Saturday, February 11, 2012

"In Dreams" update

Finished chart 3. I am going to have to get a longer needle. This is just a fraction of the work. The rest of the shawl is jammed up on the needle. There will be a better picture after Chart 4. Promise ;-)

Nouveau Beaded Capelet

A year + ago I purchased some silk from Earthfaire for a KAL. Loved the silk yarn, still do, but it just didn't sit right with me for that particular pattern. So, into the stash it went. The colour is Dragon Fire. Which was enough to catch my attention right there. It is a gradiance colour way which means it goes from dk reds to red yellow. To - die- for. It is gorgeous.
One of my most favourite periods in style and design is the Art Noveau Period dominated, inspired by Alphonse Mucha. See picture above.
Along comes an e mail from Earthfaire, and if you have never visited their site, click on the link, I can wait.
So now they tell me about the KAL for a Nouveau Beaded Capelet.
I am in serious trouble as I am closing on on the end of Chart three for the In Dreams beaded shawl.
I stop to do a check. Why should I knit this pattern? It is Art Nouveau, it has beads, lots of beads, 6000 beads, I have the silk, I have the skill. I do not have the beads, no problem Ellen at Earthfaire to the rescue. I do not have the time, who needs to eat. I am sunk. I am weak.
Sometimes I think that if knitters were painters or  jewelers society would have more respect for their accomplishments.
This is way beyond socks and toques. This is wearable art.
I am going to be the best dressed Centenarian in the "Old Folks Home."

Sunday, February 5, 2012

I can't believe I did that.......

My arrogance know no bounds. I have been knitting lace for years and poo-pooed the use of a "life line" Ha, I said, "I don't need that. I can pick a stitch back ... I always count...blah blah blah."
So, six rows later and a gazillion beads I discovered a yarn over to many.,,.which had morphed into about 3 stitches to many, right smack in the middle of a beaded lace motif. I would call this a "cluster of magnitudinous proportions."
The booboo

Inserting a life line AFTER the fact

Picking back, discover , so called life line is not straight.

Pull out thread, pick up with needle, pick out life line...sigh

What a mess, nothing is more fun than tangled silk..snort

Back to normal five rows less than I had this morning..snifff
 Did I learn anything? ...probably not, theory being it won't happen again....I live in hope.

UFO sited!

OMG I found another one...

 Crochet rope, 1.25 mm hook, #8 perle cotton, 5 colours of #10 glass seed beads arranged in a repeat of six, sterling silver caps. The rope is one quarter inch in diameter and at present about 27 inches long. Took me about a half and hour to remember how to do this and get my tension back. Very portable project. Going to finish this for spring! Once, back in the early 80's, I had a striped dress that had this colour repeat. What can I say, it was the 80's and yes I had BIG hair too...lol

Dropped off the face of the earth for a while...


Julia and her sweet Emily
 Emily Grace arrived in November. She is a sweet little soul snuggled in here Snuggly Bag knit with Knitman' Yarn in the "Scrumptious" colourway.

Marc's Bear Claw Sweater finished!
Remember that wee 3 pound baby? Mr Logan will be 1 in March!

Made a load of these over Christmas. Some were gift favours for a reunion lunch with school chums I had not seen in 20-30 years.


I think I knit about 6 sets of these Moc a Socs.   ...AND.... I am almost finished chart three on the "In Dreams" Shawl.

Chipping away at the UFO's