Autumn on the Mountain

My oh my, doesn't the time fly!  Can you believe it's almost Halloween?  Only a second ago I looked through my window and saw this...

...and now?  See for yourself:

I'm manipulating the evidence here, but only slightly.  The pictures were taken no more than a few weeks apart. The ugly one, however, IS from today.  What you see is not fog, not exactly - I'm in the centre of a %&*#^% cloud!  It happens a lot around here, because of the elevation: the clouds just can't be bothered to lift their lazy backsides over the mountain so they hug the ground instead, enveloping us in the grey wetness.  The effect, when you go outside, is curious - like rain, but stationary.  The droplets don't fall, they hang in the air, so you crash into them as you walk through, not the other way round. 

Usually I hate being all Pollyanna about things but at times like this it's either this or crying the afternoon away.  A lightless, dripping day outside?  Brilliant!  PERFECT knitting conditions.  Let's grab some needles and talk yarn stuff. 

Last time I was here, I was working on a pair of Owlies for my Sister's birthday.  Here they are, all done:

I fell in love with the owl cable and with adding beads to knitwear, so I went on knitting and improvised a matching pair of fingerless mitts.

The package still felt little light, so I added something else to the bunch:

This fella is King Cole's Tinsel Hedgehog, if you were wondering.  I'm not a big fan of glitter, so I chose a down-to-earth colour for his fur but otherwise I followed the pattern as written.  A very pleasant pattern it is too, quick and simple, perfect for a last minute gift. 

Next up - Indian Feathers shawl.

As you can see, I'm still under the beading spell.  I *blush* may have bought a *more blushing* rather substantial amount of size 6/0 beads, so this probably isn't the last word on the matter...

I'm uncomfortably between projects right now.  There's enough yarn in the stash to last me a decade, but after a few days wasted browsing through patterns, I'm still undecided.  Something biggish is on my mind, a jacket perhaps, but whatever design I look at, there's something not quite right.  The fit is not 'mine'.  The gauge is all wonky.  The 'wow factor' is just not there.  I rather feel like mindless knitting just now but I fear I'll end up designing something from scratch.  I've been lazily swatching today, trying out various pretty stitches, thinking the pattern up.  We'll see if the idea ever becomes solid enough to be born as a garment;  keep your fingers crossed, will ya?

I can't sign off without introducing you to the newest member of our household.  She's nameless as yet and disarmingly cute:

Any ideas for a decent rabbit name?

A triple 'ta-dah!'

Oh boy, don't I have things to show you!  I've been knitting like a demon recently and I have a small pile of Finished Objects to present.  Well ok, maybe two pairs of socks and a shawl don't exactly constitute a pile, but still - considering I've knit them within a week or so, it's decent results, no?

Number 1 - Vestigial Socks by Beata Jezek

Nice, eh?  I loved the pattern, so straightforward, so quick to knit up, so lovely.  Highly recommended.  In fact, I HAVE recommended it to my newly found knitting friends and one of them already has a Vestigial Sock on her needles :)

Number 2 - Aylesbury Shawl

Lo and behold, another shawl done and dusted.  To be honest, it's a shawlette rather than a shawl, it eats up around 400m of yarn and can be knit in three days from start to finish, average knitting speed.

A lovely little pattern;  I was halfway through before I realised it was designed by Aisling M. Doonan, whose Ardrum Scarf I've knit a while back.  A quick browse through Ravelry revealed that there are quite a few knitworthy (and free!) designs in her collection so if you're into lace, do check her out. 

It's lace on garter stitch background, therefore details of the pattern can be a little hard to make out.  On the plus side, it stays flat.  Really, really flat, without the slightest inclination to curl anywhere and you have no idea how much I appreciate this.  Hatred of curling edges in knitting is one of my (completely irrational) quirks. 

Number 3 - Foot Ovens, or my variation on the theme

A simple design by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (known also as the Yarn Harlot - in the unlikely event of anyone not recognising the name).  Originally written for chunky alpaca, I made my pair out of aran weight acrylic and it worked just fine.  I had to fiddle with the numbers a bit of course, but there are few patterns where I don't.

