2009 Stash Burner #5

The formal name for my 2009 Stash Burner #5 is the Debbie Bliss Pleated Wrap from the Debbie Bliss magazine. I find the simplicity of plainness is the beauty of this wrap and think the wrap is delicious when knit with my 100% RYC Bamboo stash yarn.

This yarn was purchased from Royal Yarns International for this Rowan Glade sweater, but I felt another directions would be best after reading several negative reviews on the bamboo fiber and this particular pattern. The DB pleated wrap selection was an excellent decision and is absolutely lovely in the RYC Bamboo. The yarn is really bad to split, but other than that, it is beautiful with an awesome sheen and softness beyond belief!

The sea foam colorway (#107) will be perfect for this spring and summer.

As promised, I'm making notable progress burning some of that stash yarn this year. In only three months I have knit 1.)Noro Transitions/Petra, 2.) Blue Heron Rayon Metallic/Clapotis, 3.) Claudia Hand Painted/Knotted Openwork Scarf, 4.) Cherry Tree Hill/Wisp and NOW 5.) RYC Bamboo/Pleated Wrap.

If you think I'm feeling pretty darn accomplished...you are pretty darn right!

Entrelac Dynamite

Here are pictures of my new Lady Eleanor Entrelac Scarf and matching Mitts! I see many scarves in my future with coordinating mitts. I'm thinking Entrelac is perhaps my new obsession! Really! Amazing how quickly the piece knit up

The knotted fringe was yet another first for me. Of course I have worked fringe many times over the years, just never knotted fringe. If I had it to do over, I would have knotted the fringe every inch instead of every 2 inches. Still...overall I'm very pleased with the results.

With a little Entrelac experience, the beginning of The Autumn Triangle Shawl is now insight!! Guess I better get the ole knitting needles smoking with Lilith...see I have made a promise to myself...No Autumn Triangle Shawl till Lilith is finished.

More information to come on Lilith.........

possibilities

with the Entrelac process are quite exciting! I have long admired and promised myself to master the Entrelac technique the day I saw this wonderful fun hat; that was January, 2008. Well last Saturday I treated myself to an Entrelac class at Common Threads. I chose the Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole as my playground and first Entrelac pattern and knit it to scarf width and length instead of the original stole size.

Have a look at my first Entrelac in the raw before blocking and before adding the knotted fringe.

I did add a row of single crochet that makes for a very finished edging. I plan to do the knotted fringe work after blocking. The fringe design on Lady Eleanor is frilly and adds a final touch of drama and romance.

My scarf was knit using # 6 needles with Noro Silk Garden Lite in color #2039.

Red Threads has an excellent tutorial for this process that gives a wonderful explanation of the short row technique. This technique is used to work small pieces of a row at a time that creates that woven looking fabric. Also the diagram used at Red Threads is most helpful showing the 3 basic parts an Entrelac piece is comprised of; the base triangles, corner triangles and the rectangles.

What's this???? Why it's my first Maine Morning Mitt that is knit to match my new Lady Eleanor Scarf. I should finish the first one today and have the second Mitt complete by the time LE is blocked.

The Entrelac possibilities are many. Besides the hat mentioned earlier in this post, I have my eye on a couple other projects as well...like this and then there is the Autumn triangle shawl designed by Lijuan Jing to be knit with JoJoland-Rhythm...this yarn is in my stash waiting for a little more experience before starting. Do you adore the Cobweb Frill edging? I selected the same colorway #8-m09 for my shawl as shown on the pattern!

March Winter Wonderland

Lookie what I woke up to this morning!

This was the view from my front porch at day break.

View from my back porch at day break.

My side yard.

My front yard at 8:00 am this morning.

Now 5" to 12" of snow to you folks living to our North is not a big deal, but to us in the Mid-Atlantic area it is quite a weather event! I have 5" to 6" while the mountains are in the teens. We have been deprived of such a snow for 6 years and everyone is savoring every snow flake!

Today is the perfect day for me to sport my new "Be Sweet" funky hat. See...I even made pics of my new knit in the snow this morning, look closely and you'll see a bit of snow on the piece. She is knit with one ball of Be Sweet - Magic Ball yarn in the color Fire Ball.

A ball of this Magic Ball yarn is such fun to knit with all the different textures, ribbons, glitter, studs and more...never a dull moment. This hat was knit in one day.

Be Sweet yarn is hand spun and dyed by women in South Africa under a job creation program that has offered opportunity in an economically depressed rural region with a 75% unemployment rate and little opportunity aside from hard labor in pineapple fields.

Finished Knotted Openwork Scarf modeled by ...

..............my Grandmother's Doll!

This scarf is full of texture and wonderful when knit with Claudia Hand Painted Fingering weight yarn in such muted tones. I have a pale yellow sweater set that this accessory looks really fetching with.... I love it. No disappointment with this finished piece.

Look at this sweet rosy cheeked, blue eyed face! The condition of my porcelain doll is remarkable...even her two front teeth are still snow white.

Do you adore this antique doll or what? Grandmother gave her to me several years before her passing. Grandmother was born in 1900 and got the doll when she was 12 years old! Everything is original about this doll and I even have the original storage box. Her eyes roll, move and still open and shut perfectly. She continues to cry when tilled. I actually played with her a bit this afternoon and had visions of Grandmother cradling and rocking her on the front porch of the old home place.

a fair isle beret

This beret was impossible to put down. The knit was started Friday afternoon and finished Sunday night. I absolutely could not keep my fingers off the piece! Selbu Modern is All 10s in my book, especially for it's traditional motif mixed with a modern and fun color combination. Selbu Modern is a pattern that will suit any first time fair isle knitter.
I wanted to use 100% traditional Shetland wool for my Beret and chose Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift in colors, #999/Black and #610 Purple. I love this yarn and think I simply must do another Tam using several colorways (what fun)! My wool order was placed with Dancing Ewe Yarns & Teas in Ellensburg, WA and was quite a deal with no tax and no freight charges. I was delighted with the service and speedy delivery from this vendor.

These pics were made this evening BEFORE blocking! And I already LOOOOVE it!I'm off now to find a 10" plate for blocking!

The Knotted Openwork Scarf...

... is quite the enjoyable knit. Simple lace with a nice texture..no, make that Fantastic Texture... when using a fingering weight wool. This a free pattern from here. The only modification I made to this pattern was to cast on 35 stitches instead of 33. This allowed me to add a slip stitch at the beginning and end of each row for what I think is a nice finished edging. The skinny: 2 skeins/Claudia Hand Painted Yarns

Fingering Weight

100% Merino Wool

Color: Butter Pecan, #005

#7 Needles