Sunday, May 25, 2008

Buzzzzzzzzzzing Along!

I have the stitch marker move down and I'm buzzzzing along on my Bee Fields shawl. Here I am around 50 rows (they are taking longer now with more repeats):



And another closeup - such a pretty pattern:



And here is moi and my blocked Mr Greenjeans. I think I would go up one size the next time. It fits but I would prefer more ease. It is pretty though. I found a silver dome button with a deer carved in it - very artsy.



And I am blocking the Antique Lace:



You block it all stretched apart and then sew a seam up the sides to form the sleeves. Brilliant!



I watched Lucy Neatby's DVD on Intarsia (number one) today. The actual knitting looks easy - all the stuff you do to fix the back looks really tedious! But I'm willing to try it. I won an Ebay auction for Kaffe Fassette's Foolish Virgins yarn kit. The yarn is gorgeous and the pattern is wonderful too.

So I have one more day off! Hoping to get thru the Beehive section of the shawl. Maybe?

Friday, May 23, 2008

Loving the Four Day Weekend!

I am so loving the 4 day weekend I planned. Decided I need time to catch up with my blocking and knitting since my major yard work was done.

But then.. I looked outside my kitchen window where I have an eyesore everyday. There is this big ugly old evergreen that keeps falling over (I had a rope holding it up). So - optimistic me - went out with my saw and chopped it down. Hah! I beat it! The remains aren't pretty but they will die eventually and I plan to replace it with one or two Rose Of Sharon trees:



But then - what appeared to be a somewhat reasonable size tree became a real chore. I had to drag this humongous heavy tree to the side of the house. But I persisted and here it is:



So then I could really relax. I blocked two pairs of socks:



and:



And I blocked my Mr Greenjeans - Love it! (hoping it will fit around me when its done):



And then back to my Bee Fields shawl. I think I've finally figured out the rationale behind the stitch marker changes. I am up to row 27:



And here is a closeup of the pattern. I am on the section called Beehive.. I guess it does look like beehives:



If anyone out there has any suggestions on how to prevent a YO from jumping a stitch marker please let me know. This one has a lot of YO's at the start and/or end of a repeat - I keep losing them into the next repeat.

So it has been a good day. And the best part is that I have 3 more days!

I was thinking the other day how much Ravelry has changed blogland. I'm not sure if the bloggers have gone away or if I am just not spending as much time on them. But where I used to be constantly inspired and seduced into making things.. I'm not as much anymore. Maybe its cuz I have so many project in my queue. Not sure. I still enjoy blogging tho.. I find it easier than using Ravelry (with Flicker) plus I can talk about a lot more things. Like ugly evergreens. hah!

Just a note on how tragic the tornado was yesterday in Colorado. It was North of where I live so there never was concern about my home. But we normally don't get those giant ones here.. just smaller ones. A mile wide! Amazing.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Three times a charm!

Well, it took me three times to get this far on my Bee Fields Shawl:



Yes - I frogged it last night once and once again today after getting almost as far as I am now.

I take everything so literally and want my patterns to leave nothing to be implied! The pattern says to move the stitch markers 6 stitches away but then doesn't tell you from where. Eeek!! I finally figured it out though by doing the next row, praying I did all my YO's, and putting a marker when it said to slide the marker. Guess that will work. Just frustrating. I need everything spelled out for me and lace charts just don't do it. I can do charts for color but not lace.

Oh well - it is pretty.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Wow!

I just finished the Antique lace.. I think - despite all my rants - this is the prettiest thing I've ever knit. Really. I am so excited I couldn't wait until Sunday to blog.

I need to block it, seam the sides (the pattern says to seam it as high as you want) and weave in the yarn - but it is just gorgeous. I am taking a 4 day weekend over Memorial Day so that will get done.

Here it is so far:



And a closeup (the shoulders are closed using a 3 needle bind-off):



This would be lovely in white or ivory. I think I'm in love.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Less Is Sometimes More

I am really in love with this Antique lace pattern and intend to wear it to death when I'm done but I really, really, really wish that Ilga had created fewer charts/written sections for each piece. When I am knitting the V-neck - for one row - I am having to read three different sets of directions (each with different numbering conventions) - and sometimes the directions are on different pages or different sides of the same page. So it is taking me forever to do one row. Oh well - what can I do. I do love it.

And here is the back:



And this is where I stopped. The right front is done (waiting to be attached to the back) and I'm about 9 rows from the end of the left front:



But I do love it.

And I won't bore you with all my yard photos: but here are a few (please ignore the lawn. It rained here on the day my mower guy comes so the lawn is sorely needing to be mowed):

And here are my peonies..and one lonely bleeding heart (I would love to move it but I'm afraid it will die since I tried to separate it one year and the offspring didn't make it). This flower bed is the only part of my yard that isn't as dry as the rest since it gets the shade of my house in the hot afternoon sun.



Here is my terrace. I planted hostas around my trees and two new "basket of gold".



Here is my hill. I trimmed the hedges, pulled out grass and lamb's ear that had grown into it, and mulched, and planted annuals (some of which have already been dug out - guess who)



My body still hurts from all the yardwork but it feels good to be done.

Have a great week! I have to go back to work, darn.

so what's next? I started a simple sock using Araucania Multi. But my next big project is this gorgeous Anne Hansen Bee Fields shawl

Sunday, May 4, 2008

I am knitting

Despite popular opinion, I have been doing some knitting since last weekend.

I started my Antique Lace which is moving slowly but surely. I find it easier to work from written instructions than a chart - so that's how I'm doing it. This yarn (Lady Godiva in Stone) is gorgeous and easy on the fingers. At first I thought the variegation would be too much for the lace but the more I do - the more I think it is perfect. Looks like granite in the sun with so many colors reflected.

So here is my progress:



I have done 7 repeats out of 11 over two days. But I'm also doing yardwork (I already have a blister on one hand to show for it) I'm on vacation this week - and my schedule is to work outside in the morning and knit in the afternoon. We'll see how it goes. Maybe it will snow and I will have to knit all day. Hah!