Celtic Scarf in Bright Blue

 Here is more of that Amazing Lace yarn in Cobalt Blue. It is a celtic knot pattern so I have to mark every row as I go along. (And yes, I have yet to block it)  I have two more scarves in this lace in red and purple. The purple is almost done, so you will probably see it very soon.

Turning over a new leaf

 I made this shawl for a friend's wedding last summer. I started it before the lockdown so she didn't have the big wedding she planned. However, this shawl was there and that it going to have to be enough.

Today the shawls --

I love shawls and I love to knit shawls. So I thought I would post some of my completed shawls today:

My Passion -- Lace Knitting

I get most of my knitting books at the library. Our local library carries just about every new knitting book and even though I might have to wait a few weeks to get my turn at it, I get three luscious weeks to explore the patterns in the book. So when I saw a new book entitled "New Vintage Lace," I put a hold on it, and checked my email every day to see if it was my turn.

So when I got the book, I looked at it for one day and then took it back to the library. That's because I went to my local yarn store and purchased it. There were just too many patterns in the book that I have  to make that three weeks just wanted enough time. It is a very worthwhile purchase.

My first project was a shawlette called the Blue Dahlia. I made it without the beads in a wonderful alpaca lace yarn. It is one of those patterns you have to follow every row practically stitch by stitch, and mark the row when you finish (I use a sticky note).

So I spend an entire week in my easy chair, enjoying the air-conditioning, and worked on my bright blue shawl. I didn't even want to stop to eat or sleep, it was so much fun.

So come, on cold weather! I want to wear my scarf to work and be the height of fashion!


Until then, back to the needles.

Newly Anointed Shawl

I just finished blocking this lace shawl in a creamy light lavender color alpaca yarn. I laid it out to take a picture and then went in search of my camera. When I came back, the shawl was newly anointed with black cat hair.

Yes, my shedding little Neko decided this shawl was the perfect place to rid himself of his winter coat. When I asked him why he was on my shawl, he told me (in cat language) that black is the most ideal contrast to lavender. Not only does he make his presence known on the shawl, but he has to rub his fur into the lace as well. Beside, he said (once again in cat language), the black fur accents will then match everything else in my wardrobe. At least he didn't use his claws to see how fine the yarn is. That's only because his claws have been recently trimmed.

I will now spend the next few minutes removing fine black hairs from my new shawl. Oh, the price I pay to be both a cat owner and a knitter!

Back to the needles.

Heaven, I'm in Heaven!

Knitting on the Train

I have been at my job for a week now, and just in case you are wondering, it is going very, very well. I could tell you all about my job, but that would not be a good idea. I could also tell you that my work is very secretive and involves national security, but that wouldn't be true. I could tell you that I am working with highly sensitive materials that could cause world-wide destruction, but that also wouldn't be true. The truth is that my job is very routine, working in a small law office. Unless I tell you something really, really exciting about my job, just assume that it is rather boring to write about.

One of the pleasures of my new job is that I am riding the Light Rail into downtown Denver. For a city in the middle of the country, Denver has a wonderful transit system, especially if you work downtown. I am able to get on a train and less than 35 minutes later, I get off the train, walk two blocks and I am at work. I get to spend that time reading, listening to the radio, and knitting whizzing by the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the street next to me. 

In the short week I have been riding, I have discovered if you want people to talk to you on the train, knit. On nearly every ride to and from, the person sitting across from me has mentioned my knitting. 

• If the passenger is a woman, she first tells me she likes the colors (I am still working on my yellow, orange and pink shawl shawl) or asks what I am making. If she is knitter, she tells me what she is working on, or that she wants to get back into knitting, or where do I buy my yarn. If she is not a knitter, she always says she wishes she knew how or is intended to learn soon. 
• If the passenger is a man, he says his wife, his mother, or his grandmother is a knitter.  They go on to describe the hat, the afghan, the scarf, or the sweater she made for him. You can tell by his face that his memory of his mom or grandma is especially sweet. Maybe that's part of the gift of knitting.

I have always encouraged knitters to KIP (Knit in Public), not just to bring more visibility of knitting, but also to enhance the magic of knitting. I see a lot of people watching me as I knit. It's the same view out the windows every day, changed only the rain, snow or sunshine of the seasons, so I find eyes resting on my hands as I run the changing colors of my self-striping yarn through my fingers and looping around my needles. 

I have also learned that if I don't want to talk to anyone, read a book.

More Lace!! It's Taking Over!

Lace reminds me of clouds!

I am still on my lace kick, making two shawls at the same time. The colors of these yarns are striking so it is very fun to knit. The colors change as you knit; one is lavender, pink, and light blue; the other is pink, orange and yellow. It's a basic and simple lace but it makes a wonderful fabric that looks a lot difficult that it is. It is just stockinette with every other knit row of yarn over and knit two together.  You also increase four stitches with every knit row.  I'll write up the pattern once I am done with one of the shawls and have blocked it.

