FO: Foxglove/Revontuli

A miracle happened today. The light drizzle stopped and the sun came out just as we were gearing up for a quick Finished Object shoot. The gods somewhere must like my new shawl/scarf as much as I do. The pattern was one of the first I ever queued on Ravelry, Revontuli-huivi. The yarn is Kauni Effektgarn, an Estonian 4-ply with long pattern repeats and I used 6mm KnitPro needles.

The majority of the shawl was knitted during epic bus journeys to-and-fro North-East Scotland. It was a perfect travel knit - long stretches of knitting/purling and a bit of interest ever so often. I quickly fell into a rhythm and could knit whilst keeping an eye on the ever-changing landscape. I think I would have thought this a bit of a boring knit if I hadn't been on the road. The yarn really does most of the work for you.

The pattern is well-written and well-charted. The yarn is rustic with beautiful colours - but it also nearly lifted the skin off my yarn-carrying finger (I knit Continental). I cannot imagine myself knitting Kauni (or its siblings, Aade Lõng and Evilla) at a tighter tension or for a full garment. I would need to wrap band-aids around my fingers in order to survive - and I'm not sure I'd find that particularly fun.

But, gosh, my shawl is beautiful. It blocked out very big, I love the colours and I know this will become my go-to scarf this autumn/winter. It is my favourite knit for quite some time and I feel a bit silly that I did not knit this a long time ago.

Have you seen the new Twist Collective? Oh my. I'm in love with at least four or five patterns (which puts the cat among the pigeons as far as future projects are concerned). My two must-knits are Hallett's Ledge (I have some vibrant purple Troon Tweed kicking about) and Cityscape (I might redrawn the chart so it includes some Glasgow buildings), but there are plenty of gorgeous patterns I can see myself wearing.

Also, I could kick myself. Some of my best friends have just been to KnitNation in London - and I forgot all about asking them to buy me some Wollmeise yarn. I did not want much - just one skein for a small scarf - but I completely forgot and seeing as Wollmeise yarn is normally as scarce as unicorns I probably won't get another chance (unless KnitNation happens again or I go on yarn-buying vacation to Germany - I don't know which is most likely).

Speaking of vacations, I did enjoy my mini-vacay but unfortunately it has meant that admin work has been piling up and I will be spending the rest of my Sunday filing papers and writing up reports. I think this calls for tea and buttered crumpets.

Now With Knitting Content!

Am I sad because I tried to see if I could knit something without posting a WIP photo? Am I extra sad because I failed? Regardless, this is a WIP photo taken something during the Aberdeen excursion and the shawl is now just three rows away from being done. I suppose I could have waited a day to write about the shawl but, really, why keep all the fun to myself? Again I have delved deep into my earliest queued patterns on Ravelry. The shawl is Revontuli and I'm using some Kauni Effektgarn which I was given Christmas '09 by my very lovely grandmother. I have very little say at this stage, except it is a very enjoyable travel knit and I'm very pleased by it. More details to come once I've knitted the last three rows/blocked the shawl within an inch of its life.

Now for some speculative knitting and crocheting. I have five projects I'm really, really fancying but I cannot decide which one(s) to opt for.

1. Inga. A crocheted cardigan with a seriously cool collar. I'm worried about my body shape vs the shape of the cardigan. I'm also considering changing the colours to slightly more grayscale (with teal/avocado tones mixed in).
2. Dominika. I'm loving the statement-piece-esque feel to this cardigan/jacket, but am I really ready to wear anything with a heart-pattern? Will this be too shapeless for me?
3. Blanket. The name and the photo do not do this drapey cardigan justice. I would love to make it in dark raspberry tones with a thread of ochre stitched on for interest. But is it too boxy for me? Will I actually knit an entire afghan and add sleeves to it AND keep sane? I do love it. It's a beautiful project. I continue to be a Martin Storey fan.
4. Dandle. A seriously cute cardigan with an interesting slip-stitch pattern by the shoulders. I had a real 'wow' moment when I saw it, but I cannot believe that I'm contemplating a Super Bulky knit. I'm Super Bulky myself, for heaven's sake!
5. Homestead. Another Martin Storey design and one heavily influenced by Scandinavian knitting traditions (which makes my heart go all a-flutter). I simply love the design. It reminds me of my heritage. It is also knitted in Baby Alpaca DK which is one of my absolutely favourite yarns. I can see myself wearing this a lot. But it's not very dressy and I'm in the mood for a dressy knit. I'm thinking a neutral background and a delightful dark red contrast? I could see this being knitted up in Felted Tweed too.

