knitting stuff . . .

In late February/early March, a friend asked if I would be able to knit her a scarf.  She wanted something light and lacy but warm.  I sent her off to Knitpicks.  She picked Winter Flame as the pattern and Chromo Fingering in Atlantis as the color.


This is the unblocked but completed scarf.





and this is the blocked scarf.  It is a great pattern and I love Chromo.  The cool thing with this pattern is that it is a 24 row repeat with every right side row is different and the wrong side row are purls.  The pattern uses approximately 350 yards; Chromo is approximately 396.  I just knit until I ran out of yarn.

I have made a couple of things out of Chromo and am planning on making the O/C Knitot Designs Summer KAL called Sunny Side Up.  If you want to join that KAL, you can by signing up on Ravelry or Facebook.  I am doing Sunny Side Up in Chromo.  I ordered the yarn in Guppy:

I also have a baby sweater on my needles for a great niece or nephew scheduled to arrive sometime in late summer.  I am making a striped sweater with hood and a zipper up the back.  

And, I am adding a new cuff to a Christmas stocking for a friend.  She had a stocking made for her and her husband when they married in 1978.  Her husband died five years ago and his service dog is now her constant companion.  She needs a cuff for "Edith's" Christmas stocking to match the other ones.

Vacation pics (minimal) and some finished things

Some pics from vacation, taken by Zachariah at Niagara Falls. The day was beautiful but he also did a really good job, especially with his really cheap (I mean inexpensive) camera

Saturday, July 5, 2008,

The Horseshoe Falls from Goat Island

Friday, July 4, 2008,

The American Falls from the Canadian side

Actually, shortly before he took the pic of the American falls from the Canadian side, he had been pouting about it being hot and there was nothing to see . . . then I dug out his camera . . . after I took this one with my camera:

And here is the lace scarf that I did while on vacation.

And while I was adding photos to Ravelry, I realized that I never posted a photo of the complete Fetching. It is done in Kaleidoscope by Dave Daniels. This isn't the best photo of the completed project but such is life

Vacation . . . knitting . . . Learning how to block

Finally, we have returned. It has been a wonderful vacation. Beautiful weather (actually, mostly hot weather). We were in Collingwood, Ontario. There were only two days that it rained during the day. On the first week, it rained on Thursday afternoon (around 4:00) and on July 1, Canada Day, it rained and was cool in the morning but was about 75 degrees by 1:00 p.m. and the sun was shining. In fact, it was soooooo nice so much of the time by Tuesday evening (July 1), I told Dave that I would really like a day that was gloomy and rainy so that we couldn't go swimming or practice our putting or play on the playground or shuffleboard. So he said, tomorrow you can pretend. So Wednesday, I stayed in all day (I did put a beer bottle in the recycle bin which was right outside the front door . . . but I'm not counting that).

Anyway, I did manage to finish some lacy stuff . . . I also have a bowl mostly finished and ready for felting . . . and I finished the clutch which needs to be sewn up and felted . . .

When we got home on Saturday, we unpacked and sat on the back porch sharing some brews with Cortney's parents. (Cortney is Lindsey's friend who went on vacation with us).

Yesterday, Lindsey and I went shopping for fabric so she could sew up a bag. We spent HOURS in Joann's. Lindsey is very artsy and saw a bag in Canada that she really really wanted and "Gee, MOM, what a deal, it is only $75!" It was nothing. A square tote with 4" quilted squares and the whole thing was absolutely nothing to write home about. So we bought quilting fabric (in various shades of blue), a Vogue pattern (regularly $20 on sale for $3.00). I also bought mucho other things (they had Debbie Munn yarn regularly $5.99 on sale for $2.00) and another pattern for me (regularly $15 on sale for $2.00). The store is doing inventory today and they always have great sales before inventory.

When we got home, I cut Zachariah's hair, plopped him in the tub, cut Lindsey's squares and started blocking the lace. Zachariah wanted to help . . . and here he is learning how to block knitting . . . he kept dropping the ruler and finally informed me that if he keeps everything lined up with the lines on the mat, he doesn't need a ruler, thank you very much.

some other time I will post the photos of the vacation! It really was great fun and very relaxing.

Victorian Lace Today

Wow, oh, wow!!

Look at what I got from my SP8 . . .

I have been lusting over this book ever since I read a preview by Grumperina http://www.grumperina.com/knitblog/archives/2006/11/replacement_in.htm

This book is to drool over. The photos are fabulous and the colors of the lace are just incredible. Most of the lace has been made up in different weights and yarns and the author gives a grand background of the origins of the lace.

Now while all the yarn and scarves and shawls and photos are fabulous, if you ever have the opportunity to lay your hands on this book, there is the obligatory techniques, cast-ons and basics, BUT this book continues where others just dream of going. Go to page 180 which starts with Understanding Lace Design, How to Make Your Own Wide Border, Other Borders and, finally, on pages 184 and 185, an honest to Pete discussion on how to design your own lace, including plotting repeats, etc. FABULOUS.

Wow!