Have finished the front and part of the back.

I’m posting this in progress as I wanted to show a colour modification I made within the front of the top:

I’m not sure how clearly it comes out in the photos. However, I reversed the colour patterning midway through the top, so that colour A (brown) became colour B (teal) and vice versa. This was borne out of practical necessity because otherwise I was going to end up running out of the brown!

Partway through the back as well, which introduces colour D (the mystery colour).

I’m really enjoying knitting this one. The various patterns will keep it from becoming boring, I think!

…because I detest the term “yarn pron” (although really and truly that’s what this is if I take a good hard look in the mirror!)

1. Lace Silk

I, Kristina “I will never, never, ever, and I mean NEVER knit lace” B, have just acquired … get this … a skein of Handmaiden Lace Silk and TWO sets of Addi Lace needles.

The yarn looks to be in the Origin colourway although I can’t always tell.

2. Silken and… Beads!

My beads arrived today from Earthfaire much quicker than I thought they would – thanks, Ellen for the great service. Aren’t they lovely! I’m hoping to use knitting with beads as my September challenge for the Do Something New KAL… that is, if the blogmistress Tina will let me deviate from my original September challenge (learning to knit cables without a cable needle)! I’m so fickle. Either way, I plan to make the River Rock scarf by Sivia Harding in the No Sheep For You book.

Here is another container of beads I bought from Earthfaire and I like them ever better in person than I did on the website.

I’m thinking they will look very nice on the fringe for my Montego Bay scarf (says She Who Used to Detest Fringe). Fickle AND inconsistent. Hmm.

3. Sea Silk

This has been in the stash for some time now (if one can count a couple of months as “some time” in the parallel yarn universe). It is in the Ocean colourway (I think). I had originally intended to knit the Goddess top from Stitch Diva with it. However, I’ve gone off that idea and will probably make something lacy with it instead. I’m really far gone on the lace path, I think.

4. vintage Coats Crochet Cotton

I came across this when trying to impose some order on the stash. It was rescued from my yiayia’s (grandmother’s) house some time back – I originally intended to use it in needlework but am not doing any at present. It is extremely fine gauge and I don’t know whether I can use it for lace or not, but will have to find something to do with it just because I love the colour.

And then there’s all that Super 10… sigh. Far too many projects and too little time, methinks. Maybe my 6/49 numbers came up on Saturday… ?

Not one, but two new lace scarves!!!

1. Victorian Lace Today – p.80 Scarf with Striped Border

Specs:

Pattern: Victorian Lace Today, p. 80
Dimensions: 6″ W by 62″ L
Yarn: Handmaiden Sea Silk – about 3/4 of one skein
Needles: 4.5 mm Addi Turbo
Start Date: Wednesday 5 September
Finish Date: Saturday 8 September
Intended recipient: my mother

Notes: I really enjoyed working on this pattern. I did however make a mistake when putting on the second border, and by the time I noticed it had woven in the ends… but it still looks nice to me! I would never have thought I’d get into lace knitting – but it is very satisfying.

I went with the pattern as written except that it is a bit less wide and quite a bit shorter (to modify the width, I went with the instructions in the pattern to reduce by 12 sts).

2. Three in One Aztec Sash





Specs:

Pattern: Lacy Little Knits
Yarn: J&P Coats Mercer-Crochet Blue Label, approx 200 yards (vintage crochet cotton)
Dimensions: 3 1/2″ W by 40″ long, approx.
Start Date: Saturday 8 September
Finish Date: Sunday 9 September
Intended Recipient: my mother

Notes:

Now I can do elongated stitches!!! I had only one 100 yd skein of each colour used here, hence the two colours in the pattern. The yarn was rescued from my grandmother’s house some time back – I initially intended to use it for needlepoint.

This pattern was quick and quite easy to knit, although I got a tad bored with it by the end.

The book shows it being used as a headband, although I can’t really model it like that as my hair is not long enough. I’m hoping my mother will use it that way, but I think it will also make a cute scarf.

I think I am becoming addicted to lace. I have 5 balls of the Coats crochet cotton in red as well, so who knows what might come next… ?

… and hopefully I’ll meet the deadline for gifting (tomorrow) as it’s currently blocking.

One booboo… er, design feature, in the knitting (I messed up the edge but I think blocking will cure it).

I have fallen in love with the Victorian Knits Today book. So, I guess this will mean yet another expensive habit… sea silk and Addi Lace needles! SIGH.

More pics tomorrow when it’s blocked. Now onto a lace sash from Lacy Little Knits… and then back to the Intoxicating!

…who gets to spend quality time with my latest knit while I’m slaving away over a pile of books and a hot computer at WORK. Grr…

Just kidding. Really. But I do wish that I could teach the duckie to knit!

This is a pattern from Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby (the Scarf with the Striped Border at page 80, i.e. the easiest pattern in the book). So far so good, despite the fact that I had to frog everything that I did on the TTC this morning because I got overzealous with the YOs (and I’m shocked at the fact that I could actually look forward to anything involving YOs, quite frankly).

