dolly dimple knits

By George I think she's got it !

Who'd a thunk it ? Me 'n lace. And not just that, but KIDSILK HAZE lace ...

I think I finally get the whole lace thing. Lace and I have never been very friendly - mainly because I have the patience of a flea and frankly, she's SO unforgiving if you muck her about. But this Butterfly thing has really got me going.

I have frogged twice (there was swearing but no tears) but still felt compelled by that diaphanous gorgeousness to keep going. And all of a sudden, now that I have a couple of repeats to look at, the pattern has kind of fallen into place and I can see what should come next without having to sit with the book on my knee, demanding complete silence from all living creatures around me, with my tongue hanging out the side of my mouth from concentrating so hard !

I wouldn't start digging me out any lace shawl patterns just yet but I do think there is a fair chance of this one actually getting finished. Especially as there's no sleeves !

Getting things finished is preying on my mind as I am determined to finish the big, black monster jumper to take to my sister in October as a thank you for having the girls whilst Al and I live it up in Barcelona. Suffice it to say she will never be thanked in this fashion again .... I am losing the will to live as I knit my umpty millionth round of plain. black. boring. stocking. stitch ...... still I've made it above the armholes now so I'm soldiering on.

You were all very interesting with your thoughts on blogging and we have so much in common :0) Although I started this blog mainly as a way to document my knitting, like Polly, I don't think Ravelry will replace it for me (tho' it may for some) as over the years it has evolved into much more.

I'm a fairly private person - some of you who have met me may find this funny as I talk a lot, but that's different. I don't often share personal stuff and very rarely online. Yet I enjoy reading about other people's lives - does that make me nosey ??

In a weird way, despite the virtual nature of it, I find blogging very social and yet very suited to my reserved nature. My husband finds it odd that I blog at all as I am generally so much less social than him, largely preferring my own company..... actually, he describes me as anti-social but that has a whole other connotation these days ! ;0)

But with blogging, you're in control of the social relationship. You can choose to converse or not, without appearing rude. You can say what you want without interruption, you can walk away from a conversation before it's finished. Really it's ideal for anti-social, socialites like me.

Mainly tho' it's brought me so many new friends and a real re-inspiration in terms of knitting. Like Mhairi, I enjoy showing you what I make - even tho' it's usually work in progress rather than finished projects ! But I enjoy even more seeing what you make and being inspired by it. So really, you're all to blame for my chronic startitis - who said we don't live in a blame culture ???

Anyway, symptoms of startitis are scratching at my door. We just spent a lovely long weekend at Fingask Castle with friends who have a beautiful, 9 month old daughter. Now she didn't make me broody, been there, done that, but she did make me think about the joy of knitting for little people .... if ever there was a child who needed a handknitted blanket ..... maybe a mitred square one ..... maybe a log cabin ....

I have been stash-diving so watch this space !

Wet Sunday

A lot of disjointed thoughts going on here at the minute. I blame being sick. I've had a foul cold for a week and can now feel it nestling comfortably at the top of my chest which, undoubtedly for me , will mean a trip to the docs in a couple of days for an antibiotic. Every autumn I seem to end up with a chest infection no matter how careful I am. Peh ! So I'm reserving the right to be random today.

Gauge issues reared their ugly head again but not with the alpaca silk this time. No this time, as a little treat for knitting on the boring black sweater, I decided to challenge myself with some KSH lace. Lace is probably enough of a challenge for me in itself never mind the KSH !

Anyway, take a look.

The top piece is knitted on 5mm needles as per the pattern and was a real struggle. The needles felt huge for the dainty yarn and I found the p2tbl just impossible with their big thick points. I had to go down to 4mm to achieve anything that didn't look bumpy and rough and just plain too holey for my liking. Heaven knows what my gauge will be for the main lacey body - I'm just hoping the lace wil stretch enough if I end up making it too small !

I've been dying to knit Butterfly for ages having been inspired by Erin's finished one. So I did some stash diving and, (after getting over my shock at exactly how much KSH I have in the stash given that I have only ever knit a scarf in it previously) decided on Smoke with some fab little iridescent black/blue/grey beads I've had for ages.

I can't decide whether to bead the whole thing or just the border - what do you think ? The beading would be pretty but would I get more wear out of it if I didn't bead it ? I'm worried it will be too dressy with allover beads.

The colour is also a bit of an experiment. Although I have lots (and lots !) of more vibrant colours singing out to me from my stash, when I really thought about what I tend to wear most - it's blacks, greys, blues and greens. I love pinks, reds and purples but only wear them occasionally. So we'll see what happens with this grey experiment.

Other treats for my cold-ridden self included starting on the Pashmina Shrug from IK Spring 2003 (scroll down 'til you see it).

I wanted a quick fix project that would be easy knitting but still give me something pretty that I would want to wear at the end. And as I don't actually own any shrugs at all this seemed to fit the bill.

I cast it on 3 evenings ago and so far have the back and half of one sleeve done - so it is a quick knit. I'm using Rowan Tapestry in Lakeland which is much more like my photo in reality rather than the very vibrant green on the Rowan site.