The best part?  A pair can be whipped up in a day or two.  That's size large, too.

So, what do you think?  Not too shabby for a week of work? 

Let's hope the productive stretch continues for another while.  I have Owlies on the needles now - I saw the pattern yesterday evening and could hardly sleep at night from the desire to cast them on.  It's my first time beading, too.  By a total coincidence (synchronicity???), I found a teeny tiny crochet hook in my hardware tin, so I'm all ready to go. 

I'll keep you posted.
 

Borderline scratchy

Just as promised, let me present another shawl, fresh off the needles.  Here's Danielle:

Oops, sorry about that!  The Puppy likes Danielle too, take your eyes off for a second and she'll install herself right on top of the lace, without any regard for its fragility. 

Let's try again.  Danielle, in all of its (block-in-progress) glory:

Right, I know pictures are rather unimpressive so far, but would you be eager for an outdoor photo shoot when the outdoor looks like this?

I didn't think so.  Wait for the weather to clear, you might say, but with Ireland experiencing the worst summer in decades, this could be quite a wait.  A pretty detail will have to do:

A quick knit, simple and lovely (free!) pattern.  About a week from start to finish, with a logical, easy to memorize chart.  Unless I'm very much mistaken (which could happen, but Ravelry notes confirm my version), one line in chart 5 is off by 1 stitch (per side)*.  Easy enough to rectify, just add one stitch near the beginning and the end of the offending row and from there it's smooth sailing. 

Yarn:  30% mohair, 20% wool, 50% acrylic, 350m/50g.  I ordered it specifically for Danielle - I couldn't imagine so leafy a shawl in colour other than green - and while I love the shade, I'm slightly disappointed by how the yarn feels against the skin.  I'd call it borderline scratchy - not quite unpleasant, but definitely not smooth and soft.  That's natural fibres for you, I'm afraid.  This particular yarn is not too bad, but I've seen (touched!) wools you could flay someone with. 

Just something to think about, before you order online :)

* I'm sorry, I forgot to write down exactly which line has the mistake.  Now I'm not 100% sure anymore and I don't want to mislead you.  You'll see it when you get there :)  

Alone no more and a brand new shawl

Despite silence on the blog, a lot is happening in my little knitterly world.  Turns out there are knitters - and even spinners! - on my mountain.  While spending time with other people is not the easiest thing in the world for the introvert me, it is really good to meet someone who gets this whole knitting thing.  I'm more used to the look of friendly incomprehension from the general public and while I don't hold it against anyone, it's a pleasure to experience something different. 

A lot of brainstorming takes place, and who knows where it will lead me and my new friends?  I'll let you know when anything significant emerges, for now let me share another recent creation - and why, it is another shawl, thank you so much for asking!

A very pleasant pattern by a Polish designer, Kasia Smolak, it's called Creamy Shawl and it works up in a breeze.  I think it took me about a week, maybe 10 days from start to finish, eating up around 600m of sport weight yarn (20% alpaca, 40% merino, 10% mohair, 30% acrylic).  Just imagine it wound up around your neck rather than this handsome fence post on my patio*:

It could happen, you know? The shawl may still be snatched by my sister for an upcoming wedding but if it's not, I'm putting it up for sale.  Do let me know if you're interested - my email address is contactstitchsmart(at)gmail(dot)com.  I thought I'd like to wrap myself up in something warm and pretty but in the end, it's not quite 'me'.  Off it has to go, one way or another.

What do you think about the frilly edge?  I'm inclined to block it out of existence (whether it would block out is another story), but a friend said it adds character to the piece.  Does it?  Should I try and fight this particular windmill? 

More shawls coming soon.  I'm on a roll.

* See the stormy sky in the background?   That's Irish summer for you...

One Lousy Day

I didn't finish Oceanspray in time.  I was late.  By one day.  ONE LOUSY DAY. 

The world didn't end.  Even with the surprise element spoiled, the shawl was gifted away and duly admired.  All's good.

