Labyrinth Shawl

Half done and I'm still loving the pattern. It's one of those, "just one more row to see what it looks like."

Saturday Sky June 28, 2008

A breezy, cool day. So far we haven't gotten the predicted rain.

Ring of Lace Wrap

Ring of Lace Wrap by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer is a fun, easy to learn lace pattern. The yarn is Schaefer Yarns, Andrea, 100 % silk, color Elena Piscopia so was wonderful to work with.

Needles: Size 2 1/2 circular.

The color is one of a series created for "Memorable Women." Elena Piscopia was born into a Roman family whose ancestors included cardinals and popes. She was recognized as a prodigy by the age of seven and spoke seven languages, played several instruments and composed music by the time she was seventeen. Her father refused to allow her to enter the Benedictine Order, for which she had secretly prepared, and instead she became the first woman to study theology at the University of Padua and the first woman to earn a doctoral degree. She taught mathematics at the university for the rest of her life, yet it would be over 300 years before another woman earned a doctorate there. Her achievement is honored by a marble statue in Padua and a stained glass window at Vassar College in New York.

Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl

Goddess Knits Anniversary Shawl KnitALong. What fun this is! Clue 2 came out Saturday, so this is the result of the first 2 clues, both using Chart B. Each clue has a choice of 4 charts, so the possibilities are endless. Three more clues to go.

Saturday Sky June 21, 2008

A beautiful sky on a beautiful summer day! The temperature got up to about 80. Now, at 6:30 our thermometer shows 87, but it is in the sun. There was quite a breeze, though. I went outside to sit on the deck and knit, positioned the pattern on my lap, picked up my knitting, and the breeze blew the pattern across the deck, knocking the knitting out of my hands causing 4 stitches to drop about 4 row. Luckily I got them picked up (it was lace) but did end up with 2 extra stitches. Because the pattern looked correct, I might have made a mistake back farther, but I just decreased them back to the correct number. After knitting 15 more rows you can't even tell where it was.

Wrapped in Care

Last night at MN Knitters' Guild, Sue Rainey introduced a charity project, Wrapped in Care. She has more details on her blog, http://TheRaineySisters.com. It is a joint venture of United Hospital and Children's Hospital in St. Paul. They are asking for knit shawls to be given to mothers who's babies die at birth. "The program will allow mothers to be wrapped in the warmth of shawls during a very traumatic and painful time. In addition, if the mother is not discharged yet, they can also provide a far more beautiful background than a hospital gown for pictures that will be treasured for a lifetime."This is a cause after my own heart, so at 11:15 last night I cast on! Susan had received a grant to purchase some yarn, so I got a package of 6 skeins of Classic Yarns, Cashsoft DK, 57 % merino, 33 % microfibre, 10 % cashmere and will make the Angel Lace Shawl from Fiber Trends.

MN Knitters Guild

Again, blogger turned my picture. Someday I'll have to learn how to fix that. Last night was the June meeting of the MN Knitters' Guild. I haven't been attending for a while, but went back last month and again last night and enjoyed being back! Last night the program was shawls. People were encouraged to bring shawls they had made and then the members voted on their favorite. The two I brought are the green, Spring Garden and the purple, Peacock Feathers. I won 3rd prize with Spring Garden and 2nd prize for Peacock Feathers. The prizes were wonderful-the pattern was for 3rd prize and the yarn (Plymouth Alpaca Prima) was 2nd prize. I will restrain myself and add it to my queue.

Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl

Clue One. Chart B.

The first clue came out Friday-a day early. This section had 4 choices of design. I tried Chart D, but took it out and tried Chart B which I stayed with. Now it's going to be a long week until the next clue comes out!

Pattern: Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl www.goddessknits.com

Yarn: Joslyn's Fiber Farm

Needles: Size 4 (I used size 5 for the swatch, but I didn't like the looks of that one.

WWKIP Day, Saturday Sky

What a perfect day to Knit In public. A clear blue sky, comfortable temperatures, and a nice breeze. It did cloud up in the late evening with strong winds, lightening and rain. It was exciting to have probably a total of 40 knitters in Maple Grove, MN knitting in public. Just think, people all over the world were knitting on the same day.