(I also really really like Periwinkle but even I can see how its shape is all wrong for me). You may have spotted a common denominator. I fear I'm getting mildly addicted.Any feedback would be gratefully received and very appreciated. Even feedback along the lines of "you are a daftie for even consider XYZ!"!

I think I'm also entering a new phase. I go through colour phases, you see, and I think I'm leaving my red phase and heading towards deep violets and strong purples. Some people might say that I knit green stuff and then occasionally use other colours, but that would just filthy, filthy lies.

Now back to my last three rows on the shawl. Utterly delightful project.

Søpapegøjer!

We saw puffins in Aberdeenshire. We were out cliff-walking just south of Aberdeen when D. took out his binoculars. He spent almost twenty years living in a small fishing village off the North Sea coast, but this was only the second time he had ever spotted puffins. They were out to sea, but they were unmistakably puffins. Søpapegøjer! I also saw a couple of yarn shops. Wool For Ewe came recommended to me - it had pleasant staff and a nice selection. I ended up buying enough Jamiesons Ultra to make a lace shawl (shh!). I also bought one ball of JC Rennie 4ply in a green-blue colour which brought home just how much I'm itching to do a proper fair-isle project. I have a good selection of colours in various Shetland 4-ply yarns stashed aside and these days most of my pattern purchases seem to be colourwork-orientated. Apart from the new Rowan 48, I have also just bought Sasha Kagan's classic book on fair-isle knitting. Kagan's book is very dated in terms of styling - hello 1980s make-up and hair! - but the patterns are very interesting and inspirational. While the idea of a dachshund-covered waistcoat might not appeal, I can certainly see myself knitting some fingerless gloves with pansies or seagulls.

I'm slowly moving towards autumn-knitting, you see. Scotland is never the warmest place in the world (or even in the UK!), so woolly knits are never far from my thoughts. However, I was browsing through some old blog entries the other day and I noticed how much I emphasised Needing Accessories. My thinking is that I might as well get a few quick-knit accessories under my belt before I start to yearn for big woolly cardigans. Last winter I loved my big snuggly scarf, so I have kept that in mind as I'm trying to narrow down my must-knits. Matters are complicated by the fact that I have been commissioned to design a couple of scarf patterns, that I have a few commissioned knitting projects, that a colleague of mine is expecting (and is going on maternity leave in two weeks, so I better start knitting!), and that my wrists are still not entirely happy about the amount of knitting I do.

Most of all, I wish I could take more time off and spend it up north. I do not why I love Aberdeenshire so much, but I suspect it reminds me of Denmark (albeit with dangerous cliffs, birds of prey, hills, crumbling castles, granite, puffins, and glorious 'high' skies). I always feel at peace whenever I am up north and it takes me a few days to adjust being back in Glasgow. Sigh.

FO: Larisa

My Larisa scarf is finished and I am head over heels with it. More photos on Ravelry.

Specifications: Pattern: Larisa by yours truly Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze, 1 skein (19 grammes to be precise) Needles: 4mm KnitPro Modifications: None, zip, zilch. I was effectively test-knitting my own pattern (which reminds me that my test knitters will need a revised version - I will get that to you by end of next week).

I'd be tempted to start another one, because what you see is actually a sample and I don't get to keep it.. but I've just cast on for a quick little weekend knit I've been meaning to do for a long, long time. More on that later.

