Winter Wonderland Shawl Finished!

It was snowing today! A perfect day to take photos of the Winter Wonderland Shawl. I had some help from my dear friend, Madge. This shawl is hard to photograph because you want all the snowflakes to show and it's next to impossible to get them all in at once. Here goes!

I love it. Yay!

Oh, there were a couple of more corrections that I didn't have in the last post. Basically, when the second to the last row ends with 27 stitches, the last row should end with a k2tog instead of just a k2, because you want to end with 26 sts for each side of the hexagons. And if you accidentally end up with 27 sts on a hexagon (like I did) just take the two stitches that were supposed to be knit together up at the same time when you are grafting. It completely dissappears. No prob.

I have just finished winding up a skein of Skacel Merino Lace to start my next big lace project, even though I still have the Heere Be Dragones on the needles. I just can't help myself...

Snowflake Teaser

After a very late start, I finished grafting the hexagons together late last night. I started the edging today, which is much less tedious as I feared it might be. I am actually enjoying it and it seems to be going very fast. I think the simple edging finishes the shawl off perfectly. You use the same Glimmer alpaca yarn that you use for the snowflakes, themselves, so the edge has a little more weight to it and will hang well.


The rest of today will be devoted to finishing up this shawl. I hope to find a pretty way to photograph it tomorrow. I'll have to consult my photo stylist, P.H.

Flaky Post

Hey!

What is this stuff?

"Snow? You're pulling my tail!"

I finished the last of the snowflake backgrounds last night. This morning I pinned them all out. Here they are blocking peacefully.

There are thirteen of them. Please excuse the wrinkly background. Here are the rest.

There's been a lot of interest in this fabulous shawl pattern lately, so if anyone else is interested in making it, I'm going to offer this list of corrections for the little errors and typos I found in the pattern. One of the corrections I received from the designer, who was really great and willing to help me, the others are just simple things that I caught, but I think may save you some time and frustration. So here goes!

Snowflake 2 Background

Rnd 18: k1, (k2tog, m1) 8 times, k2 tog

Snowflake 3 Background

Rnd 13: k1, k1 in tCb, k2, k1 tog w tCb, k5, k1 tog w tCb, k2, k1 in tCb, k1

Snowflake 5 Background

Rnd 9: k1 in edgP, k10, k1 in edgP

Rnd 22: k1, (k2tog, m1) 8 times, k2tog

Snowflake 6 Background

Rnd 14: k2, m1, (k2tog, m1) 4 times, k1

Rnd 24: k1, (k2tog, m1) 8 times, k2tog

Snowflake 7 Background

Rnd 5: k1 in edgP, k3, k1 in tCb, k4, k in tCb, k3, k1 in edgP

That's it! Hope that this helps another crazy-for-snowflakes knitter. I have really enjoyed knitting this beautiful pattern. Sharon Winsauer is one talented lady! I have to finish the Heere Be Dragones shawl, another one of her designs. I have my eye on some of her others, as well. Have you seen the Dragon of Happiness shawl? She also has designed another wintery shawl called Dance of the Snowflake that features one large snowflake motif. The link takes you to the Aurora Alpacas site. You need to click on gallery of shawls and then the catalog link towards the bottom of the page to see all her designs. You can also check her out on Ravelry.

Hopefully, next post we will have the finished shawl, or close to it. There's mega grafting and an edging as well. Stay tuned...

Knittin' in a Winter Wonderland

I made the skirt from the pattern I bought with no help from PH, as you can see. I'm not taking a photo of the skirt until I find a white slip to wear under it. I didn't realize how sheer the fabric is. I still haven't hemmed the other two. But, I might hem one in the morning so I can wear it tomorrow. I'm singing at a Firemans' BBQ. It'll be bluegrass and Patsy Cline tomorrow. Hee hee.

Here's another snowflake. Are you sick of them yet?

I reknitted the one that had that big hole in it. This one looks right.

I got to visit with my friend, Linda, this evening! She's a talented spinner and weaver, and, she has the added distinction of being the first one to give Punkinhead, aka Kittysperk, the distinguished moniker of, PH. She knew him when he was just a little tyke.

Other than the snowflakes, I knitted a bit more on the wrap cardi today. It's a bit longer, that's all. I am finished increasing for the wrapped fronts and am into the home stretch for the body of the sweater. Then it will be onto the sleeves.

Boy, I'm tired. I guess I better take one of my unfinished socks to the BBQ tomorrow so I can knit in public. Snowflakes aren't suited for that kind of thing. I've been living dangerously and not using the point protectors that are recommended for knitting the flake backgrounds with 7 dpn's. I've been working them with four wooden and three metal needles. The metal ones have only slipped out a few times....

The Post With No Name

More snowflakes! Here's one.

Here's another...

and all three with backgrounds!

The top snowflake in the pyramid is one that I thought I might have to reknit because I thought it might have been a little smaller, but after I realized how forgiving the backgrounds are (stretchy!) I decided to try with that flake, and it worked! I may try one of the biggest flakes next to see if they aren't too big!

