I Love Knitting Lace!

Now that I am a whiz at the yarn over and psso stitches, the basics of knitting a lacy pattern, I am anxious for more. I googled "sheep shawl", because I had to know what the shawl in the book, Yarn Harlot looked like that Stephanie knitted. I found it: The Sheep Shawl, designed by Evelyn A. Clark. She is obviously the queen of lace. I think so.

While searching for the shawl, I found this wonderful blog containing reviews of knitting blogs, Sheeptoshawl.com Blogs.It is fascinating to hop around to various knitting blogs and see what is being knitted. The first item in Sheeptoshawl is about the new Evelyn Clark book, Knitting Lace Triangles. I think I must have that book. The search is on for the perfect shawl pattern!

The Annabelle Sweater, below.



As you can see above, the Annabelle sweater is being knitted at lightspeed. I call it the Annabelle sweater because I am knitting it for little Annabelle. I showed the picture from the Filatura di Crosa, Baby Too pattern book in my last post. I have the front finished and over half of the back. It looks crumpled now, but I assure you, after the pieces have been washed and blocked, it will be beautiful. I should have the back finished by tonight or tomorrow. It has a picot hem (yo, k2tog) around the sleeves, bottom, and neck that will be tucked up and slip stitched after I sew the seams. I pinned up part of it to show the effect, but it did not photograph well.

I am looking forward to my next baby sweater project. This baby is due in November and the rumor is, he's a boy. The pattern is another Filatura di Crosa baby pattern and I am using the prescribed yarns, but not in the orange color that they had used. Two of the yarns are cotton, which I know to be painful to my joints. I will have to pace myself on this one, but I have plenty of time to finish it. That is going to be a cute sweater!

Confetti Baby Boy "M" Sweater, below.



My book of the day is a recent find. I have an analytical mind and the Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie M. Wiseman is perfection for analytical perfectionists. I have a deep need to know the best way to do something and have it explained well. The book really isn't just about finnishing techniques, she goes into various cast on methods and which one is best for each particular project. Casting on is beginning, not finishing, I know, but it is good stuff to know. Most patterns will tell you to make a buttonhole, this book will tell you how to make all of the different types of buttonholes and of course tell you which is the best for your project.

Another Tragedy

Pooh-bah was our seal-point Siamese, who's kingdom consisted of a culdesac with nine houses. He strayed outside of his domain when presumably a younger cat chased him into a busy street, two blocks away. He died instantly when struck by a car and lied beside the curb. Sunday morning he was missing from his usual place at the foot of our bed, I looked around the house for him. I waited, expecting him to burst through the cat door any moment, loudly announcing his entrance. We began to get concerned and started the first of several searches around the the neighborhood.


By that afternoon, I was frantic. My husband and I started knocking on doors to ask if he had been seen that day. It wasn't long until a neighbor reported that Pooh-bah had been seen on the busy street, in front of the bank. I knew instantly what that meant and I broke down in anguish. We quickly headed down two streets until we saw him lying by the side of the road, peacefully as if asleep. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Could he just be asleep? The crazy things that were going through my head. We carried him back home to bury. Pooh-bah wasn't just a cat, he was an intelligent, amazing, majestic feline with whom we shared our lives with. We loved him so very, very much!



Two weeks later, we are doing alright. Chloe beginning adjusting and although she is missing his love and companionship, we are making sure she gets more than her usual amount of love from us.



I know I have been a bad blogger, but I am back. I promise I will be more consistent. I have made great progress with my knitting. I will be back soon with an update on the pink baby sweater with the lace pattern I have ever knitted. Yes, photos soon. This is the pattern from the Filatura di Crosa Baby too book. I am knitting with Cashsoft Baby DK Pixie.

Note to Self: Yarn Shops are Closed on Mondays

Yes, all three!

Yesterday I knitted the 2x2 ribbed neckband onto the blue baby cable knit sweater. Before binding-off, I looked it over carefully for anything not quite right and found something very much not quite right, of course. To fix it, I yanked out a rib column, re-did that rib with a crochet hook. Now it is worse. It has a hole.

I don't think I can explain it in words, but I'll try. The one bind-off stitch underneath the rib stitch in question also ripped out. I don't know how that is even possible. This afternoon I packed up my project off to my local yarn shop, ready to say, "I'm exasperated. Please help me."

What, all three are closed? It is surely a conspiracy...

Back to the drawing board. I am going to sit down and try to figure it out. My husband will tell you how when frustrated, I can do a perfect imitation in Golum's voice saying, "I hates knitting!"

Feeling Sad This Week...

The Silver Swan
The silver swan, who living had no note,
When death approach'd, unlock'd her silent throat;
Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,
Thus sung her first and last, and sung no more.
Farewell, all joys; O Death, come close mine eyes;
More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise.

Based on the madrigal by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) and recorded by Qntal on their recent Qntal V: Silver Swan album.

My Bathtub is Calling Me...

I found this on YouTube, just now. It shows exactly what I am about to do in a few minutes. If you are unfamiliar with the Lush bath bomb experience, watch this video and be enlightened.

The Big Blue bath bomb in this video is one of my favorite. It smells heavenly, exactly what the ocean should smell like, and it contains little stringy bits of seaweed to condition your skin. The Lush loving videographer, Lushbubbles, who made, this is brilliant!

I'll be in the bathtub...

Tonight: Meerkat Manor!

I just can't get enough of this Mozart the Meerkat commercial. Hysterical! Mozart is alive and well after being banished by Flower. We all thought she had died. It is very difficult for a lone meerkat to survive, but Mozart isn't your average meerkat.

Tonight is the second episode of the third season. Don't forget to watch it on Animal Planet.

A Lot of Talk and Not Enough Knitting

Little Gregory's sweater is under way, once again. There really isn't a whole lot more to do, finish the neckband with rib stitching and weave in the ends. The goal is to finish it this weekend -- I can do that.


The pattern is from the Filatura Di Crosa Baby Too book. I used Filatura Zara extra fine merino wool. This was my first time knitting cables. I really thought cables were going to be heinously difficult, but it was easy and a lot of fun.

I really fancy bamboo needles. I don't think I would enjoy knitting at all if all there was were cold aluminum needles. The bamboo feels so nice in my hand as I knit. I was just admiring how beautiful they are in their quilted needle snuggie, so I thought I'd take a picture. I have a lot more needles somewhere and a huge number of circular needles. I knit hats with two sets of needles. If you have never tried that, it is the only way to knit hats. Seriously.

My Lush Golden Slumbers bath is waiting for me, my neck is hurting and a lavender bath is very soothing before bed. The best medicine!