Friday, August 21, 2009

winter thoughts

OK, time for a change of pace and time to do some Winter knitting!

This summer I purchased the Shibui cabled wrap kit from here. Love the rich Raspberry tone on tone color, the classic style, and the fiber is outrageously beautiful! The wrap is knit holding a strand of Shibui baby alpaca and a strand of silk cloud throughout. The results of the yarn combination is a wrap that is so wonderful to touch with a glorious halo effect. Totally awesome! After about 12 inches of this knit, purl, knit, purl, cable, knit, purl, knit, purl, cable.....the boredom set in and I knew a side knit would be necessary to get me through this one.

That side knit and perfect project companion would be the Lily of the Valley scarf from my Estonian Victoria book ...love this book! The center of this scarf features the familiar Lily of the Valley motif, along with small flower figures that include openwork leaves and stems. The ends of the scarf have a scalloped lace borders, separated from the main section by garter-stitch bands punctuated with eyelets. This scarf is a nice change with the lace work and O-M-G....the NUPPS(if you look closely I think you can see them even before blocking)! I have wanted to knit a piece that included the Nupps stitch and this is perfect using the 5 stitch Nupp. Lily also gave me the opportunity to use my JoJoLand 100% - 2 ply cashmere. What a lovely fiber. This will be quite a versatile piece when knit with the earthly colorway, 2-101. I'm now 8" into this project and thrilled with the results.

This plan is one of perfection. The mix of one project using larger #8 needles, knit & purl with a cable to a small #3 needle lace knit with NUPPS. I can be soooo weird, I even enjoy the color change from that neutral tone to the yummy rich raspberry color.

Thoughts of the winter months just make me want to knit and knit and knit.........shhhhh, that will be our little secret!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

look see Lemana

Happy Saturday! I am most excited to share a shoot of my finished Lemana. All shots were taken while visiting the quaint Moravian Settlement at Old Salem and the campus of Salem College.
I am pleasantly pleased with the final results of Lemana. This is yet another knit to enjoy during those hot and warm days of summer for both work and fun.
This piece will be worn loose as shown and also worn with a loose low belt (I think it really looks cool when belted). During this knit, there were major doubts about this project as the pattern was looking quite peculiar to me....the length of the fronts were different and the back did not match the front sides; and oh....... that looooong right front, the weightiness of the fiber when knit in the pattern stitch, and how could a light small 1" button sewn at the left front neck edge effectively hold that loooooong right front? Once sewn together, I am happy with the results, but couldn't get that 1" button to cooperate with the heavy right side. If you follow my Blog and look at my projects on Ravelry, you know this is my 5th summer wrap or sweater finished this Spring and Summer. I feel like a summer knitting robot and seriously can tell you I love each and every one of them. No seriously, I do!

Project: Lemana
Pattern: Berroco Linen Jeans, Book #270
Size: Small
Started: 07- 19-2009
Finished: 08-14-2009
Yarn: Berroco, Linen Jeans (70% Rayon/30% Linen)
Yarn Amt: 11 Skeins
Needles: #7
It's a Wrap.......The scallops around the bottom are divine and I adore the back shaping. I am so pleased I didn't give up on this project mid-stream...trust me, with the depth of my doubts that was a real consideration.

Several of you have ask who is the photographer behind the camera for my pictures. That would be my DH! Some takes turn out nicely, while some are so..so, but I always appreciate his patience and willingness to document my work. Thank you, my Dear One!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

sneak peek

The jury is still out on Lemana!

This pattern is quite enjoyable, the Berroco Linen Jeans yarn is nice to knit and I'm very happy with the pretty plum color. My concern is how this piece will fit my body. You see, the right front actually wraps from the bottom side up to the left shoulder where it is buttoned!! I have decided it will be necessary to wet block Lemana to afford that nice drape across the front.

With button purchased and fingers crossed I'm nearing completion of this project and hope to enjoy wearing it next week-end. LOL!