Here is how far along I am with the Knitting Pure and Simple Wrap Cardigan. I'm adding a little waist shaping to make it nice and huggy.

I still haven't hemmed the two skirts that I made so I haven't taken any photos of them, yet. I did, however manage to find a skirt and dress pattern that I like, along with more fabric, when I went out shopping with my friend, Madge, yesterday. The skirt is a big, simple, circular one with NO zippers! Yay! I think I'll make that today. The dress is a pullover one with NO zippers! Yay!

I have been listening to knitting podcasts all morning, so I'm itching to work on something! I'll leave you with an embarassing picture of PH to get him back for the last post. It's a bit dark, but I think his face looks so funny!

Heh heh heh.

Cartoon Life

PH: So, um, what's going on here?

Me: It's a photo shoot. I'm blocking a snowflake. Stay off the sheet, okay? No cats allowed.

PH: Cats? I see no cats. I am the world famous photo stylist and knitwear photographer, PH, and you are in desperate need of my help and expertise.

Me: Oh, brother!

PH: Look. Wrinkles! These must go. Holey sheet!

Me: What?!

PH: Those holes! What are they doing there?

Me: Well, there's this story that goes along with the holes, see. I thought it might make a cute entry for my blog.

PH: Cute, is for puppies and squirrels. Well, maybe not puppies. Here, give me that.

Me: Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute! You can't just take my camera! Wait! You don't have thumbs!

PH: Oh, yeah? Who needs thumbs.

**SWIPE!**

PH: Now hold me up.

Me: Sigh...okay.

Me: Why does my life feel like a Garfield cartoon?

PH: Are you calling me fat?!

Seriously, folks. That is what a snowflake looks like with a background attached. I finished another one since this one and it is blocking right now on the same holey sheet. You know, even the backgrounds are fun to do. It's a little different for each flake, so you have to pay attention, but you don't get bored.

So, why does the sheet have two holes in it? Well, it was just the best costume ever! Okay, maybe not the best, but after PH forced me into giving it a big build up, now I feel a little dumb saying that I went to a party with this sheet over my head, with two holes cut in it for eyes, and declared myself the "Gingham Ghost". Spoooooky! Kind of Charlie Brownish. Hee hee hee! The best part I saved for last. It's a fitted sheet! Har har har! So, I'm cheap. It wasn't even my own sheet. Heh heh.

Well, now that I've cracked myself up, I'm going to sign off and knit another snowflake background and watch, Silverado, with DH. He's big into westerns. I'm getting kinda fond of them myself. Please, come back!

Snow Day in June!

While the rest of the southeast United States is sweltering in the heat, it's snowing at my house!

Blocking snowflakes takes sooooooo many pins! I had to empty several pincushions and then used needles and safety pins, as well. I was eyeing the push pins when I discovered that the last snowflake to be blocked had a mistake in it.

See that big hole in the upper left corner? I'll have to re-knit this one.


There are two more that I am going to re-knit as well. Somehow, when I started knitting these, I made, two, using the wrong size needle. They are smaller than the rest. I hope I haven't overcompensated knitting the rest of them. I seem to always knit a little tighter than the writers of lace patterns. My shawls always end up a little smaller when blocked out. Usually, it's not a problem, but I have been conciously trying to loosen up on these snowflakes. I hope I haven't carried the "binding off loosely" too far. I imagine I'll find out when I start knitting the backgrounds.

They look cool, don't they? Sharon Winsauer is so talented. The flakes go fast and are fun to knit. I might have to make another one of these shawls. Maybe a scarf? We'll see if I change my tune after I begin the backgrounds. I'm going to start one tonight.

On another note, I did make two skirts! They turned out really cute, and they fit, although my zipper sewing skills leave much to be desired. I need to hem them first, and then I'll take some photos. I have fabric to make even more and more skirts. I am determined that this will be skirt summer and I will wear nothing but cute, breezy skirts!


Oh, here is my excuse for not making my bed this morning....


Good kitty.

Let it Snow!

Oh, if it only would! We've had such a hot and humid summer this year, here in Southeast VA. I am ready for fall. We don't seem to get much in the way of winter here. I believe it snowed a total of fifteen minutes last year. So, I 've decided to make my own snow. It's the Winter Wonderland Shawl, a gorgeous pattern, designed by Sharon Winsauer. You can find it here:

http://www.thealpacayarnco.com/Suri%20Elegance%20Patterns.htm

The snowflakes are so much fun to knit. I think I'm addicted to them. I am on my fifth so far, and they are all so different that I know I won't lose interest. It's fun to block them as you go, because they're so small and easy to pin out. Once the snowflakes are knit (out of Glimmer Alpaca, so they have a little sparkle), you knit a hexagonal lace border "background" around each one, and then sew them all together. I'm using Jaggerspun Zephyr for the lace borders.

Well, I have been sucked into the happy vortex that is Ravelry. I've spent several hours tonight and last night setting up my notebook. It's coming along slowly. What a great tool! I think it's going to help me with one of the main reasons that I started this blog. I'll let you know what that is, tomorrow....

Back to Ravelry!