Yarn is Handmaiden Sea Silk (what else)?

This is the knitted border:

And here is the centre of the scarf:

Please wish me luck as my deadline for completion is Sunday at 10:00am approx. I started last evening. SIGH.

The latest WIP… Intoxicating by Kristi Porter in the No Sheep For You book. Uncharacteristically (for me) more muted than the original, inspired by some lovely yarns sent to me in a swap (as a “bonus” for my birthday!) by Stitch-ay Woman (Natalie):

SWTC Bamboo

SWTC Oasis (100% soysilk)

The white yarn in the photo is Handmaiden Sea Silk, natural colour, from the stash. There will also be a secret colour, which shall remain undisplayed until the top is finished.

Really enjoying this knit so far. I must confess I didn’t swatch… but so far so good (and hopefully the Tension Sample Goddess is not about to throw some lightning bolts…! I really don’t like the smell of burning yarn [don’t ask!])

While ruminating on to sew or not to sew (see “party frock” post below), I managed to whip up another top! I reckoned that anything made with a Handmaiden yarn couldn’t go wrong… and I was right!

Specs:

Yarn: Handmaiden Silk Spun (100% silk), 1 skein each of two similar shades
Needles: 5.5 mm Clover Bamboo
Pattern: “Gaia” by Haley Waxberg of Knitomatic. (available with purchase of the yarn)
Start Date: 2 September 2007
Finish Date: 3 September 2007

Check out the lovely colours!



Notes:
– this was a very quick knit and the yarn (not surprisingly) feels great to work with
– the pattern is one-size. I made some slight mods to shorten the body and worked on smaller needles than called for. I also added some decreases in the front and back to narrow the waist.
– I think this will make a lovely vest in wintertime in addition to a “fair weather top” (but hopefully not a fair weather friend…!)

I have decided that this outfit deserves the title of “frock”… it does have that look to it, especially when paired with my fuschia cowboy boots:

Despite the encouragement of others, I decided not to sew these two pieces together at this point. Official reasons: the skirt is a bit large on me, I’m looking for a complementary colour, etc. etc. Real reason: scared of sewing. So, will ask my mother to show me how to do this next time I visit her….

In the meantime, check out the fab colours! I am now a convert to Cascade Fixation, I must say.

Specs:

Yarn: Cascade Fixation (cotton/elastic) – 4 skeins of the multi, one (only a little bit used) of black.
Needles: Addi Turbos: 4, 4.5 and 5mm

Pattern: adapted from two patterns by Joan McGowan-Michael in Knitting, Lingerie-Style – Party Dress with Knit Bodice and Racerback Tank with Mesh Sides
Model: Aphrodite
Start Date: 30 August 2007
Finish Date: 2 September 2007

Notes:
– absolutely loved the yarn (had not been so enamoured of it when trying out the leggings from the same book first… but the pattern was great and I guess it just took a bit of getting used to.
– the bodice pattern is excellent although I had to do quite a few mods given that the yarn called for was very different than that I used.

I’m not modelling this as yet as I’d like to wear it for a party I’m co-hosting a couple of weekends from now and prefer the element of surprise. However, I must say that I feel quite Mae West-like with it on. 😉

Now I’m just trying to figure out why Aphrodite looks skinnier than me although we have the same measurements now (I binge fed her over the weekend…).

And… ahead is the hard part – sewing the skirt on (it might help if I could figure out how to operate the mini sewing machine my mother gave me years ago!). This I think I will leave until tomorrow, the aptly named “Labour Day”. 😉

Stay tuned for the FO – I am determined not to let this beauty languish like the two bags in my spare room which still await sewing up after … well, after a long time, let’s just put it that way.

I’m taking a break from my latest project to reflect on the loveliness of summer long weekends in Toronto. We have not hit the roads like many of our friends because it’s quite lovely sitting here on the balcony and enjoying favourite pastimes: JJ reading the weekend papers, me knitting… after a leisurely morning, a trip to Crappy Tire, and lunch at my favourite local italian eatery, the Eden.

Anyway, here is the WIP, started yesterday, together with my first mosaic project and my beverage of choice:

The WIP is going swimmingly. It is displayed here on the non-public side, with the public side peeking out. It will be a bodice for a dress, based on the Dress with Knit Bodice in the Knitting Lingerie-Style book. I’m making a lot of changes (some perhaps misguided… I’m not sure it will fit, and perhaps I’ve been overly confident about the stretch properties of the Cascade Fixation (which I am very much enjoying). By tomorrow, if all goes well, I’ll have the answer to this question. 😉

And, it’s simple enough to knit while drinking Keith’s IPA! What more could someone ask for in a long weekend pattern?

Happy Labour(less) Day to all. I won’t be watching the telethon (if it’s still being aired, that is…)