5 down... 2 to go...

That is how many shawls I have not only given as presents in 2009 for special friends with special birthdays but how many times I have spun laceweight and then knitted it up.... and enjoyed every minute of it from drafting and dizing the fibre to spinning, to choosing the pattern and to finally see the recipients face when they open the shawl.....

The final gift of 2009 ws to Christine (a friend / customer) who was 70 on the 11th December. I chose the 'Leaf & Nupp' shawl from Estonian Lace as it just seemed apt for the 'Fern' batts from Enchanted Knoll I spun up.....

Finished Size 18 x 63” blocked

I omitted the nupps to reduce yarn usage and worked 18 repeats of the main pattern. I also omitted the border and opted to just to do an edging at the CO & CO edges.

To work the edges I used the Leaf & nupp Lace Edge in the book, unzipped the cast on stitches and worked the pattern as stated EXCEPT knitting/purling as appropriate one extra stitch at each end of the row to use the 2 extra stitches. I also worked a row 10 as a plain purl row to secure yo’s from row 9 before doing the K2tog cast off.

After completing the 2nd Leaf & Nupp border (cast off edge), I worked the Leaf & Nupp Lace Edge as before.

This may sound a little 'vague' but when I check my ravelry projects I actually completed this shawl back in May!!! yes I worked all the shawls out of sequence just to add something to the mix and make life interesting or difficult... no really just to break all the 'green' spinning and knitting up.....

Next on the needles after Christmas is this - 'Chai' from Enchanted Knoll and this will become a Swallowtail for those who are counting this will be my 6th! a pattern I never tire off and IMHO is a classic... This will be ready for on or about the 24th January when my mum turns 80....

and for the fibre addicts among you this is how it stated out in life...... I can't speak highly enough of EK's batts....

I will just take this opportunity to wish everyone a festive Christmas and Happy New Year...

Yes I'm a Bad Blogger....

OK, I'm a bad blogger I know... but look at it this way I've some nice photos to show you of a couple of shawls which were spun and knit for two dear friends for their 40th and 60th birthdays at the beginning of November.... which I hasten to add was part of the reason for no posts as I couldn't post as they read my blog... yes Fleegle when I get round to writing it!!!

Anyway spun from 'Black Magic Woman' Batts from Enchanted Knoll - Baltic Blossoms by Evelyn Clark for Anita who was 40 on the 8th November....

Plenty of gratuitous close ups for those who like to study detail.... and I actually do like the close ups of these as I've managed to capture all the little glints for all the different colours of the sari silk and Angelina Josette puts into these batts :o)

I worked it as for the larger size, but worked 1 extra repeat (14 total) of the petal lace, followed by chart 3, 1 extra time to make the st count correct to begin chart 4A (petal lace could also have been worked 15 times before chart 3 to give correct st count for chart 4A). I also omitted the ‘centre’ stitches from the final edging chart.

It used about 618m of yarn in the end ......

Blocked Size: 86” x 34” at spine

For Anita's Mum, Kath who was 60 on the 1st of November - Aeolian by Elizabeth Freeman

This was knit from handspun yarn, spun from Batts made by Natalie of The Yarn Yard, unfortunately the photos don't do the subtle shading of all the shades of green she dyed and then blended to make these batts....

The Shawl used 94.6g of yarn and came out at:
Blocked Size: 80” across top x 39” at spine

I didn't decide to add beads as I was running short on time to knit this up but worked the 9 stitch Nupp throughout the body of the shawl until the Edge Chart.

I worked the 12 repeats of the Yucca Lace then the Transition Chart Agave Chart, Final Agave Chart and 1 Edge Chart were I changed to 7st Nupps. I cast off using the standard cast off you find on a lot of lace shawls to add 'give' to the edge, but I used the yarn doubled to allow for more 'give'.

Now I have another shawl to show you but the recipient won't get that until tomorrow when she is 70! but I promise I will try to post next week....

Other than that I have been busy crocheting and sock knitting with the odd hat thrown in for Christmas presents. I'm also part way through spinning more Enchanted Knoll Batts - 'Chai' for my next lace shawl which I think will be Swallowtail (for the 6th time) due for mum's 80th on the 24th January..... then one more for 6 weeks after that for another 80th and then my run of lace spinning & knitting has ended and I will have spun & knit 7 lace shawls in 12 months!!!