There's not been a huge amount of knitting in the last few days I think it's that intrim period between projects finishing and getting established on new ones... and as I finished two shawls off more or less simultaneously and haven't got going on the border of the VLT sampler stole I sort of felt a bit lost.....
As I was trying to finish Swan Lake over the weekend I didn't want to start anything until I'd finished that so when I finished Sunday lunch I decided that I would swatch with the Silver grey silk I got from Colourmart. This may seem a bit odd as I won't be starting the stole until later this year (it's only needed for mid-April 2008) but I think I wanted a chance to see how the Colourmart yarn knitted up and 'bloomed'; as of yet I haven't heard anything bad about their products or their service, also I just wanted something small to fill in a gap.... The pattern is/will be the Alpine Scarf from VLT, but I'm going to add a further two repeats of the centre motif just to make the stole wider.....
I started off with 2.5mm needle and cast on as if I was starting the stole with 121 stitches and worked the pattern as stated apart from just doing 1 repeat of Chart A before starting the centre panel.... there is a green thread running through the swatch and this is were I changed to a 3.25mm needle (would you believe it I did not have a 3mm needle in the house! this has now been remedied)
After a washing and blocking discussion with Lace Maven (many thanks) I ended up (please don't cringe) washing it twice with Fairy Liquid and almost boiling water...... and then blocked it hard.... my swatch came out at 20" wide which is wider than the book says (it was 17" before blocking) so I've calculated a further 2 centre motif repeats will give me a further 5" of finished width, making a reasonably wide stole.... The swtach has come out lovely and drapey and softer, I think a 3rd wash may help with the final stole.....
I think I will use the 3.25mm needles as I preferred the more open effect of the diamonds with this needles and the leaves came out fairly solid....
I have also cast on for a Swallowtail (my 2nd) using 'Bloom' from Yarn Treehouse in a muted blue/ochre-gold colourway, this is going to be a Ruby wedding gift for a friend.....
I also started the Melon stole from VLT yesterday but I have pulled it off the needles today as I am not happy with my knitting of it, some of the outer sts round the melon stitch were a bit loose for my liking and I know it's a straigh forward pattern but my counting kept going astray.... so I have now opted for the Scaf with Border No 20 from VLT instead but I didn't think the Helen's Lace in Irving Park colourway would be suitable so I am now waiting for my BIL to ring back and give me some indication of what colours my SIL would like!!!!! and this is meant to be relaxing ;o)
Ramble over... thanks for reading/listening
5 comments:
Wow! I'm exhausted just reading that list of projects! The Alpine Lace scarf does look lovely in that colour.
I've stalled on my Melon Scarf - I can't seem to settle on a wide border I like with the pattern.
Me too! But I have to say the swatch with the 3.25mm does look more open and lacey than on the smaller needles and that silver is knitting up lovely!
Can't wait to see your other planned projects. :)
Your swatch is beautiful. Wish I could get Colourmart to bloom. Even after I threw a swatch in the washing machine and set the dial to "filthy" I couldn't get the oil out.
I am also exhausted at your energy. Haven't had much of a chance to do any knitting at all this week.
And yes, the yarn shop in Bristol is on my list next week for sure.
I do like the not-100+ degree weather we are having here in London, but I sure packed the wrong clothes!
Wow! You've been busy!
That Alpine is very elegant in that color.
I'm using Colormart for my Unst stole, so I appreciate the hot water hint. I was wondering how I was going to get that oil out! m:)
I am off to IKnit tonight! thanks so much for the tip. It's only six stops from where I am.
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