the Akamai Knitter

After the fabulous splurge on Friday, I spent the weekend running a few more errands, watching a movie, reading, and knitting. Veronica also came over for a couple of hours to gab and spin though I mainly worked on the Bee Fields Shawl. I managed to finish up the bee hives and start in on the bee swarm section.

The swarm has been a little tricksy for me as there is patterning on every row and for some reason I’m having a hard time reading the chart symbols as purl decreases. There was an instance where I got it completely wrong for one whole row and mixed up the p2tog with p2tog through the back loop. Much swearing commenced as I laddered down to fix every single stitch so that they were slanting in the right direction.

Veronica said she couldn’t see the mistakes, but I could and that’s the whole point. It would have bugged me to no end if I had left it in. Plus, laddering down didn’t give me as much of a headache as ripping back would have. (For a good tutorial on how to do this, check out TECHknitting’s tutorial.)

At least I’ve finally got the edging down to the point where I don’t really need to be bothered with looking at the chart. The alternate method I’m using to make the picots has really helped me cope with all the cast on and bind off rows. (Instead of using a backward loop cast on, I’m using a lace cast on which doesn’t put such a hitch in my knitting stride.)

All in all, I’m having a grand time with this shawl. There’s just the right amount of challenge to it that has my brain tingling with a little effort. I love the color and the feel of the yarn. The texture of the stitches makes me smile. This project definitely gets 5 stars.

Still, Clapotis is lurking in the edges of my horizon. I can’t stop thinking of it or the lovely Boku I purchased for it. Maybe it’s the lure of working with large needles and thick yarn. Compared to what I normally work with the Boku and size 8US/5.0mm are huge! Perhaps it’s the thought of the soothing stockinette stitch that tempts me.

Either way I’m having a really hard time resisting the call. I tell myself that I already have 3 shawls and 2 pairs of socks on the needles. I also promised my mother she would get a scarf by October and a shawl for Christmas. The last thing I should be doing is casting on for another project.

Shall we see how long I can hold out?

22 Comments »

I finished the knitting on the Mystery Stole 3 and after seeing this post I was eager to block it as well. (Thanks to Annmarie for the link!) It took me about 45 minutes to get it all pinned out, but I think it was worth it.

The theme is Swan Lake and I’m really happy that I went with the black on this occasion. Although I’m not sure if I identify with Odile or even want to. Being the deceptive other woman is just not something I want in my repertoire. ;-)

The only modification I made with this pattern was that I added more beads to the wing then called for. I think that Melanie staggered the bead placement. I opted for putting a bead at more regular intervals within the stitch pattern. I didn’t change the row that the beads were on, I just added it to every repeat.

I really enjoyed knitting this stole and I’m glad I got to be part of such a large group effort. It was a lot easier to finish this project since the knitting came in increments and I feel more then a little sad that Fridays will hold no knitting surprise for me.

So sad, that I’m trying to divide my current project into installments in a sad imitation of mystery clues. I do think that this will make large lace projects less overwhelming and in the end, get them accomplished one way or another. *cough*ForestPathStole*cough*

All in all, I consider this project a huge success!

25 Comments »

I finally blocked the Luna Moth and I’m so relieved that it’s done. Please excuse the rather crappy pictures, it was a dark and cloudy day.

Pattern: Luna Moth

Needles: Size 5US/3.75mm Addi Lace Needles

Yarn: Super Kydd from Elann (approximately 2.5 balls)

Started: April 30, 2007

Finished: July 26, 2007

I didn’t make any modifications other then adding more repeats to make the shawl a little bigger. I didn’t keep track of how many repeats I did. Nor did I measure the shawl. I’m just a lazy bum. :-)

I can’t say this was one of my favorite knits. I battled the mohair too many times for that. And although the pattern is simple, I never could quite get the rhythm of it down. Usually I find some sort of harmony in the stitch pattern and it just didn’t happen for me this time around.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Musical knitting? I know some of you are shaking your heads at me, but I swear that there are times when I’m knitting lace when everything just clicks and there’s a certain beat to my needles as they click to the pattern stitches. Surely I’m not the only one who’s experienced this.

Either way, I’m glad to put this shawl behind me and move on. What’s in my future do you ask? Why another insect of course!

27 Comments »

I finally surrendered to the massive case of startitis I’ve been fighting and started a new project last week. I reasoned that this was a special project and that this was a goal I had set for myself from the very beginning of the year.

Oh yes, I had all sorts of justifications, but in the end it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have something on the needles that delights me to no end. It’s the Flower Basket Shawl and I’m using my very own handspun yarn.

I did get off to a rough start though. I began with size 5US/3.75mm needles and the resulting fabric was less then delightful. I just didn’t care for the stitch definition.

As much as I hated to admit it, I had to start over on smaller needles. Ripping out what I had done was a careful process as was more then a little nerve-wracking. I kept thinking that the yarn was going to crumble beneath my fingers! Of course that wasn’t the case, as the yarn isn’t nearly that delicate. Paranoid? Who, me?

Once I was done with the frightening frogging of the handspun, I started knitting once again with size 3US/3.25mm needles. Before I had gotten through the first repeat of the second chart, I knew I had made the right decision.

The difference might not be quite as discernible to others, but I can see it and that’s what counts. Since then I haven’t been able to put this down. This is how much I’ve been able to get done since Saturday.

Working with my own yarn tickles me endlessly and helps keep me entertained with this relatively simple stitch pattern. I keep stroking the material that I have created from the very yarn itself and the feeling of wonder never ceases.

27 Comments »

Uh-oh.

Eek!

Just when I was finally back in the rhythm of things. But there’s hope! Elann still has the same dye lot of the same yarn, so there’s more on the way.

In the meantime, I’m sure there’s something or another to do with my time.

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading! :)

15 Comments »