Heartland Lace Shawl from Silk Handspun

I started on the Evelyn Clark Heartland Lace Shawl created for Wild Fibers Magazine. I was able to get a free copy of the pattern, but I think the pattern is now being sold as a kit. This is being knit out of 2.1 oz of Tussah Silk that I handspun on my Babe spinning wheel. I am knitting this on US 4 Lace Addis, which is the first time using this needle, and I like the pointy-ness of it; especially great for SK2P, and maybe even the dreaded nupps of Swallowtail.

My goal is to finish this by my 34th birthday on May 1st, so I can get started on another shawl. For any further details on the yarn or the shawl, check out the blog.

Laminaria ( Star and Blossom Charts)

So I'm up to the second chart in the Laminaria pattern at Knitty called the "Blossom" chart. In the last picture, you can see the flower like structure. This shawl is in Estonian Lace which I have not had much experience with. There are large areas of increase to make the "blossoms" you see in this close-up shot. The shawl is a triangle so you'd have to turn the pictures upside-down to see what they will look like hanging down your back. I'm making the smaller version of the shawl since I only have the 4 ounces of yarn and I'm using pretty big needles (US 6). The first picture is of the "star" chart in the pattern. You really can't see anything but I hope when I go to block it, there will be a more obvious pattern. I'm not really crazy about knitting Estonian lace so far. It's a little boring actually though the designer did a great job on this shawl with really good instructions. The only thing I'd change would be to do SSSK on the left hand side of the center to mirror image the right hand side in the star chart section. I'm on the border now and will get back to you all when I'm done.

Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl

Pattern: Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl, by Susan Pierce Lawrence
Yarn: Handspun BFL, Antigua colorway, fingering wt, approx 375 yds, fiber from Sakina Needles
Needles: US5/3.75mm, KnitPicks Options circs
Finished Size: 56”w x 26”

Details on my BLOG.

Cleite Shawl in handspun alpaca

Yarn: Handspun alpaca from Wooly Wonka, 2-ply lace to fingering weight, 286+ yards, spun on the Lendrum DT, fast flyer
Needles: Addi Lace, US3/3.25mm
Pattern: Cleite Shawl, MimKnits
Started: November 23, 2007
Completed: November 30, 2007
Finished Size: 46” across, 22” deep

More details on my blog posts here, here, here, and here.

Does this Clash with 1970?

Okay...tell me honestly...is this clashing?! It's trippin me out man!

This is some of my handspun, hand-dyed, Targee yarn for the latest in the Mystery Shawl KAL. I hope, as the shawl gets bigger, that the colors will tend to puddle together instead of stripe. EEP! It's oober soft and warm!

Swallowtail Finished

I finally finished my third handspun shawl, but second completed. It is a lovely pattern.

I am currently planning another shawl with my laceweight handspun. More details on Swallowtail on the blog.

At Nupps End

I am now at the "nupps" portion of my Swallowtail. I've hit many walls while knitting, mostly not paying attention to how much I am knitting and thinking I knit less. After ripping back, I am now at the second chart of nupps, and looking foward to finishing.

Shetland Triangle is next, once I am done with Swallowtail. More info on Swallowtail's progression on my blog.

Forest Canopy Shawl Spun and Begun

My first goal was rather ambitious for a fairly new spinner so I have changed my mind and picked an easier, more doable project. I am a member of Amy's Spunky Club and have enjoyed her fiber choices over the last few months. In July the selection was a coopworth wool she called Nightshade. I spun it in a single, my first attempt at singles, and did a fairly god job of it! I predrafted the roving and put only enough twist in to hold it together. The single looked great but needed some 'finishing'. In an effort to see how it would knit up I made a small swatch and was very pleased with the fabric.


The singles sat on the bobbin for a few days and then on the niddy noddy for a few days more in an effort to relax the twist a bit. A friend suggested I steam it while on the niddy noddy so it would relax more quickly and I did just that. You can read a bit about my day of finishing several handspun yarns here. The finished singles were more beautiful than I imagined and I decided the yarn would make a lovely shawl.

The shawl is Susan Lawrence's Forest Canopy. Susan designed it for a beginning lace knitter and while my skills are more intermediate it's a fun and easy shawl to knit. I think it will be beautiful and I'll come back with pictures once I'm finished.


I love the way the colors change in the pattern already!

Margene

Prayer Shawl/Stole

I have started on the prayer shawl for an Internet friend who is dealing with being diagnosed with cancer, but it is a very treatable cancer...with radiation therapy. It's more a stole than a shawl as I got the pattern from http://www.shawlministry.com/ . I am knitting it from my spun and dyed shetland wool. Being I am not "main-stream" beliefs I have substituted my own prayers for healing and comfort of which I go more into on my own blog. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable here by going into more detail. Near the middle most stitch hangs my Infinite Healing Stone and when I reach it, I say a prayer of blessing for the shawl and that it comfort and warm my friend when see seeks it. I want to find another small peice of Infinite like this one to send along, preferrable I'd like to find one to hang on the needles like this that I can send along as this one is mine and I really don't want to give it away as I like it so much.

I also light a candle before knitting which is surrounded by various other healer stones, including another, larger, piece of Infinite and listen to "healer" music which is mostly goddess chants, nature based music, and music for the chakras. I am enjoying the creation process for this peice and I love the pattern which is a basket weave/checker pattern. I find that my best experience with this project is found while sitting outside on the patio with the music playing softly inside, just loud enough to hear it outside.

Thank goodness for autosave!! Darned thing had an error and I though I lost my post but YAY for google adding this wonderful feature!!!!

My first Spun Stitches

I finished

this shawl early this spring. I spun the yarn from suri alpaca and silk then plied singles from both together for a two-ply lace yarn. It took me six months because of the enormity of the project. This is the Wing-of-the-Moth shawl pattern which can be found at knitspot.com .

Until next time...