Where’s The Wool?

I know that many of you are probably wondering if I still bother to knit, crochet, weave or spin anymore. With all the other things in life as well as new interests that I have been involved with, it’s a fair question. The answer is yes, even though I have not shown any photographic evidence as of late.

Today, I do want to chat a bit about a knitting project that I have been working on. It is something that I have been wanting to knit ever since I first saw the pattern. Last December I finally purchased the pattern and the wool. About a week and a half ago I sat down and cast on. I completely fell in love with the simplicity of the design. From the photos of the pattern, it does not look like such a simple knit, but truly it is much simpler than some other lace designs that I have worked on. I didn’t even need more than one stitch marker until I got to the forth chart, and that was just to save my brain from frying out over the 34 stitch pattern repeat. (The brain needs all the help it can get these days!) It’s been a very hard knit to put down so far, every time I thought that I should take a photo of it, I had to just knit one more row, and we all know how that goes! But today, before I do that next row, I have sat it down to take a photo to prove that wool does still live in my house. Obviously since this is still in progress, knit on a circular needle and an unblocked lace circular shawl, the photos will not look that impressive. All the same, magic will happen in the blocking, once I start and complete the edging pattern of Gretchen, (yes, click on the link to see Delia’s photos, they are gorgeous!) a beautiful circular shawl designed by Delia of The Fiber Denn.

Gretchen in progress. Purchased kit from The Fiber Denn on Etsy, yarn is handpainted lace weight wool yarn in “Olivenite”.

As I said, the design is fairly simple, even if it doesn’t look it. Delia took a basic Pi shawl, added some wonderful stitch patterns that really work together and compliment each other and made the instructions fairly simple and easy to understand. The best part that I like about it? No one stitch pattern last long enough to really get bored with it! Of course I haven’t knit the edging yet, and that has to go all the way around the shawl, but even then, I can’t wait to get on with knitting the edging so that I can block her and enjoy her in all of her glory.

Obviously this is the beginning of falling in love with circular shawls. (Down the rabbit hole I go!!) The warning signs are already there for me, and there are a few other circular shawl patterns that I want to knit in the months to come… however, they must be put on hold for just a little while. You see, I have a secret that I have been working on. I’ve been working on a sample for another design that I had an idea for during Mystery Stole 3. I’ve almost completed the sample, and have decided to knit a full size one in the Knit Picks dye your own lace weight. As soon as Gretchen is completed, I will be doing a very special dye job for this project, then I must knit said mystery item, finish the charts and directions and then tempt you here on the blog. Obviously I cannot go into too many details at the moment, but let’s just say that it won’t be another pattern for a scarf!

As for my bagpipe practice.. I believe I am improving.. the ducks have stopped circling my house for the moment. That and Sydney has stopped laughing at the dying duck call sound.. it actually sounds like musical notes as I play the scale.