Step # 1*

Always check the internet for correc-

tions.

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This project is already quite fiddly enough with the string and the beads. I made it a little more so by wanting to adapt it and to knit in the round so I need to mentally change all the wrong side row symbols.

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What you could see if you print out and compare the correction to the original chart in the magazine is more gray boxes (indicating "no stitch").

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*Since this was Step #2 in my case the additional gray may have sprung out first on my head before it dawned on me to check!

Familiarity breeds contempt?

Not yet, but let's just say I'm getting awfully familiar with nupps!

Edging at one end completed. I'm now working on the other end. Evelyn always satisfies.

"Familiarity breeds contempt.....and children." Mark Twain (1835-1910)

What? No Evelyn?

Ravelry is so jam-packed with wonderful features that it would be hard to pick a favorite, but a really helpful feature is the yarn search. I looked up Panda Wool and found the most lovely pair of socks knit in this very same color.

Here is the start (a couple of days ago) to Roza's Socks; Grumperina's pattern from the Spring 2007 IW Knits issue. I can't think why I dismissed this pattern when I first got the magazine. Not only is it perfect for this yarn, but with only two pattern rows and a simple, but decorative rib, it makes a perfect take-along project. No chart to keep track on or keep track of!

I was a bit worried of only 60 stitches, but reading of the experiences of others convinced me it would fit and, indeed, it is quite stretchy and forgiving.

Here's a link to the wonderful pair knit by the Haphazard Knitter that provided my inspiration.

Time for nupps

I've finally made it to the first Lily of the Valley section of my Estonian Garden Shawl.

It's a bit of a scruched up mess (as lace in progress generally is) but you can sort of make them out there in the picture. There are three 14-row repeats of the nupps and then a more basic edging.

I think doing only the center section with the shorter, easier edging at both ends would make a very nice, basic gift shawl. I'm not sure I'm up to gifting nupps yet. I'd really have to love somebody to give away all those P5togs!

As usual, Evelyn is still pleasing!

Knitting...and nature

A little tornado ripped through my Mother's neighbor-hood this past Tuesday evening. She was very lucky. The one tree that was blown over just grazed the house and appears to have done no damage. It will need to be chopped up and removed.

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It did create some MESS in the yard with lots of twigs, pine cones, and natural debris. I was off today and went up there and cleared it for her as a surprise. As a treat for myself I thought I'd stop off for some sock yarn. I'm in need of a small take along project. (Nupps in fine laceweight on a long shawl isn't exactly a great take along!)

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Why can I never seem to make up my mind in the yarn shop? It seems that once I step inside I completely forget every pattern that I've ever planned to make. Perhaps I still had green and nature on the brain, as I ended up with Panda Wool in Vine Green.
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I had been thinking of knitting the Zigzag Socks [Ravelry link] from the Vogue Ultimate Sock Book, but I'm not sure now that this is the right yarn for that project. Oh, well. It should be fun trying out this yarn which is 46% bamboo. Come to think of it, there's a stitch pattern in the front of that book called "Big Bamboo" and resembles bamboo stalks. Maybe I should try that!

Patchwork Felted Bag

Pattern: Patchwork Felted Bag

Vogue - Holiday 2004 (#31; p. 88)

Yarn: Noro Kureyon - 100% wool

color 159; about 1-1/2 balls

Needles: 10-1/2 bamboo dpns

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This was a lot of fun to make. I love to make bags of all kinds and wanted to make this one ever since spotting someone's online. When my LYS put the magazine issue into the sale bin, it seemed like time to try it out. Directions, although odd to me at first, were very straightforward and easy to do and the felting made it very soft.

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size: about 5" round base and 9" tall

it would make a nice sock wip bag

'Cause in my head there's a Greyhound station

where I send my thoughts

to far off destinations.*

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Picked up some new string this week and a tube of beads for a "maybe" project. I'm not sure that (a) I can actually ever get around to this one and (b) that it will even work out the way I have it planned in my head - especially as I will need to adapt a pattern and make a few changes.

