How important can a ; be?

I am now just over halfway through the body of the shawl and I didn't even know it!!!!

I started on the last 4 repeats of the pattern list yesterday (pattern I) thinking get these 4 done and I'm halfway... put the flags up it's all downhill after that point so to speak...

I managed to do two repeats of the pattern last night. I don't know why but I went and googled other finished shawls this morning and noticed that the pattern repeats didn't seem to be as large on other people's shawls as I thought they would be. I studied the book again thought about it and then passed it to DH:

12-row repeat of Chart I four times - center pattern of shawl; mark and work preceding charts in reverse prder for the second half of the shawl.

who'd have thought that a ; could be so important? so when I finished knitting last night I was actually halfway through.

Anyway plenty of rain today so hopefully plenty of knitting today. Photos of progress in next post.

Swatched & Ready to go...

I am all swatched and ready to go for the 29th June, the 1st clue in the PInk Lemon Twist Mystery Stole 3. It's taken me all week to remember to look through mum's crochet hooks to see if there was one small enough, success!!!

This is a Imperial UK size 5 which in metric terms equates to 0.75mm. I'm sort of glad I found one in mum's stash as this belonged to my maternal Grandmother whom I never knew as she died long before I was born. She was a beautiful crocheter and did very fine yarns there's even an old size 6.5 hook which is so fine you can hardley see the hook... so although I'm noy crocheting I can't help thinking that she would be pleased that I'm using her hook for htis lace shawl....

The details.....
Yarn: Zephyr Lace Yarn in white hand-dyed shades of dusky apricot by me
Needles: 3.5mm Addi Lace needles
Beads: Size 8 Toho seed beads TCR166: Gold lined Rainbow crystal from e-beads.co.uk

In brief....

Busy weekend so little time for knitting and TBH just a bit too tired to even pick up the needles....

As I was out both Saturday & Monday all day and Sunday was taken up with gardening, trip to the garden centre & dog walking I decided it wasn't worth doing the VLT so when I did pick up the needles it was to do my 'other' lace project....

The only other productive knitting related exercise this weekend was to dye my white Jaggerspun laceweight Zephyr for the Pink Lemon Twist Mystery stole 3. I dyed it shades of apricot, so despite slight variations in the colour it was actually all dyed with one mix of dye in one go... I am rather pleased with it as the colour in my mind fits with the 'theme' of the KAL but is a colour I prefer.... I also ordered my beads from e-beads colour TCR166. I ordered 3 packets as these only come in 10g and the author suggests 1oz

WARNING - Gratuitous Knitting Pron

I have only just calmed down, I have been immersing myself in Knit Picks goodies kindly forwarded on by the lovely Lindsey. I am just ravelling in the colours and the quality of the yarn and the other bits and pieces I purchased....

6 Skeins of 'bare' Merino Laceweight

Laceweight shade cards

Options Kit + ID tags + 40" & 47" cable + 9mm points & a 2mm 32" Classic circ - The kit was my birthday kit from DH and most definitely worth the wait :o)

And now for the serious yarn pron....

3 skeins each of (from left to right, top to bottom)

Shadow (Sunset) & Gossamer (Leprechaun)

Shimmer (Maple Leaf), Shadow (Campfire) & Alpaca Cloud (Tide Pool)

My favourite yarn to squeeze has to be the Shimmer, I love all the colours but I think my absolute favourite is the Maple leaf or the Tide Pool or even Sunset \o/

Serious Progress... At long last!!!!

I am so pleased with myself; just like the proverbial cat that got the cream!!!!


WHY?


because look at the progress I've made in the last couple of days on the VLT shawl, the middle is within my grasp, although I suspect there is more knitting than I think to get there.....

I have made a decsion, that this is going to be kept to weekend knitting, no more trying to fit it in early evenings, I can't just get into the rhythm before I get too tired, and it's not like I've nothing else to knit during the week is it?

So far....

I am having a good "knitting" weekend (my weekend is Sunday & Monday) which started early last week, with my friend Tanya; so while we talked we knitted we do most Saturday afternoons but we were both amazed how much we actually got done :0) I managed the whole leg of a sock from the cuff to the ankle a whopping 15cm I still can't quite believe it......

Sunday I was up early so picked up the VLT shawl and managed a whole 8 rows before DH surfaced when we walked the dog and then did some gardening at mums.... Sunday afternoon and I picked up the VLT shawl again and quite by accident found the Knitpicks podcast of which there are 6 episodes available so I started with 1 and am working my way through them again I was amazed by how much I got done and at long last the knitting started to flow with this.... perhaps I should just keep it for weekends rather than trying to fit it in here and there.... I must have enjoyed it as I picked it up again after the 2nd dog walk of the day and again after tea....

Whats more having been up for a couple of hours already have alread done some more :0) but it's dog walking time again and then some errands, Oh well it will give my right wrist a rest....

No piccies of knitting but here's one of Cara our GSD who gets all the walks....

Taken a few years ago, apart from a little grey round the muzzle no different at 8.5 than she was at 2!!!!

Good enough to eat?

This yarn (Sirdar Town & Country 103) was given to me by my secret santa in the last Angel Yarns Forum Springtime swap.... and is aptly named "Chocolate Whirl" have to say the colours do remind you of white & milk chocolate.....

They are going to be a 70th birthday gift for my Godfather.... I'm well in front as I thought his birthday was May and it's really only in August.

So far with the exception of the Trellis scarf (the VLT shawl doesn't count as mum only chose the pattern at Christmas) I am well in front with my knitted gifts this year.... how long it will continue I have no idea!!!