Little Yarn Shoppe of Horrors

Happy Independence Day!

I'm knitting away on Kinsale, and I'm liking what I see.  I have about 7 pattern repeats done, and I'll post a photo after the holiday weekend. 

In the meantime, I have a hot tip for your reading and viewing pleasure.  The famous, fabulous "Traveling Judys" are on the move again, and we don't have to completely miss out on all the fun.  Go to this website around July 3rd, and see what's happening.

www.fiberexperiences.blogspot.com

You'll be glad you did!

I wish everyone a wonderful 4th of July weekend.
Good knitting,
MEM

Just When You Think...

That you might as well give up on a magazine -- they go and throw you a bone!  I actually found some things to like in this issue of "Knitters."   For the most part, I've considered it a waste of trees, for the past few years.  Oh, there'll be the occasional thing you think you might knit, but nothing that you just have to knit.  This one actually has several things worth considering, not the least of which is the cover stole.

I have a skein of chestnut-colored Helen's Lace, that has just been waiting for this pattern to come along.  I bought it a couple of years ago to make something for my daughter but never found just the right thing.  This design by Jane Sowerby should do the trick.  I just like everything about it. 

This design might have some possibilities, though there are aspects of it I might well change.

Then, there's this shawl...

I find the edging on this one sort of intriguing, and once again, I just happen to have some Lorna's Laces "Heaven" that may be asking to become this shawl.  You never know.  The "Heaven" happens to be chestnut color, too. 

So, especially for a summer edition, this "Knitters"  had enough to get me to buy it.  Don't let that fool you, I often buy knitting magazines that don't have one thing in them that I'd make.   I cancelled all my magazine subscriptions, thinking I'd only buy the ones that contained designs I liked enough to knit.  Of course, I wind up buying them anyway, and off the newsstand to boot, paying more!  I'd be just as well off to re-subscrible. 

I started swatching with the Lisa Souza "Mardi Gras" tonight, and I think it's going to work out fine.  The swatch would work out better if only I'd pay more attention to the pattern.  Let's just say that some of my flowers have some mutant petals, and let it go at that.  I'm going to do another stitch motif tomorrow, and see what happens with that one.  I think it works better in stockinette stitch than in garter stitch, judging by my progress, so far.  I've completed three pattern repeats on "Kinsale," and several repeats on the "Estonian Scarf," so it was a pretty profitable day, all in all.

Good knitting,
MEM

And Just What Might This Be?

Oh, it might be almost anything, but it's actually one skein (2500 yards!) of hand dyed merino laceweight yarn by Liza Souza.  Anyway that I turned it to take the picture, it looks like different yarn.

I believe she dyed it herself, too, because after I ordered it, she e-mailed me back to say that she was going to dye another batch on Tuesday, or some such day, and she'd send it after that.  It's her "Mardi Gras" colorway, and it's very soft, and feels like there's a metric ton of it!  It's really a very nice, fine, true laceweight yarn.  Of course, it may take me a week to get it all wound in a ball -- or whatever it turns out to be.  No impetuous swatching with this skein. 

You'd like to see the other skein?  Sure, take a look:

The name of this colorway is something about the ocean.  I've had trouble with ocean names all week, so don't hold me to anything on this one.  This skein is for something for me,  probably a shawl.  It has a beautiful sheen.

Wait!  Wait!  Where's the MEM who didn't like multi-colored yarns?  The one who said that they always pool and yield a disappointing result?  She's off for the summer, I think.  Or maybe -- just off. 

Once I do get to swatch with the "Mardi Gras," I'm going to focus on lace patterns that are plainer and will showcase the colors, instead of ones that focus on the lace pattern.  I have a couple of candidates in mind in the "Lavish Lace" collection.  When I get some swatches done, I'll post them.  Maybe, I'll let you vote on your favorite.  That doesn't mean I'll use it, of course, but you could still express your opinion.

"But what," you may well wonder, "about Kinsale?"  Actually, given the gauge of the design, and the number of stitches on the needle (which shall remain a secret), I think it's coming along rather well.

The color's not quite right, since I used the flash, but I'm pleased with it.  Those guernsey-making people knew what they were doing with this high-twist, 5 ply yarn.  It makes pattern stand up and salute. I know I'll enjoy this one, and it isn't terribly heavy.

Maybe, I'll come back with some swatches, who knows?  If only it didn't take forever to wind those skeins -- drat!

Good knitting,
MEM

Look!

What Came in the Mail!

Yes, it is my genuine Guernsey 5-ply yarn from Jan at Frangipani.  I could hardly wait to get swatching with it, and the first swatch turned out like this, unblocked:

The texture is going to show up fine.  I'm really looking forward todoing this design.  It is "Kinsale" from the Alice Starmore "Fisherman Knits" collection.

The original called for a wool-cotton blend, I believe, but of course, I wanted wool.  I knew the guernsey would give exquisite stitch definition, if only I could get gauge with it, and what do you know -- I got gauge on the first try.  MEM - who never gets gauge on the first try.  I considered it an omen. 

Things have been pretty busy around here, what with three birthdays, feverish work-outs in the pursusit of fitness, and the knitting -- not to mention a full-time job.  I have also been working on some lace scarves for some stealth knitting.  Here's what I've done on one of them:

Why no, you really can't tell much about it, can you?  It is the gossamer merino yarn from Sharon Miller at Heirloom Knits, and I'm knitting it in a Eugene Beugler design.  It will be gorgeous, if I just ever get it done.  It does take some doing to get used to the small yarn, and personally, I hate the metal needles.  I'm going to do something about that before long, too.  I don't like anything about them, and I'm going to find a very small circ to finish this on.  The pattern is very simple, with a lovely "resting" row between the patterned rows. 

One the other hand, I had yet another session with my personal trainer this afternoon, and it's a wonder I can knit at all, tonight.  The woman has NO pity.  "Oh, you can lift more weight than that," she'll say as she lowers another boulder.  Or, "Only 12?  You can do at least 15 of those."  I just keep chanting to myself, "It works, it works, it works, it works." 

Good knitting,
MEM