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Obviously a Christmas idea - but will it make for this Christmas??

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*lyric from song "Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab for Cutie - one of the songs on a compilation CD from my daughter; who insures there is at least a few current songs floating around on my iPod with the Andy Williams! : )

Shawl Storage

How do you store your hand knit lace shawls?

Here's part of my current solution - Candy Boxes.

The upside of this, of course, is that first you need to 'empty' the containers. If you are overwhelmed with the idea, it is usually easy to find willing helpers. : )

I started with the two old Whitman's Sampler tins. Alpine Lace and Artic Diamonds spend the off season here.

Friday I found the clear Ferrero Rocher crystal plastic box in the office breakroom, and grabbed it before it could be tossed out. It has the added advantage of being see-through. Now that's a good reason to eat chocolate!

Evelyn Again

It's really hard to resist the lure of the lace. Especially if it's another Evelyn A. Clark pattern. I'm sure there must be a EC Fan Club. In fact, a cruise around Ravelry is what convinced me that this should be my next project. Everyone gave it high marks.

The pattern, Estonian Garden Wrap [S-2009] is written in two sizes: a wrap or a smaller scarf. I'm going for the wrap.

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It's got the nupps, since it's Estonian, but I didn't mind them on the Swallowtails. It's knit starting with a provisional cast on so that you can have two matching ends. The center section is lovely as well and even though I'm not too far into it, I'm loving it already. It has just the right amount of action to keep me interested and paying attention, but isn't so fancy as to be annoyingly demanding. It's pure Evelyn!

Happy Years

Ocassionally on weekends I take my walk around the upper field at the nearby elementary school. Still Elementary holds so many happy memories for me of the six years when my daughter was enrolled there. We could not have asked for better teachers or a better environment for learning.

This past year Still underwent a substantial renovation. Many classrooms were added, new playground equipment was installed, a bus lane with covered walkway was built, and the upper field was greatly improved.

The upper field used to be just that; a field up a hill. It wasn't used overly much as a playground, but it was always the venue for Field Day activities every year. Now that it has a four-lane track and is nicely landscaped, it's quite nice to walk there sometimes and to remember.

Also new since 'our days' is a back garden with benches and a trellised area of picnic tables. I took this picture of the wisteria arbor on today's walk.

DIScomfort

Before the bag, when I found the shawl DISappointing, I decided to try another Vine Lace Baby Hat.

I really love knitting this pattern with DB Baby Cashmerino, but it's pretty hard to find anywhere nearby. And when you seek a comfort knit, you want it right then.

Since I was pretty sure that the mother of the intended baby would treat it like an easy-care item, I thought it safer to go with something that could really withstand the usual washer/dryer treatment. I found this Berocco Comfort DK. It's 50/50 nylon and acrylic, but it felt fairly soft and the price ($3.50/ball) made it cheap enough to try.

DISappointment #1: See that yarn barf? Maybe a quarter of the yarn came out in such a tangled mess when I tried pulling the center end, that just after this picture was taken I yanked out the needles and with GLEE tossed the whole thing into the wastebasket.

DISappointment #2: The next day, calmer, I head over to Ravelry to see what the word is. I read lots of postitive things about it making nice fabric and good stitches. I reconsider and pull it out, cut off the tangled mess, and cast on again only to find that the stuff SPLITS worse than anything I've ever knit.

DISappointment #3: I'm almost halfway done with the hat (which would have been done in one evening if I had had yummy yarn) and there's a KNOT in the yarn. Bah!

DISbelief: Now that's it's finished, I'm pleased.

Since it's a washable non-wool yarn, it is suitable for the preemies (lace club's service project). This one (on size 2 needles) pictured here on a little hedgehog friend fit a large apple and it is wonderfully soft.

I might even consider the worsted weight for a completely carefree baby blanket. Am shocked!