Besides being the day to celebrate Thanksgiving, I have a completed project to share with you today! Yesterday was photography session and I snuck in some shots of the narrow scarf version of Elemental Changes Shetland Stole, the HeartStrings pattern that will be released in a couple of weeks.
This is the knitting I brought along to work on during my travel-time to and from Sophie’s Fall Knitting Retreat where I taught this past weekend. We were at Clifty Falls State Park just across the Kentucky state line in Indiana. Wonderful knitters, accommodations and hospitality all around made for delightful classes and even some knitting down-time for myself in the evenings.
The knitting went quickly on this small scarf, probably because I had not taken my computer along and thus did not have that distraction, lol. As those who saw the knitting-in-progress can likely attest, it didn’t look like much at the time before blocking. It still absolutely fascinates me to block lace and see the finished product so beautifully transformed.
I just wanted to let you know about a pattern of mine that is included in the recently published book Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Small Indulgences. The pattern is Qiviut Neck Muff, pictured on page 21 and instructions on page 124. I hope you will look it up if you happen to have already gotten this book or will be getting it.
There is just the one photograph in the book, so I thought you’d enjoy some other ideas of wearing this versatile accessory. The pattern stitch is pleasingly reversible, so wearing to either side gives a slightly different look, too.
I’d like to caution though the book’s editor says the collection of patterns is organized by weight of yarn, it really is organized by gauge. As you know, when knitting lace, light weight yarns (especially those like qiviut with so much loft and warmth) are often worked on larger needles to a more open gauge than typical sweater fabric. That put the Qiviut Neck Muff in the “Fine Weight’ category according to this book, even though it would normally be categorized as Super-Fine Weight.
There are 100 other patterns in this book, all needing no more than one skein of the stated yarn to be made up (of course, some of those skeins have a lot of yardage, such as the project for a sleeveless vest).The assortment of projects is quite nice, but if substituting yarns you will still have to guess at actual amount of yarn needed since only the standard put-up of the stated yarn’s ball/skein is given.
p.s. The Qiviut Neck Muff didn’t even take the entire of ball! If you’d like to know the actual amount needed, let me know and I will look it up in my design notes.
Wasn’t there a fairy tale about a toad and a prince? Do you believe in magic? Well, just compare the before and after of knitted lace!
I was reflecting on that today as I replied to a concern on one of the lace knitting e-lists by someone about “alpaca kind of bunches up when knit and doesn’t lie flat at all. Should I use larger needles … or use the alpaca for something other than lace?”
Alpaca is one of my favs for lace and I certainly hope she won’t give up on using her alpaca yarn. Just so happens I am in midst of working a model for the new HeartStrings pattern Elemental Changes Shetland Stole in an alpaca-blend yarn called “Sarah” from Kraemer.
You can see the unblocked work-in-progress (messy heap of knitting – you talk about bunching up!) vs. the blocked swatch that I did first so I can plan measurements, yardage amounts, etc. appropriately, as well as make sure early on that the end product will be as expected. Look at the comparison here … You talk about a toad turned into prince(ss) – right?
So I recommended that she wash and block a sample swatch in whatever way she was planning to do with the lace article that she was knitting (which happened to also be a stole) before you make a decision to scrap or change course. Knowing that she (and maybe you, too?) are one of the ‘I hate to swatch’ bunch, you could still consider doing a Blocking in Progress.
So don’t scrap a lace knitting project before blocking a sample. By blocking a smaller sample (or in-progress piece) as you will the finished article, you will have the confidence to move ahead (or take another course if not satisfied with the sample). And if moving ahead, you will have stress-free pleasure throughout the knitting of the project in anticipation of that final magical moment of the final blocking to turn the toad into a princess.
I am impressed with Julia and her new PATTERNFISH service for downloadable patterns. She’s like the curator of a fine art gallery, giving thoughtful composure to reviews and providing value-add insights to knitters looking for just the right pattern. Not to mention that the PATTERNFISH service itself has a great search engine to its extensive catalog of pattern offerings.
Julia writes: “I’ve long thought that if patterns were described the way fine garments are in catalogues, people would respect them more. And since no one else was doing it– outside of magazines– I am.”
I am pleased to have PATTERNFISH now offering several designs in downloadable format from my HeartStrings patterns collections. As a special release, the new Lace Puffs Smoke Ring pattern will debut as a first-time published digital edition on Patternfish. Watch for it on PATTERNFISH soon https://www.automatenspielen.de/.
A few weeks ago, I came across the notes of a design concept I had begun several years ago but had laid aside when the aesthetics weren’t really coming together to my liking.
While reviewing the notes anew, the creative spirits must have been working overtime because I immediately ‘saw’ what could be done. As the design presented itself in my mental vision, I excitedly looked through newly available yarns that were on my list to consider for sample models. Stitches jumped onto my needles and now the design process was in high gear.
Here is a sneak peek of the result: Lace Puffs Smoke Ring made in Kraemer’s Sterling Silk & Silver yarn in their new color Lavender Scent.
Related Images:
Behind the scenes with Jackie E-S and life at the HeartStrings FiberArts studio.