Tapestry's not quite the right gauge (22 sts instead of 24 to 4 inches) but a little needle juggling made it work out okay. I do think the sleeve measurement is too long tho'. The sleeves are meant to be 3/4 length but the overall measurement is nearly 25 inches - which on me is most definitely wrist length despite it being a raglan.

I don't think I have particularly short arms so I think the pattern is a bit off ? I found a photo of someone wearing one she'd completed a couple of years ago and the sleeves on her are wrist length. I rest my case, m'Lud.

Other random things entering my head recently have been about Ravelry and blogging. I recently got onto Ravelry and have found it useful and (occasionally) inspiring - tho' there are an awful lot of dishcloths on it, which frankly I just don't get. Why knit something lovely only to treat it badly - ON PURPOSE ??

Anyway, it struck me that had Ravelry existed 3½ years ago I may never have started this blog, as for me, it was largely about documenting my knitting. That made me think about the various types of blogs I read and what I like about them. Some I read every day and almost always comment - you are my friends. Many of you are people I know (or at least have met) in "real" life - I have a natural interest in you and yours.

Others I read but rarely comment. These are for entertainment or knitting information value. They're usually well-written and often beautifully photographed. Which brings me to those I only check out for the pictures - never really reading the text, just enjoying the view. The list of blogs I look at regularly is much longer than the list I link to.

What about you ? What do you look for in a blog ? If you blog yourself, why do you do it ? Do you ever feel obliged to post even if you don't really have anything to say that day ? Does the blog help your knitting/crafting endeavours or hinder them ?

Just curious.

Too Many Things

It's like waiting for a bus - for ages I have nothing to share and then all at once, masses of fun, friends and yarny goodness comes along all at once.

Here goes. My London trip ? Beyond fabulous :0)

I have a new favourite airport (how sad am I ??) but seriously it's so easy and quick to get to and from ! So much so, that I hit London before all the shops were even open on Saturday morning.

Worth waiting for tho ' ;0). My mind was taken over by an alien being in Liberty's and I DID NOT BUY YARN ...... I did, however, buy fabric

and vintage buttons

I know. I swore never to dressmake again after the wedding but it was sooooo pretty. And pink. And orange. And I need some little flippy, flirty skirts and tops for Barcelona. So there.

Of course, just because I didn't buy yarn in Liberty's doesn't mean I didn't buy yarn somewhere else ;0) A perfectly lovely afternoon spent in the company of some Rowanettes - blogging and non-blogging - Jill R, Fiona, Polly and non-Rowanette ( I think ? !) Dawn. Plus lots of other people but I was too drunk with yarn to remember names - sorry :0)

The yarn goodness came in this form

Blue Sky Alpaca Silk in, well, Blue , actually and Suri Merino in Garden. The plan is knit this - but longer and with longer sleeves.

Sunday, the intrepid adventurers (that would be me and Polly), set out on an epic journey by train and London bus - and actually with remarkably little trouble managed to find here for brunch with the ever lovely Amelia (she's even lovely when she's hungover you know. I think I hate her ;0) ) and the fabulous Lis 'n Jamie double-act that I have been so dying to meet !

It's so delightful when people you only know online turn out to be every bit as fun and fabulous as you expected when you meet them in person. Jamie is cuter than cute - and just the right amount naughty to show a bit of character ;0) - and Lis is EXACTLY as I knew she would be. Wonderful. And curls to die for. I think I hate her too .....

An all too short few hours then back to reality. Le sigh.

I can't quite believe I've got more Alpaca Silk given the row guage probelms with Elizabeth 1st but the sheen is so beautiful, I just find it irresistible :0) Elizabeth 1st sadly is not irresistible and is going to have to be frogged. The helpful advice from Mary convinced me of this :0( and as I really don't have the energy to do the maths to get the row gauge and pattern panel to work out, I suppose she'll reappear at some point in a different yarn !

In the meantime, tho' I'm going to try to be good. Dawn and Polly were both talking about the monthly goals they set themselves - SEVEN of them people !! Now I think 7 would be setting myself up to fail so how about, maybe, 3 ? You never know, it may work :0)

So for September -

1. Finish the body of the most boring sweater in the world. It's so boring I haven't even shown you it but I have to knit it because it's a "Guilt Sweater". It's the plain black stocking stich, no shaping , big 'n baggy, copy of my sister's favourite sweater ever that I mentioned a while back. I'd really like to give it to her in October as a thank you for having the girls when I'm in Barcelona but it's so BORING !

2. Make myself some little skirts and tops for said trip to Barcelona !

3. Finish the body of my beloved Venezia.

I've actually made a fair bit of progress since this picture was taken and am knitting the armhole steeks at the moment but it's slow progress. I have a feeling I may need to make some alterations once she's finished as she looks a little big and the hemline is flaring slightly. But I love her so much I'm even willing to do that.

:gulp: That's a lot of goals (for me !). I'd better go and get on ...