Smatterings

  • something new..

    See the new banner??  Don’t worry, nothing here is permanent.  Banners are like the New England weather.  All that greenery in my banner just seemed so out of season.  Every now and again I see something I want to use for a bit and change is easy.   

    I’m casting off the Shetland Shawl.  Maybe if I keep it next to me at my desk, and if there are enough phone calls… then just maybe I can get it done and steamed during daylight.  I have had such trouble getting the colors to record properly.  It would be nice to get a picture of it in natural light. 

    If you haven’t been over to Carole’s, check out the little surprise she had for me.  Besides, there are some great pics of Dale modeling his Hypotenuese shawl.  It may be great man lace, but I think I have to make one for myself.  It’s getting cold sitting around knitting in the evenings.  Looks like a perfect shawl to drape over my shoulders.  The pattern is by Anne over at Knitspot. 

    7 responses to “something new..”

    1. Carole

      Good luck finishing the shawl! And thanks for linking over to me. I’m glad you were happy with your surprise.

    2. Annie

      You know, I didn’t click on the link, but that Judy was you? Wasn’t it a cool post? And I’m thinking the same thing as you are about that man lace… I’d like one for myself. I like your new banner.. it has my chocolate sheep in it.

    3. Kat

      That Carole, she’s so thoughtful.

    4. margene

      What a wonderful suprize for all of us to see and hear about your ancestor. Your headers are always so cool and appropriate. It’s eye candy every day around here.

    5. Dorothy B

      The Man Lace looks perfect for up here.
      Love the Shawl. The colours are really warming me up.

    6. michelle

      Carole is a sweetie 🙂 Like you I’m considering making myself some manLace, my man won’t wear it – silly boy.

    7. Theresa

      I like the new banner, and I definitely think Carole’s man lace is very unisex.

  • the Shetland Shawl continues..

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    Can you see them?  The edging is taking a long time.  Stringing the beads goes quickly.  The part that takes the time is placement,  sliding each bead up and making sure it is not only on the right stitch, but that it is on the right leg of the stitch.  All on the wrong side of the piece.  After a while you can sort of feel the right spot.  Then the pattern changes.  I had figured out the approximate number of beads I would use (150-160) before I decided to add a few more repeats.  I thought I’d covered myself.  Wrong.  I figure I need about 60 more beads.  With a centerpull ball it is still possible.  I’ll have to add them onto the loose end in the center, then rewind the ball while sliding the additional beads up to the working area of the yarn.  More time.  I’d like the shawl for Thanksgiving.  If I can get myself out of the office and away from all the business holiday prep this evening, it should be done.  Or maybe… Tuesday.

    9 responses to “the Shetland Shawl continues..”

    1. pippi

      I can see ’em!
      Beautiful!

    2. Anne

      OOooooo yes!! Lovely lovely little additions. What wonderful fall leaf colors!

    3. Kim

      Very Thanksgiving type colors. It will be beautiful for the holiday!

    4. –Deb

      The beads are subtle, but I LIKE that. It looks absolutely amazing . . . so, so pretty!

    5. Kristen

      Pretty candy corn mix colors…mmmm….

    6. Carole

      The beads are lovely. And this shawl will be perfect for Thanksgiving.

    7. Manise

      I can see them too- perfect Thanksgiving wear.

    8. Carol

      Beautiful! What a perfect Thanksgiving shawl.

    9. Wanda

      Those colors are perfection! Love that. Hope you get it finished in time for Turkey Day!

  • Shetland Shawl

    U.N.C.L.E.  !!!
    Its been dark and damp and rainy for enough days now that I am nearly stir crazy.  As soon as I post this I am out of here for a walk in whatever mother nature has to throw at me. 

    The Shetland Shawl should have been finished last night.  Should have and could have if I hadn’t decided that I would make it a bit larger.  I completed the suggested number of repeats and in spite of the fact that I know that alpaca grows…. it looked awfully small.  The Shetland is a lot like the Swallowtail, it would make great neck jewelry, scarf-ish.  Very nice.  I want bigger.  I don’t quite know how much yet, but I’ll know when I get there.  I will string my beads (bright gold glass ones) onto the next skein of yarn, before I continue.  The last course, the edging pattern will be beaded.  This not only satisfies my magpie leanings, it also helps to give lace weight yarns the bit of extra drape they seem to need to fall well. 

    As I walked through the kitchen looking for a dry and maybe bright place to take a pic of it, I glanced at the fruit bowl.  Is it just me????

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    It’s time for a walk, isn’t it? 

    ps. Dad, is it a gift or an affliction??  (just kidding, I love it.)

    14 responses to “Shetland Shawl”

    1. Carole

      So it’s a pineapple shawl, eh?

    2. Ruth

      Yeah – I’m pretty much fed up with gray, despite my determination to find beauty in all things. Enough with the all day twilight, for heaven’s sakes!

    3. –Deb

      That resemblance is really pretty surprising!

    4. Cindy D

      Patterns!! the mind works in patterns…they are everywhere if we just look….

    5. Dorothy B

      Wow, that’s pretty cool.
      I was so glad when the sun came out for a couple of hours this afternoon. I really needed that bit of brightness.

    6. cyndy

      love it when that happens….great photos!

    7. Mindy

      I am completely tired of the gray, we are supposed to have sunshine finally and I intend to enjoy it.

    8. Adele

      We are having the same problem here in NE Minnesota. Yesterday, I had to start a fire in my wood stove, not for heat, but for the light, which seems close enough to sunlight to keep me from crawling into a hole and pulling it in after me. Or, just curling up in a blanket and hibernating until the sun comes out again. The powers that be said that might be Sunday. Hope, hope, hope. After three days of no sun, I get a bit cranky.

    9. Cathy

      Alpaca does grow. Beads will help. The pineapple colors are amazing. I hadn’t looked closely before.

    10. Beth S.

      That pineapple looks positively alien! Nice photo. 🙂

    11. Carol

      The shawl and the pineapple look great! 😉 Have a nice time out and a great weekend.

    12. Laurie

      While I think few other than you would have made the connexion, now that mention it…..yeah!

    13. vanessa

      you take THE best photos!

    14. Theresa

      It never occurred to me until now that my laceweight shawls do tend to bunch up on my sweater or jacket. Hmmm … maybe I’ll venture out into beads. Good thought.

“Our lives are dyed the colors of our imagination.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

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