I don't know if you can fully appreciate it from the picture, but the finished knit is HUGE.  So huge, in fact, that I had serious problems trying to block in on two single beds put together.  I never bothered to measure it but my goodness.  It's a blanket rather than a shawl. 

Just as I suspected, silk/alpaca mix is a tad too drapey to really bring out beauty of this particular pattern.  Eyelets get lost in the stockinette, but as long as the leafy border looks ok, I'm not worried.  It does look ok, doesn't it?

Puppy, as ever, insisted on joining in the photo shoot.

I am very, very happy with this pattern.  I used up 4 (and a tiny bit) x 50g skeins, 350m each.  I have another four left.  Any ideas?

Speaking of yarn, I went on a binge recently and bought a small mountain of it, mostly in lace but also some fingering in sweater quantities.  I'm told winters on my mountain get pretty ghastly, with storms and clouds enveloping the whole area.  Rowan berries are already turning red, hazelnuts are almost ripe, summer (such as it was) is on its way out. One needs to be prepared, yes?  

Chores and deadlines

Can I tell you a secret?

I'm really not good at chores.  I'm supposed to be a proper, organised adult, with a 'to do' list, spotless house and a solid plan for life.  I have none of these things.  Sometimes I even feel guilty for not having them.  More often, I shrug and get over the fact that I won't be called the Housekeeper of the Year anytime soon. 

There are so many things I'd rather do!  I mean - look how uninspiring housework is.  You wash and brush and wipe and dust and polish and clean and two days later?  You have to do it all over again.  It's a never ending battle and you have to sprint constantly just to keep up.  Nauseating.  Wouldn't you rather be knitting?  Wouldn't you?

It's simple.  One day I have to be rich enough to be able to afford a cleaner.  Until then, I'll compromise.

I don't negotiate with animal chores.  Critters need to be fed, watered, walked, cuddled (whichever is appropriate at any given moment) and that's that.  All the rest?  I'll do it if there's no way to avoid it (having no clean underwear is a potent motivator).  I'll leave it for later if I can.  I'll try not to feel guilty about it.

Do you want one more reason to chuck housework? 

Knitting deadlines. 

I'm some 2/3 through Oceanspray.  Another 10 (long) rows and I'll be able to start the border.  I need to finish it by July 24 or the secret gift will not be secret anymore.  Anyone wants to take bets?  Or at least cheer me along?  I can do it.  I can do it, right?

My Oceanspray doesn't look like much at the moment, just a shapeless pile of grey (Puppy helped in the photo shoot).  I hope blocking will make all the difference although part of me wonders if silk/alpaca yarn isn't too drapey for this pattern?  I suppose I'll find out soon enough...

If you need me, I'll be knitting on the porch. 

Shawl addiction

My friends, shawl addiction is a terrible thing, especially from the blogging point of view.  Shawls take long time to complete - laceweight shawls, that is, and my brand new obsession seems to be confined to just that kind of yarn.  They also look like nothing much before blocking. If the shawl in question happens to be grey, the battle is lost before it even begins.  There is no way in hell I could possibly take a pretty/interesting picture of a grey shawl-in-progress, on a cloudy Irish day, with a smartphone.

See?  A boring, shapeless pile of mostly stockinette, because in this particular pattern - Oceanspray - all the fireworks happen at the end.  I've actually finished the plain stockinette bit and now bravely knit through part two: stockinette with an occasional yarnover or k2tog.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining.  I'm enjoying the simplicity, daydreaming a lot and caressing the softer-than-soft yarn. 

I swore I'd never let 'posh' yarns steal my heart but I have to confess a little love affair with silk nowadays.  I found a place that sells laceweight with high silk content for next to nothing so I bought over a kilogram in grey, cream and yellow/orange. I'll probably buy more, too, as soon as I spot a bargain I can't resist.  I have enough laceweight to last me a decade but I'm on a binge.  Please don't judge me.

