View of the back of the shawlI’m excited to share with you yet another update of my shawl in progress. See? It’s starting to look like a shaw! Yay, me! I’m almost done with the second skein of my lightest color, and then I can move on to the next shade of lavender in the progression. I still have about 18 rows left in the current lace section, and I am thinking the color change will happen before I switch to the next lace pattern. Which, incidentally, I don’t know what that’s going to be yet. Nothing like making it up as I go, eh? I just hope that the thing will be wearable in the end. Haha!
Closeup of the lace patternAnd here’s a closer view of the lace pattern. It’s Gull Wing Lace, which is a traditional Dutch pattern that has been included in A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, by Barbara Walker. I like it because it’s a lace pattern I know and I don’t have to think about it, beyond counting to seven. Also? It’s easy for me to read, so easy for me to fix. Knowing how to fix it is important, because even with the familiarity I have with the stitch, the occasional missed yarnover or dropped stitch does happen. And so, I can fix this one pretty easily by now.
I don’t know that there is another lace pattern that I know so well, so the final section and the border are going to be a challenge. Hopefully, by the time I get there, I’ll be up for it.
The book starts with the basic formula for making the dolls. It talks about yarn choices, and other materials needed. After giving you the basic layout of how to knit a doll, the majority of the book goes into how to knit the numerous variations that will create the various parts, including feet and legs (or shoe and pants style), numerous clothing and sweater/body styles, and tips for doing various hairstyles and facial expressions, using a variety of materials. Overall these seem like quick little knits, perfect for using up small bits of yarn, odd little buttons and various other things.
The book takes a mix-and-match approach to body parts, clothing styles, and accessories, such that the design possibilities are practically endless. The book even includes such details as whether or not to knit individual fingers, separate clothing pieces, and a variety of shapes that could easily turn your doll into an animal, or even a mermaid.
Me? I’d probably be interested in creating knitted amigurumi dolls of people I know. I’d probably start with someone wearing purple sneakers, a long denim skirt, a hoodie, and purple bangs sticking out from under a rasta hat.
Hmmm… I wonder if that sounds like anybody I know?
I almost can’t wait to start, except there’s this shawl… back to that–tomorrow.
Pie Are Square Shawl ProgressSome days, I don’t really have a lot to say. It’s Saturday, my 9-year-old just went off for his first sleepover birthday party, and not a lot else is happening around here. But I did want to show you that, hey! I’ve been knitting! And the progress is actually visible.
I keep wavering back and forth between the thoughts that wow, this shawl is really pretty, or man, this shawl is very funny looking. Ok, so all you lace knitters are going to jump up and say that the magic happens in the blocking. I know this, but man, I think maybe some of my design “decisions” look like wonky knitting mishaps. I guess I won’t really know until the very end, when I actually do block and see what happens. Either way, I’m going to wear this shawl and be happy. I can tell already that it’s going to be the first of many shawl adventures in my knitting life.
Cones of Dishcloth CottonA funny thing happened to me last week. Actually, it started a couple of weeks ago, but I’m only just now getting the chance to talk about it. I was reading the blog The Magpie Knitter a few weeks back, and it was there that I learned that Pisgah Dyeworks is being sold to a Canadian company, and they were liquidating a lot of their product. I wanted to be sure I had some of my favorite colors in my stash, because I’m frankly still a little confused about what’s going to happen to the famous “Peaches n Creme” yarn in the end.
I ordered 5 cones. I know, it’s a lot, but I couldn’t help myself. Two were a rainbow colorway, and the other three were one each of a bright, solid color that would coordinate well with the rainbow yarn. I don’t make lots of dishcloths, but I am fond of the famous Ballband Dishcloth pattern, made famous in Mason-Dixon Knitting, especially when it’s done in bright colors. So, I wanted to be set for life on making a bunch.
So, I placed my order on the night before Valentine’s Day, already excited and anxious for my yarn to arrive. And I waited. And waited. Two weeks passed, and still no yarn. Then, I got a phone call from the yarn company. They had a strange question for me: why had I returned the yarn to them, and what did I want them to do with it, since there was no note in the box? Huh? I told them that I never received the yarn in the first place and was still eagerly awaiting its arrival. I guess UPS says they damaged the box and sent it back, though the folks at the yarn place inspected the yarn and said it was fine. So, I said, please send it! And they did.
The very next day, which was a Wednesday, my box of yarn arrived. I thought this was really fast, but maybe someone was making it up to me since the shipment had gotten screwed up. Later that evening, I got an email notification from UPS that my box of yarn would arrive on Friday.
Again, huh? I figured it must just be some administrative snafu and I shrugged it off. But then Friday rolled around, and whoa, there it was. A second box of yarn, with a complete duplicate shipment. I called the folks at Pisgah and said that I hadn’t paid for that much yarn but would be happy to do so (at this point, easier than sending it back, plus I’m sure I could find something to do with it). They thanked me for being honest but invited me to keep the yarn. So now, I have not 5 cones, but 10. Is that crazy, or what? I guess I’ll probably be making ballband dishcloths for the next 5 years.
The shawl project is going really well. I’m about done with my first skein of yarn and will be adding the second one in the next day or so. I’ll try to post an updated photo this weekend.
Finally, what do you think of my new blog background image? It’s busy, I know… but I’ll keep it there for a little while. I’m itching to do a whole blog/site overhaul. and I’m busily trying to decide what I’m going to do with it. Stay tuned on that one… it’s probably a long way off.
