VLT Sampler Shawl Progress

I felt so guilty after telling / showing mum that I had finished the Swallowtail & started my 2nd small, lacey project that it made me pick up the sampler shawl last night and I managed to work a full repeat of pattern G (14 rows). I really don't know what it is about this shawl that I can't get to grips with it. I don't dislike it but don't love it but once I start on it I enjoy knitting it... it's just getting round to picking up the needles... perhaps because there is no urgency for it....

Anyway as there are so many patterns in this shawl I've taken a progress photo and labeled the patterns so at least it will make some sense of what I'm talking about.... I hope!!!

and here are a few close ups of the patterns.....

Patterns: B, C & D (from bottom to top)

Patterns: D, E & D (from bottom to top)

Patterns: D, C, F & G (from bottom to top)

Final Swallowtail Photos...

Here are the after blocking photos and some of the lace patterns up close & personal.... I have been asked a few times if I would do another and the answer is most undoubtedly... YES!




Close-up of the "tail" with both Lily of the Border patterns

close-up of all 3 patterns

close-up of the Budding lace pattern

The close-ups show the true colour of the shawl......

Swallowtail - Lily Pond to Fruits of the Forest

Well I seem to be on a roll this bank holiday weekend...... not only did I finish the Kermit socks on Saturday I finished my Swallowtail on Sunday night.... after an hour of casting off 323 stitches.....

As you may recall I was not happy with the colour I had dyed my lace yarn, lovely colours but far too busy for a lace pattern..... so I resigned myself that once complete I would overdye it a more suitable colour......

So it went from this....

to this...


then to this...
you can instantly see the lace pattern now that myriad of colours has gone....

and finally to the blocking....


I will take some after blocking photographs later once the shawl has dried and if it's not raining drape them artistically in my mum's garden & take some close ups of the lace....

I'm really thrilled with the whole thing, especially the colour I really don't want to part with it now.... but it will be going to a very good home were I know it will be a very much appreciated birthday gift so it makes everything worth while....

Kermit Socks!!!

Am really pleased with these.... just a shame I have to give them away as I love the colours... Just really pleased have managed to turn a 'socially unacceptable' ball of Opal Yellow Prisma into a pair of socks that a lot of people are coveting.....

My friend Ani who had a ball of this incorportaed her Yellow Prisma in with plain black to tone it down as it was even too bright for her.... so I kindly offered to overdye her ball so she could knit herself a pair of socks she could wear!!!! Needless to say she jumped at the chance.....

Practise makes perfect....

Well I almost finished the 2nd Lily of the Valley border yesterday... almost.... until I started on the 9th row and found that two rows previously I had somehow got my Nupps in the wrong place... my lifeline was 8 rows back at the end of Lily border 1 so I frogged and am ready to go again....

Oh well, practise makes perfect as they say!!!

Nupps, Nupps & More Nupps...

The Swallowtail shawl is progressing nicely albeit slowly due to the increasing number of stitches, think I'm up to about 223 now and just completed two rows of Lily Border 2.... and the Nupps just keep coming..... BUT they are getting easier.....

I was routing about on the net the other evening when I came across Fleegle's Blog and there I found a tutorial on making Nupps with nice clear photo's.... I wouldn't say I'm finding them easy but they are getting easier to do..... still can't seem to stretch the yarn out enough but I am getting some nice little 'blobs' and the stitches are easier to purl..... Oh well I've still got a few more rows to practise....

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!!!