Squeal!

So I'm finally going to post Laminaria. The reason I haven't is that I wanted to get some photo's of the shawl being worn, and I just kept forgetting to get it done. So here it is at last:

And of course the knitter's perv shots:

And the details? Okay.

The pattern is Laminaria by Elizabeth Freeman from the Spring 2008 edition of Knitty (although I changed part of the pattern, which I now think was unnecessary).

The wool is Bendigo Woollen Mills 2 ply in Guava. It's 100% wool and incredibly inexpensive for what you get. I used 4mm needles because I wanted a nice open loopy lace.

So the pattern? I loved it absolutely and completely and utterly. It was an adventure for me, although of course the middle pattern which repeats 17 times did get a bit repetitive, but never dull, because each row of the pattern repeat is so different. Every type of double decrease that exists is in this baby: k3tog, sssk, sk2p and s2kp! There are subtle differences between all of them! We have turning 2 into 9 sts, 3 into 9 sts, and if you do the star pattern of the first part of the pattern, 1 into 3, 3 into 3 and 3 into 2! Having said all this, it certainly isn't difficult if you keep your wits about you. With the BWM 2 ply, the shawl has such a lovely drape and is quite elegant. Highly recommended!

I notice that Elizabeth Freeman has published another shawl pattern on Knitty, Aeolian. Looks beautiful too.

So I finished Laminaria quite a while ago now, and I haven't stopped knitting at all. I finally picked up my Sexy Guernsey again, which had been sitting 60% done in the stack for about 2 years. It's now 95% done:

Here's a detail shot of the cable and moss stitch:

This is a Frankenstein sort of a design. I love Elizabeth Zimmermann's seamless sweater with the percentage system, and have adapted it to several different patterns. My grandmother has been knitting traditional fisherman's guernseys and jerseys for many years with lovely complex patterning on the chest and upper arms. I suppose when I started this guernsey it was to give her ideas a go, except that I didn't want to do it the proper way! The proper way is to start at the bottom of the body working around and around, work up to the armpit, work the chest front and back back and forth, join at the shoulders, pick up stitches at the arm holes and knit the sleeves down from there. The result is of course a dropped sleeve, and I forgot to mention that there is an armpit gusset too. Well that's all well and good, but I just adore EZ's seamless raglan system, and I also like clothes to be fairly well fitted, so this is the result of this mish-mash. I stuck with a simple 2 by 2 cable on moss stitch background panels firstly because I wouldn't wear it if it was too busy, and secondly because there is a photo of a fellow wearing a guernsey with this pattern in Gladys Thompson's wonderful book Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys, and Arans: Fishermen's Sweaters from the British Isles and for some reason the lovely texture of the moss stitch with the small cables really caught my eye. The idea of my particular design is that the body, 180 sts, worked plain up to just under my bust, would be about the right circumference to fit my lower torso, and the moss and cable design, which is only worked on the body over the boob area, not on the back as it is in the traditional design, would expand to fit my boobs since moss stitch creates a larger fabric per stich compared to plain knitting. Does that all make sense? Hopefully after a couple of reads!

I'm just coming up to the collar in a few more rows, then I'll graft the armpits together and away we go! I can't quite decide about the collar. I keep changing my mind between plain round collar or a square opening with a lower front. I think circular is the way to go. There are a couple more details of this particular jumper where I have tried to be a smarty pants, but I'll discuss them another time, because my brain is dissolving as I write. Just can't seem to work at the computer very long.
I have had so many ideas for knitting, all my own designs, and I can't seem to stop the ideas flowing, which is painful because I'm too busy! Next I have to make hubby's Norwegian sweater, as Winter is approaching. There won't be much in the way of design going into it, because it's modelled on a cardy he already has which his (Norwegian) great aunt knitted for his father many moons ago. It will be fun, as it will involve steeks and other such craziness, and it won't get boring because there'll always be colour patterns to keep track of, but I can't wait till that is over because I have so many exciting ideas I just want to squeal with excitement when I think about them!

Lace Love

Firstly, congratualtions to Bells for her winning knitting in the Canberra Show! Couldn't have gone to anyone more deserving I say!
So the Long Lacy Summer is over, and what have I achieved? Where to begin? I'll start with tangible achievements. Finished items were Swallowtail Shawl #1, Coronet #1 and Coronet #2. All happy achievements. I particularly enjoyed the doilies. The rows are constantly changing, so there's always something to keep you on your toes. Swallowtail was good, but a little simple, especially once I had the pattern repeat drummed into my head through repetition. The nupps were a new challenge though, and I'm certainly not frightened of them any more.

Now unfinished items. Swallowtail #2 languishes miserably on the bottom shelf of my knitting shelf. I had accidentally done more repeats that I needed to, so I thought I would just make it a bit bigger instead, and then of course I ran out of yarn. I found more of it for sale on a few sites, two in Germany and one in France, but as it was just before xmas I just thought I'd wait till after when I would have money to spare, but whaddayaknow, I can no longer find those websites! So, either I'll be ripping it back to the correct number of repeats, or attempting to re-write the pattern again to fit in the yarn I have. Sigh. I'll just put it back on the shelf for the moment...

And the other unfinished, my beloved Laminaria! Oh I love this shawl so much. I did get a little tired of the seventeen repeats of the eight-row blossom pattern, which of course expands every row, but I am on the edging now and just loving it. In fact, I am only 9 rows away from the end!

I wish I could have had it finished by February 28, but of course life gets in the way. I love this shawl so much. I just can't wait to wear it. I'm planning to make a shawl pin to go with it. Have I mentioned that I'm a gold and silver smith? Well I am. I'll do a full blurb on the joys of this pattern when I finish it as well as what my next lacey plan is.

I have had so much fun knitting lace this Summer. I have learned amazing things and feel confident that I could knit anything now. I have been searching around for more challenging patterns and have started developing my own lace patterns. I'm hoping, when I find the time, to write up some patterns for people to try out. Lace knitting makes you really feel knitting. Individual stitches are like words in a language describing the shapes in the lace, and they all come together to form this apparently effortless whole. I really can not emphasise enough how much charts make life easier. I know there are people out there who refuse to use them; I used to be one of them! My god, charts are the most fantastic invention since dpns. I would never bother to knit lace without a chart again.

So, thanks Bells for motivating me to finally knit some lace! I'll never look back now. Let's do it again next Summer!

Now, while the lace will certainly not end with Summer, Winter will be upon us in no time, and I really must get on with some jumpers for me and my man. Our house is going to be freezing, and I never have enough Winter clothes. I'm also planning some nice felted house booties to keep us cozy through the icy months. So much knitting to do. I'm sure I'm not the only knitter who has been irritated at only having two arms. How much more knitting could be done with just one extra pair!