Summer Fries

Pattern: Summer Flies
a free pattern by Donna Griffin

Yarn: Sundara Sock in color Delphinium
100% (really yummy) merino - 350 yds.

Needles: Size 6 KnitPicks Options

This semi-circular shawl (or shawlette in my case since I used a fingering weight yarn instead of the worsted called for in the pattern) was nice to knit even though there are only written directions and you know I am a chart lover at heart. The yarn was dream to work and feels even better blocked. I know it will feel nice around the neck and I plan to wear it more as scarf than a shawlette.

Donna called her design "Summer Flies" after the way she says summer flies by. I just couldn't seem to call my FO that. In my world summer drags....on..and on....and on. Unlike others I have read who enjoy a little something on their shoulders on summer evenings or in overly cool a/c, I never seem to need anything like that. A summer shawl? I can barely tolerate earrings when it is in the 90s! Instead I went with a different verb. For me summer fries.

Happy Fall Y'all

Ruffles Have Picots

And you thought they had Ridges!

I am binding off a project that may or may not be a keeper.

Pat, blogless but oh, so productive, has made six (possibly more by now) Summer Flies shawls.
[I'd love to see them. I know they are all fantastic.]

Even though the pattern calls for worsted weight, I had seen several on Ravelry knit with finer yarn so I decided to cast on with some sock yarn. I wasn't too concerned with having a smaller size as I really wanted a scarf anyway. But I'm not sure how I'm going to handle ruffles - ruffles with picots! I'm not much of a ruffle person. I don't have anything against picots, however.

I quite liked them in that beaded picot edge:


and that picot edge is not the problem with the green stole that is still languishing
(instead it is those dreadful ktbls, remember?!)

and they are just right in tatting and in Hardanger:

Nope. It's that ruffle that is worrying me.
Perhaps it will block out a bit flatter. Fingers crossed.

Quilt Show

Another outstanding quilt show by the East Cobb Quilters' Guild. [If you pop over to that link, you'll see the quilt which was awarded Best of Show. Be sure to click to enlarge it to get a better idea of the amazing detail. ]

I stopped by to chat a moment with Kay who was in the guild's booth demonstrating on one of her (many) vintage treadle machines. This year she brought her Davis Vertical Feed. I didn't make a note of the year of manufacture. I seem to recall it as 1915 or maybe 1905, but my recall is always a bit sketchy!
[ETA: Kay says 1905.]

The Davis Vertical Feed machine has no feed dogs, but instead the needle bar and presser foot moves the fabric forward with each stitch. Interesting to watch. But then Kay is always interesting!

I didn't take nearly as many photos as I did at the previous show, but there was some truly amazing work on display. This year there seemed to be a number of quilts interpreting photos of people or places.

I was particularly taken by this one entitled 'Caleb' by Julia Byrne which won a 2nd place ribbon in the Original Design category.

Wow.




I really liked the clever use of batik fabrics in this one, "Koi Pond", by Melinda Rushing of Atlanta.

I love the large quilting stitches and quilting designs, as well as the colors.






And now, what about this one!

Entitled "Ricordi Della Tuscana or Memories of Tuscany", an original design by Beth Leonard of Roswell. Beth took first place in the Original Design category.

Look at those glasses of wine! So realistic. And that depth of field.

Can you imagine being able to do this? It is always a treat to get out and get to see such wonderful stitching.

Hats off to those hardworking volunteers in ECQG who manage to pull off such great exhibits every other year while still managing to create such beautiful work.

Exhibit Bag

Whew! August is Over. The start of September brought such welcome relief from the relentless heat. Temperatures are rising back up this week, but at least now the early mornings and late evenings are nicer and one lives in hope of fall.

The one thing September always brings is festivals and exhibits. Every other year there are two in my area that I make plans to see. The first is the East Cobb Quilt Guild Quilt Show. That will be this coming weekend. Later this month I'll head back over for the Magnolia Sampler Guild Exhibit.

Now you don't want to be hindered by lugging around a heavy purse at these things, but you still want to have your camera and a little cash for goodies. To celebrate National Sewing Month - also in September -the Moda Fabrics and their designers are having a Blog Hop and each day, Sept. 6 - Oct. 2, a different designer will have a blog post and project.

To kick off this Blog Hop, Sandy Gervais had a little project for a bag. As she explained, it will hold your digital camera in the center section and has a flap-covered pocket on one side for cash and the other for credit cards.

You know I hopped right on that one! You can find the daily schedule here, or it seems each blogger is also introducing the next one.

I know. You're thinking, "but where do you put your M&Ms?" Granted it won't hold a large bag, but you could combine your cash and plastic and keep a small bag in the other side. That's what I'll be doing.

How Do You Speak to an Angel?

How do you speak to an angel

I’m completely in the dark
When you know that you’ve just met an angel
Is there a proper remark?

We were alone for a moment
Why was I lost in a cloud ?
Do you speak to an angel in a whisper ,
Or do you just say I love you out loud?

Pattern: Angel Lace Shawl
by the One, the Only Evelyn A. Clark

Yarn: Classic Elite - Mountain Top Vail

70% alpaca / 30% bamboo

236 yd/50 gr. - 2 skeins color 6403 - Steel

Needle: Size 5 KnitPicks Options

Now you know I love me a good Evelyn A. Clark knit. She never disappoints. This is my third time to knit this pattern and I'm sure not my last. This may very well be my favorite of her triangular patterns that I have tried so far. I have yet to knit some of her older, larger designs, though. This one, in particular, is a very soothing repeat to knit.

And the yarn? Oh, my it was a treat, too. This Mountain Top line by Classic Elite is a natural, undyed line of yarns with Vail being the fingering weight. Classic Elite says it is luxury that won't cost you a fortune. Very soft. Nice drape. I think I'll try this again, too.

I added one smoky glass bead at each point of the edging. Not too much bling. In fact, you hardly notice, but I think it adds just the right touch.

"How Do You Speak To An Angel"

Jule Styne - 1952

Labor Day

Hope you've had a good one.
It was COOLER and RAINY today!
What a relief.

The Sock Map

Way back in early June, just as this summer was cranking up to HIGH, I started a pair of socks.

It was my second time to knit the pattern, ZigZag Socks, from the Vogue Knitting Ultimate Sock Book. This is a very nice pattern with an interesting, but simple, wavy lace design that really works up fairly quickly.

So why am I only just now at the cuff of sock #2?
Turns out this wool on small dpns just wasn't that pleasant to knit in really HOT weather.

It is still hot, but while I'm pondering on the next project, it seemed like a good idea to start the second sock.

Luckily I had The Sock Map; my little notebook where I employ my "Patented Hatch-mark System" to keep track of pattern repeats and any special details. For the second sock, I just follow right along, making my hatch marks in the opposite direction. That little box shows where I stopped for the heel flap and where to resume for gusset decreases. There's a little note further down that reminds me that I did one row plain before the toe decreases.

Haapsalu Shawl Day

Pattern: used motif Sofia from The Haapsalu Shawl book

Yarn: Wooly West Nordic Lites; color White Nights, 475 yd/100 gr.; 2 skeins

Needles: size 6; KnitPicks Options

Do you remember last year when I linked to the video of the ladies dancing with their wonderful Estonian shawls? I haven't been able to find a video of this year's dance, although it seems there was a dance this year. [If you find a video, please let me know.]

I did find this wonderful post with lots of great pictures. At the end of that post is a link to a black and white film made in 1937 showing Estonian knitters and fast-moving, busy fingers.
If you have 6+ minutes, you might want to watch. It's a treasure.