And now, for something different...

Because I don't really have "new" pictures of my Lilly of the Valley shawl (being as I've reknitted what I had before, and haven't gotten all that many rows past it, making for kinda dull pictures), here's a pic of a sweater I just finished crocheting for the chick who drives my carpool:
[Ann's Sweater Photo Here]

I told you other crafts would sneak in here. (More pics over at the other CraftyGryphon blog)

LOTV, take II

Well, after all the excitement of One Whole Pattern Repeat finished yesterday, I decided at lunch that I could do better. I'd figured out the pattern, I'd figured out a few tricks, and I would, in fact, notice all the imperfections in what I'd already done.

So, I unraveled the shawl back to the garter-stitch base, and started over. This time, my nubs are even, the edges all have a little knit stitch running up the edge (so elegant! makes such a difference), my tension is much more even and - in just about an hour - I have 15 of the 28 rows knit back already, meaning I'll be back to where I was by the end of tonight's commute... and I am much, much happier with my Lilly of the Valley shawl.

In other news, I joined The Secret of the Stole knitalong (link in the list to the right). That wonderful yarn I found at Stitch DC will be used, and it will be my first adventure in knitting with beads (I'm going to use the crochet-as-you-go method, because stringing beads first.... well, it just wouldn't happen, I wouldn't string enough, and I'd wind up crocheting beads on anyway). Wheeee!

Finally, some pictures!

[LOTV2 shawl photo here]
Whee! It's my Lilly-of-the-Valley Shawl from Lace Style.

[LOTV2 closeup]
Here, you can actually see the "nubs" that are the flowers in the pattern. I'm not sure if it's the trickiest lace I've tried - certainly, getting the nubs so they worked quickly was a trip - but it's going smoothly now. I'm up from two rows in fifteen minutes to two rows in five, and it promises to get faster once I can actually figure the pattern as I go.

This is going to be the first thing I've knitted, though, that will actually require "blocking". I'm not sure how I'm going to manage that, since I no longer have carpets, and while my mother has a blocking board, it's sweater-sized. Can you block half a shawl at a time?

Read the Directions

More progress, and kids: READ THE DIRECTIONS. It says, quite clearly in the instructions, "the k5 in one stitch - "nubb" - should be worked very loosely to allow for the p5tog in the next row".

I'd been working it normally, and having one heck of a fight with the p5tog. Working it loosely? It's like I'm (almost) purling normally.

Should be done with the first set of 28 rows by the end of lunch (unless I manage to sneak some knitting time in at my desk)...!

ed: While rambling over on the Other Blog, I decided that my next thing is FINALLY, finally, going to be Allison Starmore's "Henry VII" (pics of Wendy of WendyKnits.net in the one she knitted are here. I just have to finish three more projects of *any* sort so I can start another one... and then I need to finish five more, and I can finally start Lady of the Flag, and... and...

Yeah, I know. I need to get stitching/knitting!!

Knit happened.

Progress in the world of knits (and pictures sometime later this week).

1. The Lilly-of-the-Valley Shawl (From Lace Style, and the knit-along) finally somewhat "clicked" in my head. One - the nubs? Stitch them VERY VERY loosely, or you need a size 0 metal crochet hook to get the bloody things p5tog'd. Two - somewhere, I have about two hundred stitch markers for my very small needles. You'd think I'd be able to find more than two, right? Assignment for today: find more than two. I'm halfway through the first 28-row repeat (I think I'm actually about to start row 17)... and it's starting to resemble a shawl. I've decided that if I run out of yarn for the edge, I'm not going to worry about tracking down the same dye lot or whatever: I'll just try to find the same stuff in a nice, pretty-goes-with color: light blue or, preferably, light green.

2. The HPII scarf hit a snag, of sorts. That third skein of sport-weight Red Hart "Vermillion" that I was certain I had? It's a skein of worsted "Cardinal". While the switch-off might work if I wasn't in the middle of a major red section... I don't think it's gonna work now. I think I've hit "take out last twenty-two rows, use that for the fringe on the other end, switch down two sizes of needle, recommence knitting with new color - that's really the same, it's just a different weight". It's either that, or attempt to find a probably nonexistent skein of yarn in the Craft Room. *shudder*

3. Need to figure out which of the knitting projects I've already started (and actually plan to finish) will be the carryaround for the next little bit. While I really like the LOTV Shawl, I MUST have 15 uninterrupted minutes to be certain I finish a set of rows... which even with my commute, means I'm getting about eight rows total a day. It just goes faster if I'm not on a train!

First Post

Finally gave up and joined Blogger so I could friendlist all the cool crafting blogs over here.

That's... nine online journals? Sheesh.