Nursing Pin

A couple of weeks ago when I was at my college reunion I browsed the college bookstore and saw jewelry with the college seal. The wheels started turning and thought I could have my nursing pin made into a pendent! Today I picked it up from my favorite jeweler (Todd of Gold 'N Treasures on Grand Ave in St Paul-not all jewelers give me a hug when I come in!) and it is perfect. They were even able to leave the engraving on the back intact.In "my day" the nursing cap and pin were valued rewards of our accomplishments. We received the cap in a ceremony signifying we had made it through the probation period. It was such an honor to report on duty the next day with that cap perched on our head! The pin was pinned on our uniforms on our graduation day. Another very significant occasion!

I must be crazy!

In January or February I started the Bleeding Hearts Stole from Interweave Knits as a project for my college reunion. I wasn't far into in when I calculated how many rows I had left to do and how many days I had to do it in and decided I didn't need that kind of pressure, so progress slowed down. It's at the point it doesn't seem to be going any where-a point at which I seem to lose interest. I had almost decided to frog this project (especially since the needles I want to use on a different one are in this one) but when I took it out and looked at it, it is too pretty to frog.

An ad on Ravelry showed this Swirl Shawl in these beautiful colors in modular knitting. I just had to have it!

Then we started discussing classes for the fall at Amazing Threads and decided the Ring of Lace Wrap by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer would be a good one, so I have to make a shop sample. It is actually an easy pattern-6 stitch, 6 row repeat, so can be done in public. The yarn is so yummy-Schaefer, Andrea, silk.

QOE showed me a pattern she had discovered for the Labyrinth Lace Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark- www.evelynclarkdesigns.com . I've always loved the symbolism of the labyrinth and the meditation walking a labyrinth, so I just had to have it.
And, another Ravelry discovery-a Mystery Shawl Knit A Long. I've never done a knit a long or a mystery project so since lace is my passion I had to do Goddess Knits Anniversary Shawl Knit A Long. www.goddessknits.com This is the gauge swatch-the first clue comes out on the 14th.

This is unrealistic!!!! Why, oh why do I start all these projects????

Saturday Sky June 07, 2008

A perfect day to watch a soccer game. The sun was hot when shining, but the clouds provided welcome periods of cooler temperature. My grandson's team is in the black-they won 1-0.

Monkey

I am totally smitten with Cookie A's sock patterns! They are unique, intriguing, and fun to knit.

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A - free download from www.knitty.com Winter 2006.

Yarn: Fleece Artist Sock in Celtic colorway. I bought it in Baddeck, Nova Scotia.

Needles: Size 1 1/2

Flat Feet Yarn, Django Socks

This is a new concept! The yarn is machine knit into a fabric, then dyed. Each piece is very unique and there is no telling how it will knit up. You just unravel the piece as you knit-the directions say not to wind into a ball.

As you can see, the yarn is very kinky which, I think, makes it a little difficult to knit. In order to keep the tension fairly even I seem to be knitting tight. The directions also say to use a size 3 needle, but I think that would be much too loose. Using my usual 1 1/2 is giving me a sock that should fit.

Yarn: Flat Feet by Conjoined Creations. The website, http://www.conjoinedcreations.com/ shows some of the colors and patterns and the resulting socks.

Pattern: Django by Cookie A

Needles: Size 1 1/2

This pattern is turning out to be so much fun! It is so intriqing how the cables intertwin and blend together. A picture of the pattern and more of her patterns can be seen at http://www.cookiea.com/. Hopefully I can post better pictures later which show more complete sock and show the patterning clearer.

Saturday Sky May 31, 2008, Shepherd's Choice

A beautiful day! Shepherd's Choice (www.shepherdschoice.com) had their annuan sheep shearing festival and the day was perfect until a few severe thunderstorms went through in the evening. Of course, there was sheep shearing.

Fleece skirting.

Spinning. (Her husband made her spinning wheel and she painted the decorations.)

And llamas.

Since I brought along my 6 year old grandson we participated in all the special activities for children. He had a great day! And I enjoyed it more through his eyes.

Tie Dying