Anyway, I'm under a self-imposed ban on sweater knitting.  See, I quit smoking last February, after 15 years of heavy puffing.  NOT the easiest thing I've ever done, but it looks like victory is mine.  My lungs might be grateful, my waistline, however, does not like the change at all.  I've put on tremendous amount of weight (so much that for a while I seriously thought I'm pregnant!), despite significantly reducing calorie intake.  To tell you the truth, I'm horrified by my new shape and I refuse to knit a garment to fit the huge, flabby me.  There'll be no sweaters until I can step on the scales without screaming.  Howgh. 

Shawls it is, then.  Oceanspray is for my partner's Mum, whose 60th birthday will coincide with her upcoming visit next month.  After that?  Normally I don't wear accessories, but all that lace I knit for other people got me greedy.  Let me tell you: next shawl is mine! 

Any suggestions for a cool, free pattern?

Iris

Iris - finished and photographed.

I am slightly disappointed with the result.  It's not that there's something wrong with the design, it's just that I imagined it would look different.  It's too narrow, for one.  I should've noticed before I knit almost two running metres of the thing, shouldn't I?  I thought blocking will make all the difference.  It did not. 

Also, edges curl which narrows the shawl even further and pisses me off to no end because I really don't like the look. 

Pictures taken on a really windy day:

I tried to anchor the shawl to various pieces of greenery to stop it from moving around...

...and in the process discovered that it is almost exactly the shade of red clover:

I may be a crappy photographer, but I have the coolest props:

Chicks hatched between Wednesday and Friday in a dramatic - if slow - process that kept me glued to the incubator for most of the time.  7 out of 10 hatched successfully, which is a decent result for first time breeders, isn't it?  The last two really struggled to get out of their shells, getting stuck for hours halfway through the unzipping stage.  Eventually we helped them a bit and I'm pretty sure this saved their lives. 

You have no idea how fervently I hoped that the little fella wouldn't go to toilet on my scarf...

Shawls, shawls, shawls

They say that good things come to those who wait and once in a while this is exactly what happens. 

I knit a shawl for my sister's birthday back in September last year, and another one to put under her Christmas tree.  I happily posted them off to her address, together with a request to take some pictures for my blog when convenient.  It took a while (could it be that hatred of photography runs in my family?), but the pics are finally here and they are gorgeous!  You will have plenty of opportunity to see for yourself, because for once I'm going to publish a picture-heavy post :)

Without much further ado, here's shawl no. 1:

This is Krokus by Sue Berg, although to be honest, for some reason mine looks somewhat different than the original.  'Some reason' should probably be replaced by 'me not bothering to read the pattern properly' but nevermind, I'm happy enough with my version (and so is my sister!).

It was a lovely, speedy project and I was surprised by how much fun I had working on it.  The whole thing was ready in four days or so and, if my memory serves, consumed a little less than 100 g of fingering weight yarn. 

While not particularly big, it is very versatile.  You can wear it like this:

Or like this:

How about this styling?

Who says shawls have to be worn on your neck?

The other shawl was a bit more fiddly and time-consuming.  Think 'weeks' rather than 'days'.  You've already had some sneak previews (here or here), but now you can see my version of Ardrum Scarf in all of its modelled glory:

I admit, some weeks into the knit I was mightily sick of the pattern.  It's pretty monotonous and seemingly endless, especially when you're in the middle of the project.  Take a look at the detail, though.  It's 100% worth the effort!

Edging is knit at the same time as the body, which saves you from multi-hundred-stitch rounds at the end.

I used some very posh, wool/silk blend yarn.  Being the yarn plebeian that I am, I can't say I'm completely in love with it.  Efficient, yes.  This massive shawl used up just a tiny bit over one (100g) skein.  The fibre is smooth and soft, but it's also a real bitch to knit.  I had to watch my hands constantly to ensure the yarn doesn't split and in general working with it was less joy than I thought it should be. 

Admittedly, the drape in this piece is wonderful and probably worth the occasional curse when the yarn was misbehaving.

 

I worried that the needles I used (2.5 mm) were too small.  What do you think?