Happy knitting! I’m going to go knock out another row before bed. Ciao!
Shawl progressThis is my progress so far on my Pi Are Square shawl. I’m about halfway through the 12-ridge section. It turns out that both of the stitches used here look very similar to each other. I don’t mind that… but what’s next? How do I choose?
One of my biggest faults is that I worry so much sometimes about doing something wrong that I over-study, and over-study the problem, and then that leads to progress paralysis. You’re familiar with project paralysis, right? It plagues every knitter, every writer, every doer of anything creative from time to time. Well, I seem to have an extreme case. I have consulted all of these books for inspiration over the last week:
That’s an entire library on knitting lace and a practical encyclopedic collection of lace stitches. And you know what? I’m confused! I’ve gone overboard, again.
I’ve narrowed the field to a few criteria, but I have to go through the stitches again to find things that I think will work. Here are my thoughts:
It has to somehow fit into the area that I want to knit it into, not exactly, because I can use filler stitches and rows, but close enough.
It should be different from, but not clash with, the stitches that are already there, and the ones that follow (as if I know what that means yet)
The stitches have to be just complicated enough that they will keep my interest, but not so complicated that they make my brain hurt or that I can’t learn them, or read them from my knitting, after doing a couple of repeats
I’d like my stitch choices to be something that adapt easily to garter stitch
And they have to be beautiful, without looking too much like “old lady” lace, whatever that means. I have purple hair, for goodness sake, and I’m going through a bit of a midlife crisis. Not that old fashioned lace can’t be simply stunning, I’m just not sure it’s me.
So, have I driven you mad with my craziness? Does anybody out there have any thoughts on this? HOW the heck do I sort this all out? I feel like I’m only taking my first, tentative baby steps with lace knitting, and yet, I’m seeking a master’s degree straightaway. I am nuts, and I know it. For now, I’ll keep knitting, since I still have another 14 or so rows before I must commit. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Shawl beginningsThis once-a-month blogging thing has got to stop. Yes, I miss it. But, I have no idea why I haven’t been blogging. Lately, though, it has seemed overwhelming to do. Yet, here I am… I have a lot to tell you about my knitting world lately.
For some reason, I got it in my head a couple of weeks ago that I want to make a shawl. I’ve been wearing wide scarves over my shoulders all winter. They all have been store-bought, and I have had a bit of knitter’s shame in that none of what I have worn has been anything I’ve made. You wanna know why that is? There IS nothing I have made. A few hats, an i-cord scarf, and lots of unfinished objects. I am the true embodiment of a process knitter; I start a project, eager to learn something new, and then once I get the concept, I quickly get bored. So, there’s not a lot to show for my “career” as a knitter.
But, back in November, when I visited Woolstock, I discovered the wonder that is Koigu. I bought 8 skeins, intent on making a shawl. Of course, it can’t be just ANY shawl. It had to be the PERFECT shawl. And so, the agonizing began.
Agonizing, because… here’s the thing. I love the idea of lace, but I really don’t like “old lady” lace. I’m 45 with purple hair for gosh sakes, I’m fighting my age tooth and nail. So, I had to find the right stitch patterns, and style and shape of shawl.
Enter the book, Crazy Lace:an artistic approach to Creative Lace Knitting by Myra Wood. (Whoa! Check out the CRAZY price on that thing! I swear, I paid less than 20 a few months ago. Is it out of print already?) This book is a really cool concept, and explains that lace can be whatever you want it to be, symmetrical, or not, orderly, or not… that as long as you understand some basic concepts for the shape you want, you can do anything you want with the holes and the decreases. Really. ANYTHING.
The thing is, I’m not quite that brave. Not yet. I want to be, but I’m not there. Still, the book was a great read and I will refer to it often every time I need a knitting confidence booster.
Then I thought I would love to try knitting a Faroese Shawl. The concept of this shawl appealed to me because as a person in a wheelchair, I have trouble keeping shawls in place on my shoulders. And the shaping looked like just the thing that would make this shawl easy to wear. I looked at some basic shaping instructions from this site. I understand the concepts laid out in this site, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Not yet. It was making my brain hurt, so I ripped it out after only the first few rows. I tried again and again, but the confusion never lifted. So there went that idea.
Then I looked around Ravelry, and there it was: The Pi Are Square shawl. (There’s a good example of one in this photo on Flickr.) Put simply, it’s round in the back, and square in the front. with shoulder shaping. This seemed perfect. Of course the creator of this beautiful design was none other than my knitting herone, Elizabeth Zimmermann. I have most of her books so I pulled my copy of Knitting Around off the shelf, and luckily, it made perfect sense! And off I went. I am enjoying looking at all sorts of lace books, coming up with patterns and ideas. Maybe I’ll even get a little crazy.
” after waiting almost 6 months for the publication date. I love dolls! And I was intrigued by what this book would have to offer. After paging through the whole book I can say that I think I’m really going to like it!
, especially when it’s done in bright colors. So, I wanted to be set for life on making a bunch.
by Myra Wood. (Whoa! Check out the CRAZY price on that thing! I swear, I paid less than 20 a few months ago. Is it out of print already?) This book is a really cool concept, and explains that lace can be whatever you want it to be, symmetrical, or not, orderly, or not… that as long as you understand some basic concepts for the shape you want, you can do anything you want with the holes and the decreases. Really. ANYTHING.
off the shelf, and luckily, it made perfect sense! And off I went. I am enjoying looking at all sorts of lace books, coming up with patterns and ideas. Maybe I’ll even get a little crazy.
