Lace Leaf Shawl and Other Updates

January 4, 2007 at 3:34 pm (FO, knitting, oliver, Work in Progress)

 

Pattern: Lace Leaf Shawl, Evelyn A. Clark
Source: Fibertrends
Materials: Karabella Breeze (60% Silk, 40% Cashmere) in #34, 2.5 skeins; Clover Bamboo 29″ Circs, Size 8
Started: December 14, 2006
Completed: December 26, 2006
Size: 56″ x 24″
Modifications: I knitted this on Size 8s rather than the 9s the pattern suggested for DK weight yarn, mostly as a result of that change I ended up adding another 3 pattern repeats to total 10.

This was a lot easier to memorize than the Flower Basket Shawl, and the results are really beautiful. I loved knitting this. The yarn is wonderful, of course, look at its content! I bought it this summer with anniversary-present money at a wonderful yarn shop near my in-laws’ house in Georgia. If you’re ever in Woodstock, Ga., make sure to check out The Whole Nine Yarns. It has a wonderful selection of yarns in a nice, airy space and the staff was incredibly warm—I was even invited to a knit night while I was there! The color is a bit more Mallard Blue than in the picture and it goes perfectly with my winter coat. It has been my scarf of choice for near a week. Here’s a close up of the stitch pattern:

I got a lot of knitting done over the Christmas holiday. I finished one Log Cabin Sock, and then promptly took a hiatus from knitting the other one because knitting bulky weight yarn on Size 5 DPNs was killing my hands! I also cast on for the Hourglass Pullover from Last MInute Knitted Gifts in Cashmerino Aran. Knitting this has been a balm for me during the stressful last two weeks and I’ve just about finished the body. I think I’m really going to like this one.

I’ve also decided to frog my Sesame, which I had started in Knitpicks Main Line. I ordered 14 skeins a while ago when Knitpicks had a big sale and I thought it was a perfect match for the pattern. Well it was, except for the fact that I don’t have nearly enough yarn. I’ve used almost 8 skeins on just the back. Sigh… I will eventually knit this, although maybe in a wool yarn like Paton’s Classic Merino or Elann’s Pure Alpaca? We’ll see. I’m just not a big fan of cotton sweaters. I’ll probably use the Main Line on a Green Gable.

Thank you all so much for your kind comments on my Oliver. He is doing much, much better. His back is healing up nicely and he’s finally starting to act like himself again. He’s still under constant supervision though; if you look away for a second he’ll scratch or lick at his back. Poor guy, every time he wakes up it’s like he’s re-realizing that his back is incredibly itchy. We have him sleeping in a A-Shirt (you know, the “wife beaters”) which he doesn’t love but we figure it’s better than the cone! He looks very funny in it 🙂 I still can’t believe we almost lost him—if we hadn’t rushed him to the emergency vet in the middle of the night he may not have made it. Very scary. And such a freak thing. Contaminated shampoo? Who’s ever heard of that happening? Crazy.

So now that I’m back among the normal functioning people in this world I’ll be certain to respond to comments and leave some as well . . .

 Happy New Year!