Beads

So, this is your almost-first look at Larisa, a little scarf I designed some months ago and which is currently out with various test-knitters. It is knitted in Kidsilk Haze and has beaded edgings. I'm currently one-third through the scarf itself and find it a really relaxing knit. Just enough interest to keep me going and yet easy enough to knit late at night or during my commute. I'm not one of those knitters who walk through a meadow and decide to knit a scarf inspired by a particularly beautiful tree. I designed 'Larisa' because I could not find the right pattern for an elegant, yet straightforward, scarf which I could give away as a present. I wanted a scarf which would dress up an outfit, a scarf which was classy rather than fashion-forward. And so I simply sat down with a partial ball of Kidsilk Haze, some beads and my trustworthy notebook.

I would say, though, that I am one of those knitters who love their art and fashion history. I drew some inspiration from Art Deco - in fact, the horizontal line of the beading contrasting with the vertical lines of the lace is a design element I picked up from all those hours I spent reading about sky-scrapers many years ago. I tried out various severe lace patterns with super-vertical lines before opting for a lace insert which combines some vertical design elements with a V shape (or heart-shape depending upon your mood). I just think the pattern looks much softer and more inviting as a result.

Meanwhile, I have finished my crochet bag and meant to get some shots of it today. Unfortunately the weather was not on my side and it proved impossible to get enough light(!) for a good photo. I hit a snag with the lining, actually. It turned out that my sewing machine which I was "not entirely sure actually works" did not work. Maybe you will understand if I show you which machine I have.. I'm not sure why it does not work, except that the bobbin case keeps falling out when I use the machine and the 'overthread' doesn't want anything to do with the 'underthread' (I'm not sure of my English sewing machine terminology - does it show?). So, anyway, well. I had to handstitch the lining and I'm not a fantastic handstitcher. I'm going to rip out the part of the lining I have already attached and wait until I can afford a new machine (or work out why my machine does not work - whichever comes first).

Finally, if you reading smart women writing about what it's like to be a smart woman (i.e. a person), you will enjoy The Anti-Room. I found this little post on Harlequin romances and inherent misogyny.

PS. Faithful readers, do you think me and my full-busted short-torsoed peasant-woman body could get away with this cardigan?

Dotted

The crochet bag is almost finished. I just need to crochet around one particular edge, weave in ends and then add lining. I have found some fab lining material, but more on that in a second. I had completely forgotten how wrecked my hands become when crocheting with cotton. I grew up using cheap cotton and I had assumed that the cheap cotton was to blame for my aching hands. For this bag I am using Roman Pima Cotton, a very luxurious cotton that I'm loving to bits, but my hands are still utterly wrecked - particularly my thumbs. I'm used to being able to knit for hours on end, but I cannot work on this project for more than ninety minutes before I'm in pain.

Worrying.

I had planned a few more crocheted bags, but I think I shall be postponing these projects until my hands are much better. I wonder what I'm doing wrong? Hmm.

But back to this particular crochet bag. I was beyond thrilled when I found the perfect lining material in the Amy Butler fabric range. Just look at it - isn't it just perfect?! Of course I cannot work the lining until I have finished the bag properly, woven in ends, steam-blocked it, cleared the dining table, and unpacked my old sewing machine that I'm not entirely sure actually works and .. did I mention that I have fever, a sore throat and earache? Yeah, I should possibly focus on getting over this mini-flu (or whatever infection it is I'm fighting), but I'm just so darn excited about getting this project finished*. Uhmm..

(* somewhere my 15-year-old self is looking aghast and cringing at my enthusiasm).

So, well, I'm trying to nap as much as I possibly can (and I'm revisiting an old favourite read which I actually haven't read in about twenty years - more on this in a later entry) and I'm also having slightly feverish dreams about my next few projects.

But isn't that fabric just fabulous?! Sigh.