Okay, I started out the trip home happy that I had taken 2 pictures of new stuff that had come in:
Panda Wool sock yarn
- the colors don't show up well, but the second from the top is a rich dark denim and the bottom one is a black with bits of red and gold +?..feels great.I also got hanks of this yarn undyed to go with all those Cushing dyes that came in. I got some of Crystal Palaces's superwash wool called Merino 5 for dyeing, too.
Then I got in these great little dp needle point protectors Julie'd been telling me about for ages
---they really are great! So I was on my way home ready to post these pix and I stopped in Barnes and Noble on the way. No, it's not on the way, but who's gonna quibble when there's books and magazines at stake?
Now, nobody know better than I do that we sure don't need more scarves. That's what I thought. Learn something new everyday. I picked up this book
Knitting New Scarves 27 Distinctly Modern Designs by Lynne Barr from STC craft edited by Melanie Falick. HOW DID I MISS THIS? Where was the hype? Where was I? You won't believe some of these---connected knitted "pearls", interlocking discs, wavy things, "woven" i-cord, and the list goes on. I want to make at least 10 inches of almost all of them. And yes, they put the least intriguing one on the front cover. Did they ask me?
Well, all I can say now, is this is the end of the post, cause I have to go look at these some more and see which one I start first!!!!! And I don't want a scarf!!!!!
I did finish the big wrap me up shawl :
Not too bad. I also started the next one in a hand-dyed lighter weight Peace Fleece:
Trust me. It looks better in person.
And I've gazed onto the lovely fields in full grow mode around us:
Okay, this last one is a dark shot, and I don't know why, but believe me when I say that it's a field full of gorgeous black-eyed susans. And the corn is tall and drying out, and the soy beans are carpets of green. I'm so glad I'm here.
So, I've been trying to decide how I can have some interesting sock yarn without having to invest in $1500. of stuff that doesn't go with the rest of my stock. So I'm dyeing my own. Yes, I'm having fun. Yes, my fingers are funny colors. And I love the drying rack in my dryer.
I also finished my Halloween hanging, and will try to get more photos posted the next time. Til then, stay tuned.
linda
So many things, so little time!!!!! While working on my mystery shawl, I was thinking about what I could do at the shop that would be fun and on-going like they do with block of the month quilts. (I did stay up and finish clue 1 for the mystery shawl-I put pearl beads in it. However, I haven't touched it since I printed out clue 2 on Friday morning.) I looked through all the patterns in the pattern book on the counter and found a pattern from Knitting at Knoon designs called "All Wrapped Up".
It reminded me of the scarf in Interweave Press's Scarf Style, and on further reading of the pattern, credit is given to this scarf as inspiration. Well, it also reminded me of a Maggie Jackson shawl that I started with a group several years ago, and so, I thought that might be a good thing to break down for a monthly do.
In the pattern it was worked in self striping yarns. I don't have any. What to do? Limit my palette and break things up.
Well, after two days, I'm this far and having a blast! But don't forget the lace scarf:
I inadvertently changed the pattern as I forgot a yok2tog row, so I'll just have to forget it in the same place after the second pattern repeat.
At the same time, I keep obsessing about the lace shawl on Jane Sowerby that I saw at Market. She said size 3 needles, 2 balls of Jojoland yarn and knit. XRX couldn't help me with a proof of the pattern so I could get a good start on it before the Fall issue of Knitter's came out (Jane's gonna have a lace series starting in that issue), so I stared at the fashion shots in the back of the current issue of Knitter's, and I think I've got it figured out. I feel good enough about it that I started it.
Okay, I didn't get very far cause that's when the second clue came in on the mystery shawl, and I started futzing with this black and red wrap.
But I went to NQA and got a start on Halloween and have been working on tiny blocks for a Halloween quilted wall hanging. (Cause I have nothing else to do.) I have been making some progress on it.
No, these are not tiny appliques, they are colored with Crayola Crayons, ironed and outline embroidered. It's pattern #56 from www.Bareroots.com . What a hoot! And waiting in the wings is the Christmas Advent Calendar I got, too.
Lest we forget "Dear Jane" I have included my progress in that area, also.
This first block is totally hand pieced. I was very pleased with the results. On this one I used bleached muslin. Wanting to have a well rounded experience (and shaking in my flip flops when I saw the pieces in the second block I picked) I used foundation piecing for the very center of the next block, and will hand piece the rest of it.
For this one I used cream colored Kona Cotton and still can't decide what background fabric I want. "It's your quilt Linda, it's up to you." Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I've made too many decisions this past week. Maybe it needs to stew a bit. I'll let you know. On one of the lovely 90+ degree days, I'm working on the heavy wool project. Go figure. Stay tuned.
Humphrey the elephant is done and so cheerfully plopped atop the counter at Knitty Bitty.
He is so very cleverly shaped. I just wish I could have sewn him together a little better-but he kept squirming around. I probably would, too, if someone was braiding my tail!
I started a deep red sweater in Briggs and Little this week. Have torn most of it out at least once for a variety of specific reasons, all bundled under: "dumb as a stump". Did I tell you I also signed up for the Mystery Stole 3 on yahoo groups? Well, I did. No, I didn't do the sample swatch. Yes, the first clue came out today and I'm not ready. No, I don't have my beads yet--in fact I haven't decided if I'm even putting beads in it or not. Next clue comes out next Friday, and this first one has 99 rows. Hummmmm. 
Thanks to Jane at Always in Stitches, I've actually started my "Dear Jane" quilt. If you must know, just google "Dear Jane Quilt" and you'll see what an idiot I am. Or maybe I'm just over-confident about my energy and time availability. Or maybe I'm just nuts.......... The squares of "DJ" finish at 4 1/2 ". Yes, that's four and a half inches. Yes, there are over 160 of them and they are all different. Then there is the pieced border. Picture of my first block (maybe-I'm still deciding on my background fabric) is half way together. I've got to press before I can go any further.
And finally, a shot of the lace scarf I started out of Knitscene magazine. It's got teardrop beads on both ends, and I'm using Jojoland lace wt yarn and it's variegated.
Now, when I started this, I quickly looked at the pattern and saw 35 rows. Now, my brain said "that's do able" without thinking about how skinny that would be, compared to how wide the scarf in the picture looked. Well, that was 35, then repeat 2-34 twice then work 2-30. Just a little bit more knitting than I had counted on. But the colors are pretty and I don't have much else on my place right now. Stay tuned.........
