Pat's Knitting and Quilting
September 30, 2006 The Trellis Scarf is finished! The Alpaca Cloud makes it so soft , light and delicate. This was not my favorite lace knitting experience despite the fact that I like the outcome. I love the Alpaca Cloud, but it is VERY slippery which caused some mistakes including an unraveling experience the completely freaked me out (pretty well fixed with a tiny crochet hook and alot of patience). Others have not been happy with the asymmetrical ends to this scarf, but I like them. Just enough difference so that it's obvious they are not supposed to be the same, but similar enough to compliment each other.
This was the September/October project for the Evelyn A. Clark KAL . Since I got done with this a bit early, I decided that I could join one more KAL this fall. I have to give myself KAL rules or I would join every one of them! SO to give me the push and incentive that I need to finish my Must Have Cardigan, I have joined the Fall Cable KAL.  There is some beautiful cable knitting going on over there! Now off to start those Rainbow Mittens.....September 26, 2006 I was going to make myself wait to start my Warm Hands KAL project until after I completed something else - ANYTHING! But I just can't wait - the beautiful colors are calling to me way too loudly....
Shelridge Farms DK Wool - so bright and beautiful ! I am making Lucy Neatby's Rainbow Mittens - Don't they look fun? I will try using 2 circular Denise needles since I hate double points. I am REALLY going to try and wait to start these mittens until I finish either the Trellis Scarf or the Friday Harbor socks, but I'm not promising.....
I'm adding I just can't add another project at the moment. The reason for that is that I have just started homeschooling my 2 youngest boys who are 8 and 10(check out the knife through Connor's head - he is anxiously awaiting Halloween) This has DRAMATICALLY cut into my knitting time! The older kids are 21 and 25 thank goodness. September 23, 2006 I'm making hats for everyone in the family (well at least the ones still at home) with my very simple hat pattern....(Cast 80-90 stitches on 16" circular needles, knit until long enough, K2tog around the whole thing 3 times, pull yarn through remaining stitches, DONE!)
Now I just have Dave's to make and he already picked out the yarn - a beautiful natural "oatmeal " merino wool. We will all have warm heads this summer! Progress on Trellis Scarf...19 repeats done
September 18, 2006 My mindless knitting socks are done. I always have at least one pair of these basic socks going. This Regia Silk is a soft, squishy wonderful yarn with a slight sheen. At the time I bought it, this was the only color choice available - a little wild, but fun!
Pattern: my own basic sock pattern
Current WIP (mostly to remind myself!) September 14, 2006 Last fall I started Paton's Must Have Cardigan (3rd picture down on the left)and never quite got around to finishing it. Here it is as it stands right now...
With all this recent lace knitting going on, I have gotten an urge to have some nice wooly worsted yarn between my fingers so wonderful Briggs and Little Regal in the beautiful heathered "Fundy Fog" colorway fits the bill. This yarn has been in my stash since 1987 - Now that's plenty of time to marinate - don't you think??? This yarn is oily, crunchy and has bits of hay in it - I LOVE IT!! I am using US 7 Denise needles and am making Size Small - finishes at 37" . I have finished both sleeves (done 2 at a time) up to top shaping; left and right front (also done together) with part of armholes completed (I haven't figured out how deep I'm making them yet) and I am part way up the back. Now I have to finish it - no excuse! It is fall here in MA and it will soon be perfect weather for this sweater. A close up ......
September 11, 2006
The Trellis Scarf continues....
I have completed close to 10 repeats of the lace pattern and it is beautiful . Those little 7 into 5 clusters are frustrating at times, but I have finally found the almost perfect needles - after several alternatives I have settled on Brittany Birch 3.5mm. The wood is just sticky enough to catch the slippery Alpaca Cloud and pull it through those K 7 tog stitches. The only improvement - of course - would be pointier tips! It is well worth the effort though - the little crossovers created with this stitch are beautiful. The close-up is not really too good - Dave is stretching it out for me while I take the picture. I'll have to wait for the blocking to see the pattern well, but you can get the idea. September 9, 2006
September 7,2006 The beautiful lace "Unst" socks are the project for the August/September Knitting on the Road KAL and my 1st September sock for Sock- a -Month 2. I followed Nancy Bush's pattern exactly as written and love them. I used Elann's Essential 4 ply wool in a lovely cranberry color. The yarn is rather stiff and crinkly to knit with, but suprisingly the socks are quite soft and comfy. It is difficult to see the columns and arches lace pattern in these pictures, but it is pretty!
September 5, 2006 On to the Trellis Scarf After completing the Estonian Garden Wrap, I luckily found the Evelyn A. Clark KAL and joined. They had just decided to make the Trellis Scarf from Interweave Knits Spring 2006 for the September/October project.....I have jumped right in! I already have some KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud in Iris colorway and am ready to go....
September 3, 2006 Estonian Garden Wrap is Done This is the most beautiful shawl I have made - and what a pleasure to make! I started with a provisional cast on for symetrical edgings. It was an easily memorized traditional Estonian lace pattern. The 5 stitch nupps on the lily of the valley border were a little slow, but definitely worth the time and effort! It feels so elegant, soft, light and airy yet warm. (be sure to click on image for a CLOSER look)
Here are a few boring blocking pictures for anyone that might be interested.......
September 1, 2006 It's time for a quilting post. I am heavily into knitting right now, but always have a quilt or 2 in progress. Right now I am FINALLY completing a hand quilted 1930s reproduction fabric lap quilt. The pattern is from a June 2001 McCalls's Quilting magazine and was designed by Darlene Zimmerman. It is a nice big lap quilt at 60" X 60". After amassing the reproduction fabric for this quilt, I promptly decided that I needed REAL feedsack fabric from the 30s and now have a big box of real feedsacks - have not made anything with them yet, but SOMEDAY.....
Right now as you can see in the third VERY PINK photo, I am sewing on the back to cover up the prarie point edging. For some reason this is taking me a long time. The dogs have taken to sleeping on it and it just languished in a pile on the rocking chair. On the knitting front - the Estonian Garden Wrap is rolled up in a towel getting nice and damp and ready for blocking.....pictures soon! PS - I just figured out how to add comments to this homemade work in progress - I need someone to leave a comment and see if it works.
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