Sunday 25 May 2014

Looking and Seeing are Two Completely Different Things

Good morning folks.

This morning's blog is brought to you by two boys who went to bed at silly o'clock this morning and woke up at 06:30!

It is therefore sponsored by a 6 cup cafetiere of English Breakfast tea from Teapigs!
I may or may not wind up with an arrythmia at the bottom of it!

Any how, how the devil are you all? Had a good week?

My week has been all work and no play. It's a long Bank Holiday weekend though this weekend, and I plan to chill.  I got my housework done yesterday (although, as I write this I realise I didn't dust yesterday! Sigh) so today should be my own. I'd love to go swimming, but I'll see. I've got lots of learning stuff to write up on the computer too.

Feeling the Love -

In sharp contrast to last week, I have lots  of progress to show you.

Firstly I finished the first of my Twisted Limone socks. Gosh darn it, I can't find the tag now. For the life of me I can't remember the colour way name.


There are ends to weave in still, but I love how they knit up. I used 2.5mm needles and cast on 60 stitches, I think they may well be for my MIL as they're a tad snug on my feet. I haven't cast on the second toe yet, but I don't think I'm going to go down with second sock syndrome as it's been a joy to work on them.


This is the reason for my not casting on that second sock. I decided to work on another Piper's Journey. This is my Freud sock yarn in the Violent Violet colour way. My sock yarn is dyed in 50g cakes, so I magic knotted 2 together so that each end of the skein is the outside of the 50g cakes. I love the way the colour is fading from the deep, rich plum to a more speckled turquoise and purple colour as I get further into the project. 

As I knit it dawned on me that the applied edging is going to change colour in a different way to the body. This isn't the look I want, so I've had a wander through my stitch dictionaries and found a new lace pattern to add. This is no longer the Journey of a Piper, it's my journey of shawl designing.

The next project I've been working on explains the title.

I've been working on the Sun Ray shawl. Again chart B had me stumped. I just couldn't make the stitch count match the pattern. My effort didn't resemble the pattern on Ravelry's completed projects. For two nights this week, I've wrestled with this pattern. It was so frustrating, it wasn't difficult lace by any means, it was a basic lattice.

On Friday I had an epiphany. As I was just about to admit defeat for the third time this week, I realised that I was making 3 stitches rather than 2. Dear Lord in all Creation!!!!! I've looked at that pattern how many times over the last two weeks!?!?! The beginning of the shawl uses M3, but then the lacework uses M2. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.


This is yesterday's  progress. As you can see, I'm a big fan of stitch markers when I'm knitting lace. I'd rather check my work after each repeat than put in a lifeline. Granted, sometimes that's bitten me on the bum, but I'm now super quick at tinking back ;-). I think I need to find some lighter markers though, having 20 on your needles at this stage of the game seems heavy.

On the Horizon - 

Next week I'll probably be working on the Sun Ray shawl and when I'm not able to work lace the Violent Violet shawlette will probably see action.

Have a lovely weekend

Ellen x 




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