville Designs, which is just lovely. It softens and fluffs nicely upon washing, and the colors are gorgeous. I'd hoped to make this sweater for a gentleman friend, but of course the design turned out much too pretty, and it will be for me instead. That means that I seriously overbought, and you'll be seeing some hats and mittens in the same colors.
A lot of you who are reading probably found your way here thanks to my dad. Well.. he's great! Thanks, Dad! (He also helps me a lot with resumes.) Along with advertising my blog, he sent me this article, which mentions knitting. While the content itself is not terribly deep, check out the middle picture on the header of the article. If they actually found a left-handed knitter on purpose, then I am tremendously impressed!
[edit:] Actually, it occurs to me that the knitter pictured is probably just knitting not-continentally. Whoops!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Here's a Hint




Got the yarn today. Does this mean anything to you?

Monday, September 3, 2007

Reclaiming the Past

I bought it the year I moved to Connecticut at the Goodwill in Rocky Hill. It was "100% merino" but had clearly been machine washed many times. It had a kangaroo pocket in the front with an olive green panel behind it. The neck was too high, and with the kangaroo pouch right under the bust it made my boobs look low. No shaping in the waist at all. It was completely unflattering, but I bought it anyway because it was warm. It must have been $1.


Fastforward four years. I found it today as I was cleaning out my closet, getting together a bag of clothes to go to the Goodwill. Funny how a lot of my clothes start and end at Goodwill. I could gladly have given this sweater up, ugly as it is.



But as I was holding it, trying to decide, I thought "I can do something with this." I was filled with a sense of certainty, especially when I saw that the pieces had been knitted, rather than cut, to shape, and so the yarn could be salvaged in good usable lengths. So I went for the scissors.


Quickly, it decomposed.


The kangaroo pouch was a little difficult. Against my expectations, the olive patch was knitted separately and seamed in, and the main panel was all one piece (albeit knitted using three separate strings).







And finally:



Pre-wash



Drying post-wash.