the Akamai Knitter

While I enjoy other techniques, I had to put aside my one true passion during the holiday season. Though, I do love making things for other people, I really missed the lace.

When I felt that I had gotten the gift knitting under control, I cast about for a suitable pattern and was inspired to pick up a book that I had on my radar for quite some time.

Marianne Kinzel’s First Book of Modern Lace Knitting has beautiful designs in it, but most of them are for tea cloths or tablecloths. Neither of which I have a use for, but to the resourceful lace knitter they can be used for shawls.

I picked the Springtime design, because it looks so elegant. I’m using an adaptation of that design using some tricks Glenda Hunt put together along with a couple of my own to create a triangle shawl.

Once I started, I found it very hard to put down. The charts are excellent and the square design is easily translated into a triangle.

My tried and true friend, Jaggerspun Zephyr (in Steel) hasn’t let me down yet. It’s soft to the touch and the stitch definition is crisp and clear, reminding me why I turn to it again and again.

The needles (size 2US Addi Lace Needles) are the perfect lace knitting tool. The tips are just wonderful for the increases and decreases.

This is the kind of project that makes you want to skip meals and decide that 3 hours of sleep is sufficient. Housecleaning gets put on hold, cats go hungry, and friends are neglected.

Some might call this passion, others might call this obsession. Either way I’m happy as a clam and I don’t really give a damn what they say. ;-)

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What can I say that hasn’t already been said about the Bee In Fields Shawl? Well, I can say that it’s finished and blocked.

Pattern: Bee In Fields by Anne Hanson

Yarn: Laceweight from Handpaintedyarn.com in Olive

Needles: size 5US/3.75mm

Started: August 20, 2007

Finished: September 19, 2007

Size: Tall

I decided to make the larger of the two sizes since I had the yarn. Plus, the shawl will cover my rear end, thus negating the arrow pointing to said portion of my body.

This was incredibly fun to knit and I have to admit to a case of post-project depression. I can only hope for more beautiful triangle shawls from the indubitable Anne. Though I might be able to console myself with some of her rectangular stoles.

In the meantime, I’ve been contemplating my next big lace project. I’m thinking something from A Gathering of Lace. I’m thinking the Sampler Stole would look fabulous in some of my Yubina yarn. It looks like it will be a challenging project, but that’s what makes it so attractive.

While I have that stewing in the brain, I’ll be working on getting some of my current projects off the needles. I already managed to finish one project over the weekend, but I’ll not say much about it in this post as it deserves more then just a brief mention.

Hopefully I’ll have even more to say about the weekend another day. Right now my brain is stumbling over words and nothing is coming out right. I think this is because I still haven’t gotten enough sleep. I will say that I really disliked one of the movies we saw.

(Rant warning.) Perfect Stranger was really disturbing in a depressing and pathetic way. While the acting was superb, none of the characters had a single redeeming feature. They all displayed the worst of what makes us human and it left me feeling hopeless and angry. Maybe it’s naive of me to want to see the the best of human nature in at least one facet of one of the protagonists. Either way, I was very disappointed in the movie. (End rant.)

I normally don’t go on about movies, but this one really bothered me. If anyone else has seen this movie, I’d love to hear your take on it.

If you’ve read this far down, I commend you. Who knew I had all that blather in me? Must be the sleep deprivation.

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It seems the fog I was in on Monday was more due to a Fibromyalgia flare up then to any of the after-effects of the weekend. So instead of trying to put together a coherent post today, I’ve decided to just do a random list of my progress of some of my current projects.

1. I completed the Bee Fields Shawl on Wednesday. It’s currently soaking in some warm water with a few drops of soap in preparation for the blocking progress. I’m so looking forward to crawling around on my hands and knees. Not. :-P
2. I managed to turn the heel of the second sock and start the gussets of the Retro Rib Socks last night. Insomnia has its perks. I’m thinking of calling them Cafe au Chocolat. What do you think?
3. I’ve gotten past the first repeat of the Rock Lobster Lock Bag. I really love the yarns I’m using. (Ella Rae Classic and Plymouth Boku.) The colors are fun and seeing them evolve with the slip stitch pattern is highly entertaining.

For some reason, I felt like I hadn’t gotten much done this week, which is most likely due to the flare up. Making this list has really helped me feel like I’ve accomplished something. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and take stock of what’s in front of us to appreciate it.

Weekend plans include another trip to Isle Knits tomorrow to see if I can get more yarn for the bag. There’s definitely more Ella Rae, but there might not be more Boku, so please wish me luck!

I also have a couple of DVDs lined up, Wire In The Blood: Season 3: Disc 1 and Perfect Stranger. Nothing too heavy or exciting, but I think they’ll both prove to be entertaining. Of course, there will also be football. Mmm. Football.

I’m also going to be casting on for the Clapotis and I’m really excited. It’s just the type of knitting that I need right now. Miles and miles of soothing stockinette stitch. Just thinking about it makes me curl my toes in anticipation.

Well, I’m off to block the shawl. I hope everyone has a great weekend filled with lovely knitty type activities. :-)

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I’ve been making steady progress on the Bee Fields Shawl. Right now I’m nearly done with the Bee In Fields Section 2 and I’m so in love with this particular bit of knitting.

At first, I was a little bit nervous about how the dropped stitches would work out. I thought the holes would gape too much, but after I completed the first repeat I was in love.

I particularly enjoy the knitting acrobatics employed to create the butterfly effect. And even though I’m no fan of the backwards loop cast on (scroll down for video), I think it’s well worth the trouble.

After this section is completed, I move on to the edging. I may just have this shawl finished before the weekend is through and I’m just a little sad to see that happen.

To prevent this post-project depression, I’ve been planning on other projects to start and I think I might try something a little different. Sticking with Anne’s designs, but instead of a shawl or a stole, I might cast on for a felted bag. I already have the yarn, so I’m prepped for surgery ready to start. (Someone has been watching too much Grey’s Anatomy. The premiere is on the 27th! Whee!)

I think the bag will keep me occupied until the 23rd, which is the start of the Clapotis Second Wave. If not, there’s always the Lotus Blossom Shawl to start for my mother or maybe the Sampler Stole from a Gathering of Lace.

Let’s not even mention the many projects already on the needles. Let’s not even go there.

No, I don’t think I’ll be lacking in projects to keep me busy.

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I thought I’d drag the Flower Basket Shawl out to show you all how I’m doing with it. It’s slow going because I’m only working on it in spare moments here and there. But I’m making some steady progress.

I’m trying really hard to have faith in the magic of blocking at this point. In its current state it looks hideous. Here it is, in all it’s blobby glory.

This is how much yarn I have left in the first ball.

And this is the second skein that has yet to be wound into a center pull ball. I really hate winding yarn. So I’ve been putting it off until the last possible moment.

I’ve memorized the pattern so I’ve been able to take this project with me when I’m out and about. In fact, I’ve even been seen at my weekly knitting group working on it.

It’s an incredibly relaxing project. I’ve been going to it whenever I’ve felt overly stressed by such things like the possible estrangement of a longtime friend or the illness of my beloved elderly cat, Onyx.

She’s holding steady now, but she did give me quite a scare last month. I won’t go into the gory details, but suffice to say that she has the inevitable health issues of a 19-year-old feline. I know she’s had a wonderful 19 years with me and hopefully she’ll have awhile longer, but that really doesn’t make any of this easier.

Like that commercial says, life comes at you fast. So it’s nice to have a comforting project like the Flower Basket Shawl to turn to.

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