Regardless of how stunning it looks, turns out lace knitting is not my favourite technique.  Not with lace weight yarn, anyway.  Lace details worked into a pullover - sure, but scarves or wraps in what is essentially a thread - waaaay too boring.

Having said that, guess what I'm working on at the moment? 

After all, I have two sisters and an almost untouched skein of lace weight to use up...

More details coming soon.

Ardrum Scarf

I finally worked up the courage to block the Ardrum Scarf.  I finished it about a month ago and it had been sitting in a drawer ever since, patiently awaiting further developments.  Well, yesterday its number went up.

Let me tell you, I was terrified when it came to plunging this fragile pile of yarn into water and manhandling it into shape.  All sorts of disaster scenarios flashed through my head.  What if it felts?  What if I break a thread?  What if, what if, what if?  You see, this was my first time ever blocking lace, or to be more precise, laceweight. 

Scared or not, I finally did it, got the scarf properly wet and commenced pinning.  Surprisingly, no major disaster occurred and the shawl is now drying up in all of its stretched glory.

You may have noticed that I changed my regular blocking arrangements.  Usually I pin the victim to the carpet in the only carpeted room in the house, but we are awaiting a visit from a certain young lady (she of the Poppy Girl fame) and the room in question happens to double as her playroom.  I may be ignorant when it comes to toddler care but I know enough not to set them free in an area full of pins.  I went for plan B, which was a spare mattress installed in the living room. 

Turned out that in my haste to prevent accidents involving someone else's child I completely ignored health and safety of my own dear dog.  Persuading the said dog that walking over a mattress full of pins is not a good idea proved impossible and I was feeling the first delicate inklings of frustrations, when my Other Half suggested a brilliant solution:

'Let's haul the mattress up on the dining table'.

Here it is, a visual proof of my brazen disregard of decor propriety (please ignore general crappiness of the picture).

The fact that my Other Half came up with this solution and that he doesn't mind at all also says a lot about him.  Envy me!

Pinning to a stripey mattress had one unexpected advantage - I had all my straight edges sorted out without even trying.

If you were wondering, the whitish string is my answer to blocking wires, because I don't own any.  In fact, the string worked so well that I can't see a reason why I should own them, ever.  Frugality and simplicity, that's the ticket (and we will NOT mention permanent insolvency at this point). 

The lace pattern is not very clear, for which I apologise.  The stripiness of the mattress is to blame here;  it occurred to me that inserting a blank page under the lace would make the design more visible, but the idea arrived after I pinned the whole thing and I didn't want to tempt the Fate too much.

To tell you the truth, the lack of clarity may not all be due to stripes.  I realised (with some horror) that I should've used larger needles.  Stretched to the utmost, the scarf will pass muster but only just.  My kind sister (who is the soon-to-be owner of the scarf) commented that invisible small-holed lace will contribute to the shawl's warmth-emitting qualities, but I admit I'm somewhat* disappointed.  It may not count as a Major Disaster, but it's definitely in the Could've Done Better category.  Lesson learned, and considering pain involved, it's probably remembered for life, too. 

I will probably take some live action pics of the scarf once I un-pin it, so stay tuned.  Also, I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but the pattern for this beauty is Ardrum Scarf by Aisling M Doonan.  The pattern is free, which is one more reason why you should knit your own.  Have fun! (And remember to use large enough needles...).

One more thing.  This...

...is the reason for naming my current WIP 'Amaryllis'.  The unnaturally short stalk is most likely due to my neglecting forgetting to water it for a considerable period of time.  Poor plant, it must have decided it's now or never. 

Amaryllis the sweater is coming along nicely.  I got to the armholes the other day, so I'm working back and forth now.  I also got a chance to try it on and *deep breath in* it looks like it's going to fit.  So far, at least.  Don't say it too loud, touch wood, perform any superstition you can think of so that the rest of the work is not jinxed beyond redemption.  Illustrated report to be published soon.


*somewhat?  I seriously considered ripping the whole thing up and re-knitting it