I finally started the VLT shawl....

I promised myself at Easter that I would start my mums birthday shawl (her birthday was January) but I just couldn't bring myself to start then... so I waited knitted my Patons Jet cardigan and suddenly got the urge to knit lace again..... so I set the deadline of Easter (Good Friday to be precise) to have all WIP's with the exception of socks finished so I could start the shawl....

I did it... and I duly started in the afternoon of Good Friday it was a relief and such a pleasure.....

I am doing the Beginner Shawl (the one shown in pink on p56 in VLT, the yarn is 2ply crewel wool from Renaissance Dyeing in colour 1707 Amarante.... I did start off with a 3.25mm Knitpicks circ but then managed to get my hands on an Addi Lace circ, they are absolutley beautiful to use and give you so much control when using fine yarns.....

So this is how far the shawl is now (again I haven't had the urge recently to knit it but hopefully that is going to change this afternoon!!!

So far I am part way through the 2nd repeat of 3 repeats of pattern E.....

Pattern D was a killer I spent a day and a half on-and-off getting a couple of rows right... I'd decided because this was my first attempt at knitting a pattern on all rows that it was going to be 'hard' so I made it hard for myself worrying about it!!!! I was more worried about loosing stitches and not being able to get them back on the needles right I kept messing the pattern up... but that's me all over worry about what might happen rather than wait until it does happen....

Time for an update....

I hang my head in shame that it's nearly a whole month since I last updated my blog.... so for those of you who read my ramblings I appologise because I get frustrated when I read someone elses blog and it's not updated.

I have to admit I just haven't felt like blogging I've sat here fingers poised over the keyboard but just couldn't bring myself to do it... then I read Fiona's blog and how she found that blogging had helped her the other week so you could say she inspired me to put fingers to keyboard, thankyou Fiona.

Well the tank top is finished...... Mmmmm it looks nice, I like the colour (I'm not usually a pink girl) I like the neck & armhole edgings so overall I'm pleased with it, but just not on me. I shortened the length a little so it reaches the top of my jeans and my shirt will stick out below... I looked in the mirror and thought I was at the 'Hall of Mirrors' I felt 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide.... It did make me think it really is time to start that diet!!! so the top is resigned to the drawer for now until I loose some weight, then it will get a reprieve if it doesn't look right then it's going to the charity shop.....

Anyway here's a photo of the offending article....

However, on the plus side it did reduce my stash a little....

On a Mission????

I have been relatively busy these last few days with my knitting..... I was going to post a photo the other day on the progress of the tank (yawn.....) but as I didn't get the chance... I can now post one of the front completed Yeahhhhhhhh. As HelenM commented anything after lace seems well a bit boring & tedious really.....

Anyway the front is finished and I am relatively pleased with it... to me the neckline seems lower than on the photo, but as always I shall reserve judgment until finished..... I am now beginning to wonder how long it's going to take me to knit the neck and armhole bands. Mmmmmm.....

I've also finished a pair of socks too, with which I am well pleased.... I love this pattern and is the 3rd time I have knit it and there will definitely be a 4th & probably a 5th as DH has a ball in various shades of grey & black waiting and I am going to treat myself to the grey & pink version, hopefully.....

Anyway these are for a dear friend's father....

• Lana Grossa Meetings 7770


• 2.5mm Bamboo DPN's

Anyway I have saved the best definitely to last!!!!! A lovely customer/friend went to New Zealand and returned this week with this for me.....

The photo really doesn't do it justice at all... It's a hank (50g / 440m) of Touch Yarns 2ply Wool & Mohair Lace yarn it's so beautiful I just keeps looking at it and touching it.... I thought I was going to have a tough time deciding what to make with it but I decided I think it's destined to become Swallowtail Shawl

What do you think? Any other suggestions?

As I still have a week to Easter I am off to rumage through my stash to find a small project that I can complete in a week to get me to my Easter deadline...

Photos as promised....

As promised here are a couple of photos to keep you up to date....



















The back of my 'Penelope' tank top, I have started the front but I have to say it's a little bit 'dull' to knit after the Forest Canopy shawl but I have two weeks to finish it so hopefully fingers crossed a little bit each day will get it finished....

I have to admit it does look rather 'uninteresting' but I do love the finished article in the book so I will persevere the only thing I am not too chuft about is the fact I have found it difficult to get an even rib; the purl st before the knit sts is somewhat larger than I would like....














My Lang Jawoll socks which are a Christmas gift for someone; I wasn't planning to start my Christmas knitting so soon, it's just well there's too much white for me and my stash of sock yarn has been growing of late so I am not short of yarn for socks that I love....

I always have socks on the go.... it is my knitting for when I can't or don't want to concentrate too hard but still need to keep my hands occupied.... I think that's why I've not had the urge to knit lacey or patterned socks.....

On a roll...

No photos at the moment but promise I will later not that they'll be very exciting.... I do seem to be a on a roll at the moment regarding my knitting though, perhaps it's this Easter deadline & this urge to reduce my stash of projects...

I managed quite easily it turns out to finish the bank of my tank top last night, sufficiently early enough that I finished my 2nd sock I have been knitting in Lang Jawoll, which should have been for me but isn't anymore but thats another story for another post....

An intrim knit or stash reduction????

Well as I finished py Patons Jet cardigan well before my Easter deadline (which is the official starting date for my VLT Sampler shawl) I decided upon another hopefully quick knit in the effort to reduce my stash....

This is RYC Soft Lux in Amethyst which I picked up at the JL sale on Boxing day; now it's not often I find something in a sale that I really like and in the colour I like... that pattern is "Penelope" from the RYC Classic Women booklet; which I also got in the sale :o)

Hopefully tonight will see the back completed and I can cast on for the front tomorrow.....

Excitement

Due to a very kind Angel Yarns forum member Kryptonite Kay in Canada this arrived yesterday morning.....


















I have been desperate to try these Knit Picks classic circs and Options, so when Kay offered to forward them on I nearly bit her hand off.... I was like a little child, feeling how smooth they are, and how pointy the tips are, they are going to be very very nice to knit lace with.... I spent last night playing with them not with any yarn you understand just testing the screwing mechanism and explaining to DH what all the bits did....

I opted for some classic circs, the 3.25mm is for my VLT KAL to be started at Easter, the other two are for knitting socks.... then before I commited to buying a full Options set I bought some tips and cords to try out....