Ribbit... Ribbit...

One Kermit sock is complete and have cast on for the 2nd so there is hope for BIL getting his socks for the 6th June, not that I feel he really deserves them still... All I can say is it's just as well they're too large for me or they wouldn't be going anywhere!!!

Done a little more on the Swallowtail shawl and managed a whole 20 rows on the VLT shawl yesterday. I've got a little more enthusiastic about it again, so I think I shall do some more this afternoon, well it's my day off after all!!!

Sock Progress

Well I finally finished DH's Acapulco socks.... after suddenly realising that I said I would knit a pair for his brother's birthday (6th June) so I pulled my finger out and decided I'd better finish the Acapulco pair.....

The Chocolate Swirl pair are on the home run now, just the foot of the 2nd sock to do but they are not needed until August so not as much urgency, just as well as these are my "work socks"; ie they only get knitted during work hours, SnB group that sort of thing....

Anyway back to the BIL socks!!! I was going to use Opal Rainforest Bumblee Bee, but as he was too busy to sort anything out for my birthday I didn't feel like using one of my better balls of sock yarn out of the stash; yes I know that's mean but I was feeling peevish, still am truth be known and I will at least have the satisfaction of knowing he is wearing a pair of socks that no-one else wanted the Opal Yellow Prisma!!!!!!! However I can't be that peevish (conscience will not allow and it makes me feel guilty) so I over-dyed the yarn with Lime Green Acid dye..... I have to say I really like it now, so that plan backfired on me, serves me right! So I have nick named them "Kermit" socks for very obvious reasons.....

Heartland Shawl by Evelyn A Clark

Here you go finally photos of my birthday gift I treated myself to... It's the Heartland Shawl Kit designed by Evelyn A Clark for the first Wild Fibers Magazine with which she won 1st prize. The yarn is American Buffalo 2ply yarn (100%) which I purchased from Sharon (who couldn't have been more helpful) at Loom n Essence.






I'm really looking forward to doing this shawl. I love Evelyn Clark's designs, she's one talented lady. The yarn is soooo soft and a beautiful chocolate brown colour. The pattern is called "Bison Tracks Lace" meant to symbolize the Bison tracks and the edging is called "River of Life"

My Birthday Present came!!!!

I posted a week or so ago that I had spent my birthday money from my friend and posted some little tantalizing photos of what it might be.... well it just came, it's beautiful, I will take photos later and post regardless to say it looks like a big Quality Street Toffee

Trellis Scarf

Here you are as promised photo's of the finished scarf... I would definitely do this one again it's very simple but very effective.......

Whilst blocking

Close up of pattern

My attempts at artistic photography!!!!

Draped pver the Ceanthus bush & Montana Clematis....

I have also started my Swallowtail from Fall 2006 of IK. I have dyed the yarn myself. While I like the colours I don't think it works well for lace, so when the shawl is finished I will over-dye it with pink to give different shades of pink.......

What have I bought now?

It was my birthday a few weeks ago and I was given some money by a friend. I wanted to buy something special that I could turn round and say when asked ".... bought me this for my birthday" plus I knew the money would just dwindle away in my account on the odd yarn here and there etc... and wouldn't have anything to show for the money so after days of uming and ahing I plunged yesterday.....

Here are some photos to keep you guessing what I bought......



The Trellis scarf is finished & blocked and am really pleased with but pictures tomorrow....

I also dyed the yarn for the Swallowtail and that is wound into a ball and ready to go, in fact I'm off to start that now....

Trellis Work...

Well I've not been idle over the last few days.... and I actually managed to get ahead...

I decided a few weeks back that I would knit a lace scarf for my friend Carol's birthday on the 7th May. I found the pattern and then found the yarn from my stash. I then worked out I needed to do 1 16 row repeat every day (pattern required 23 repeats + end patterns), if it was going to be finished in time for her birthday.... nothing like setting myself a target!

Some days I managed to get in front of myself by a couple of days but then didn't knit for a couple of days. Anyway I decided a concerted effort was needed and I duly finished this morning and here it is, two days ahead of schedule....

I will block it tomorrow and post the post-blocking photos on Sunday.....

It's a beautiful pattern, very simple, although two of the rows do have the sequence:

yo, K7tog, leave sts on LH needle, yo, K7tog, leave sts on LH
needle, yo, K7tog

to reduce 7 sts to 5, this did slow me down a bit at first, but after awhile they became a lot quicker to work.... and I have to say I didn't get bored with it....

Pattern: Interweave Spring 2006

Yarn: Bought from the Ukraine off Ebay (50% Wool & 50% Acrylic) - Pistachio

Next small lace project is Swallowtail from Interweave Fall 2006 for my friend Monica's birthday at the end of June.... I've dyed the yarn myself in colours I like to think of as "Lily Pond" (photos soon). The base yarn again is off ebay from Yarn Treehouse, however, I've doubled this yarn up to getthe right guage