FO Friday : What A Difference .....

Phantomwise Tarot

.... a day makes. Well, yes. But that's not what I'm talking about, actually. I'm talking about the difference that blocking can make to a shawl. Same pattern shawl, slight difference in the blocking, big difference in the end result - as you can see:

Lale Lace Shawl, Cascade Yarns Alpaca Lace                                                   

Lale Lace Shawl, Austermann Merino Lace

And a close-up so you can see I beaded the burgundy version:

Both yarns were laceweight, knitted on 3.75mm needles; I used 25g/350m of the Austermann Merino Lace, and approx. the same of the Cascades Alpaca Lace. Both shawls were blocked aggressively, but the pink shawl is larger; the burgundy shawl is beaded, using 19g or so of size 8/0 ruby silver-lined Czech preciosa rocailles from Laserbeads at Etsy, who combines excellent prices with matching service and quality.

An interesting comparison of resulting shape and size - at least to me. For you ? You may have this classy ear-worm for the rest of the day:

WIP Wednesday 197: A Bit More Grumping

Tarot of Durer

It's looking very similar to this card outside my house right now. Except for the Cups and the dove. So far it is the kind of summer that England is famous for. But actually, the card is here to describe my mood - I started the Yalinka Shawl by Alina Appasov: her designs are quite lovely (I've made the Lale Lace Shawl but have neglected to post photos yet). 

However, owing to a serious error I made at the beginning of the lace section, which I couldn't find and therefore couldn't fix, I had to rip it back to the start. No, don't talk to me of lifelines, thank you all the same. Having made it through 4 repeats of the stockinette section, I pulled the work off my needles and chucked it hard into a corner when for the 6th time, this happened:

It's Austermann Merino Lace which has been in my stash for a couple of years; in addition to the breaks, there were also a few places where 1 strand had come apart, leaving only 1 strand to be knitted. Not only do I plan to bead this shawl, it is a special commission with a complex pattern: there is no point trying to attempt it with such sub-standard materials - how awful would it feel if on blocking, washing or wearing it suddenly disintegrated ? I have started for the 3rd time, and so far the other ball seems OK:

Auntie Fashion also dumped on gifted me her remaining yarns (more about which another time), and amongst the melee was this:

A hand-made child's sweater from somewhere or other which she was frogging in order to re-use the yarn - but she doesn't know what the yarn is. I would love to find out, as it's such a fabulous color - I also love the texture and very slight fuzz; it feels like a DK. If anyone has any ideas, PLEASE let me know.

While you ponder that problem, pop over to Tami's Amis to see what else is going on ....

WIP Wednesday 127 : Three to Get Ready

Gilded Tarot

Ermagerd .... Finally .... finally .... finished the purple yarn and the purple shawl: odd how that happened simultaneously, huh.

Seeing as how I have mostly dealt with most of my control issues, I can now have a Plan and a List and not stick to either of them; I can mix it up with the best of the bad boys, like shuffling from the bottom to the top, adding something totally new and extraneous and even - whisper it oh so gently - actually ignore stuff and do something random instead: go me and spontaneity, woo-hoo.

Of course, I am talking about knitting, you knew that, right ? I did say 'mostly', not 'completely' dealt with, remember - baby steps, people, baby steps.

So anyway in a spontaneous fit of random organization (oxymoron ? No, what's that mean ?) I sorted and shuffled my Ravelry queue of Things I Must Make (TIMM). And guess what - I was so free-spirited that now I even have the patterns, yarn and notions for the first three items; the first of which is this lacy cardigan available free from the Patons website:

I shall make the adult version in King Cole Haze DK in the shade 'Evergreen', of which I know Stephcuddles will approve as it is so very very green:

Second is the beautiful Sweet Dreams Shawl by BooKnits, which I shall make using Austermann Merino Lace,

with charteuse beads from the fast and friendly Highly Strung Beads website:

Hard to visualize now, but it will look Fabulous, I promise. There's almost a theme developing, isn't there ? Not to worry, to reinforce just how carefree I am, the third project is this cardigan, from this book:

Which I was fortunate enough to receive from Denise over at Voie de Vie, my fantastic swap partner (and now also my friend) in last year's Blog Hub Swap; I even have the specified yarn, Filatura di Crosa Brilla, a gift from my DH, although in cream rather than the book's pink.

Look at that, isn't it great ? Organized, listed, planned, yet with a touch of whimsy that is not green. So, what have I actually cast on ? This:

I must be off, to revel in my untrammelled-ness, humming this as I go:




Now you too will be humming it as you view all the other lovely things at Tami's Amis ... you're welcome.

More Queueing

Spiral Tarot

Some of the key words for this card are rest, relaxation, healing and contemplation - and this is indeed what I have been trying to do recently. 

Mini Diva is on a visit to my sister Auntie Fashion, where she is being spoiled rotten. If it is dry ie. nearly every day, Destructo Boy is out with his 'Boiz' - he is one of 6 boys in our street; he is the youngest at 6 1/2, the oldest is 9 1/2, so the scooters, bikes and roller skates are taking a beating, when playing Army or Cops & Robbers has begun to pall. 

What this actually means is that I have almost forgotten what my children look like, and that the house is eerily silent; this means that when my insomnia catches up with me, I can take a peaceful nap.

While I was awake, I completed the Sienna cardigan from Dolce Handknits, made with the lambswool/silk chenille given to me by my Twins; as this was not the pattern I originally chose (the yarn wasn't suitable), I knew I would have plenty: Sienna calls for 1250 yards/1143 metres of worsted weight yarn for the 35 1/2 inch size; I appear to have used just over 800m. The cardigan seems to be the correct gauge, and - more importantly - fits. So who knows. Anyhoo, I have about 800m of this lovely stuff left, to make something else with.

I ordered some aran-weight cotton (with great difficulty in finding it, and then some technical glitches which meant that when they found my lost order, there was no longer enough of the colorway that I had chosen) for the Fitzroy cardigan from the same book; I think I may actually have to buy the book - I have already renewed my library loan of it once.

Then on a trip out with Auntie Fashion, she bought some yarn so I could make her a blankey/throw for her bed: ; see, even her yarn has bling in it:

Today I bought some additional supplies for Destructo Boy's school sweater for next year; last year's disappeared at school, and has not been seen since ...

 

Stylecraft Special in the colorway 'Midnight'

 And then, just because they were a good price and I liked the colors, these somehow made their way into my stash after a visit to Wibbling Wools:               

Austermann Merino Lace , 349m/25g

                          

 

Adriafil Azzurra, 3ply, 225m/50g

Even the thought of all this knitting waiting for me is making me feel tired; there is certainly plenty to contemplate ! But, I will not be overwhelmed, I will take it one project at a time. Or maybe more .....