It's a great pattern for travelling because it is simple and elegant. I use circular needles because then I always have all my needles without checking. More than once I have thrown a project in my knitting bag, only to find out later that I either forgot to pack to the second needle, or I lost it somewhere along the way.

Not that I am getting to travel much these days. Still looking for work, so I am getting a lot of knitting done. Seems like when I have time to travel, I don't have the money, and when I have the money, I don't have the time. I spend a couple of hours each day checking the ads online and applying to jobs while trying to 'hide' my age so they will at least take a look at my qualifications first.Then I spend the rest of the day knitting Alas.

The yellow strip is coming up next on the pink shawl.

Lace is my True Love

If I had to choose only type of knitting, it would lace. I love lace in extra fine wool yarn all the way up to bulky. I am especially fond of self-striping yarn. I am okay with variegate yarn, but I love the change of the yarn as I knit along. As I am working on one color, I so look forward to the next one. The purple shawl in this picture is different shades of the same color, but I love then the colors change completely like they do in this scarf.

I designed the yellow and pink scarf design, but I haven't written up the pattern yet. I guess I should put that on my "to do" list.

Meanwhile, I am making another shawlette in shades of lavender and blue. I better get back to my needles since I have time today to work on it.

Back to the needles.

Fluffy Scarves

Just a quick note about me.  I hope this doesn't change your opinion of me but I don't read romance novels. I never cared much for Jane Austen or Wuthering Heights and I have maybe read four modern romance novels in my life. I prefer murder mysteries. If someone doesn't die in the first 20 pages, I go on to the next book. My threshold used to be death within 30 pages, but I'm older now -- I have less patience with normal life in my books and there are still too many books to read.

That being said, I absolutely love the new series of knitting magazines Jane Austen Knits.  I am saying a series because there are two magazines so far, and I hope they keep them coming. The patterns are lacy and airy and the yarns used are more delicate. The lavender scarf is make with an alpaca lace yarn and the orange and red one is a worsted in a self-striping yarn. Both are using the pattern displayed on the cover. The pattern uses short rows to create the ruffles and flow, and it is very fun to knit. It is also an easy travel project because it is quick to memorize. It's also impressive as the scarf gives longer and longer and you have a cloud of fluffy yarn in your lap. I have both issues of Jane Austin Knit, and have ear-marked at least six projects in each magazine.

So here's to lacy and romantic knitting. I've had my real life Mr. Darcy for 31 years so maybe that's the romance on my needles is more appealing. Back to the needles.

Every Lacy Shawl Needs a Little Cat Hair

Yes, that dark spot in the lower right is Neko,
checking out the best spot to shed his fur.

I made this shawl about a year ago and never got around to blocking it until now. As I was going through some yarn in my craft room, I ran across it. Seemed like as good a time as any to finish it. This yarn is Alpaca Lace in a light lavender. The pattern is in the Victorian Lace book -- I think. Like I said, it's been over a year since I finished the knitting part of it.

And with all blocking projects, Neko has to lay stake and claim to it. Now it is a hot day, and the dampness of shawl from the blocking process has to be appealing. But it won't matter if the shawl was wet and damp, or pre-heated and toasty. He would still have to lay on it.  

It could also be the appeal of the vortex. The lavender against the navy blue carpet is very striking and the swirls center the energy down. 

Neko is using the vortex to travel to another dimension by way of a lavender highway where there are no yapping dogs or other cats to annoy him, nothing but tuna treats in the food dish, cream cheese whenever he wants it, a sunny spot to nap filled with the essence of catnip, and he could finally do outside.

Neko is still there in this lavender dream world. I can't pull up the pins until he is done or he may not make it back. Hopefully. he will be back by breakfast. 

Remember, cats are magical creatures. 

What I Did on Summer Vacation

These are my adorable sweet sons, Lorne and Dane.
They reluctantly allowed me to take pictures
of them with their hats.

One last note about our trip to Canada. When I not driving or sleeping during the car trip, I was knitting. I finished the watch hats for my sons and hubby, all three made out of an ulta-soft alpaca yarn that is very warm.

I also made two shawls  although I didn't finish the blue one until I got home. They are made from three skeins of Mini Mochi, and I only had two skeins of the blue.  When I got home, I went to my local yarn store to see if they had another skein, only to find out that these colors have been discontinued. I searched the web and finally found some. Whew! I really love the blue and purple colors, so I would have been disappointed if I couldn't finish it.  I will probably offer the rainbow one at my church auction this fall.

The pattern is Wingspan, and can be found on Ravelry. It is very, very addictive, especially if you like doing short rows. There is an array of yarns making this pattern so the variations are endless. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wingspan-2