In which there is variation on a theme

Hey peoples!

I'm ripping along on the Regency Era Fichu, and I would love to show it to you, but right now it kind of just looks like a pretty blue bag, since I've started the center-out edging.

The edging(s) will be worked with these two skeins from SweetGeorgia. They're a bit different from the first one, and even more gorgeous, if I may say.



And the next project I will be starting is the Shetland Shawl Dress from Loop-d-Loop Lace by Teva Durham. I had the pleasure to meet Jana from Handmaiden at work last week and scored two skeins of Lino in Salt Spray which I think will be just *stunning* for this pattern.





I know, the colour looks kind of familiar, eh? This always happens - I wholly unintentionally manage to make about a dozen projects in the same colour in a row. Oh well, a knitter's life sure is hard... I promise more progress photos of this one, since it's knit flat, and should photograph a bit better. Until later!

"We are all a little weird, and Life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them in mutual weirdness and call it love" -Dr Seuss

So with that said, knitting stegosauruses for a wedding might make some more sense. This is for you, you lovely dorky people!







Forgive the quality of that last photo. I assure you it is not a reflection of the quality of the wedding (which was a blast and just oh-so-perfect).

In which I mustache

Surprise surprise, another month between posts! I'd like to open with this really excellent (Slipped Stitch Designs) knitting bag I snagged from work. I mean really, how could I not?

/br /br And an update on the Regency Era Fichu. The center portion is coming along quite well. I can't wait for the knitting to get really exciting when I start the borders (yes, borders, there will be at least 4). In honour, I have started reading Northanger Abbey.







And with that, I'm off to the island for some camping, and what promises to be an absolutely unbearably dorky and adorable wedding. There are more things I would like to share, but I daren't post photos yet, lest I un-bag the cat, but I promise the post is written and ready to post as soon as the wedding is over. Until whenever I feel like it, apparently, enjoy yourselves, lovely people!

In which someone has good taste

Has it been two weeks already? Well, the time does fly! In exchange for your infinite patience, good readers, I present to you the third (and final) Jewelled Cowl. This one was knit with a skein of Zitron Filisilk and about 700 6/0 frosted glass seed beads. I love the colours (very trendy, I know) and the yarn knit up into an absolute cloud. I will be mailing this off to Washington state as soon as time allows. Enjoy some photos, and scroll through to the end for a tease of what will be coming next! Et voila, some Sweet Georgia for a nice big lace project which I will tell you more about soon.

In which the queen reigns

As promised, photos of the (second) Jewelled Cowl! Knit in Rowan Fine Lace (1 ball) with metallic gold 6/0 beads for just a touch of royalty. The Fine Lace didn't bloom quite as much as the Sweet Georgia I used last time, but once the alpaca halo develops, it should fill in beautifully.

In which I am brief, but informative

First off, Regal Cowl is done and gorgeous and photos are coming soon. Second, it feels great to get some cables under my fingers again. Pattern is Jaffrey from Brooklyn Tweed; yarn is Harrisville Designs New England Shetland. Almost done, been a nice little diversion. And lastly, got the beads for the next commission cowl. Not as vibrant a yellow as I had initially planned, but the frosted glass should be perfect against the silken sheen in the yarn. Also, for those who know who they are, I'll be taking a list for future commissions once I get some headway into this cowl (and this cowl will not be an option this time around - three knits of the same pattern are more than enough for me).

In which the heat is on!

Well, with only a smattering of beads and a wee bump of yarn left, I would say that I have rounded the final corner and am closing in on the home stretch of the Regal Cowl. As soon as this is off the needles, I need to finish off a store sample of Jaffrey in Harrisville Designs New England Shetland (hoping that it is a good one-for-one substitute for Loft, since we can't get any of that). It's pretty easygoing with lots of 1x1 cabling, so that should also be done by next week. And finally, I've got yarn all set for the next cowl (another commission). I think that this lovely sheen-y merino/silk blend is just screaming out for some matte/frosted canary yellow beads, no? Until later (when hopefully there will be some FO photos to share), tah.

In which things are chugging along

Progress on the Habu Experiment is coming along nicely. I don't want to show too much of it right now, but it just has such a wonderful texture to it, totally unique. In other news, the Jewelled Cowl 2.0 is well underway, and getting quite close to the halfway mark! Colour is fairly accurate in the first photo - really tough to get a good colour with my camera of this one.

In which swatching is discussed

While it may not seem like much of an achievement to most, I successfully swatched with the Habu from my last post. Thing is, I rarely swatch. I tend to just guess needle size, cast on, and go. It works out fine most of the time, but when working on a new idea, I do like to pretend to do it right once in a while. Now, I'm taking a few days to actually mull over the swatch before leaping into a project. Question is, cowl or stole? It's a fairly light, surprisingly structural fabric, and much softer than it's pre-soak state. I think it would be stunning in a stole, but in the interests of actually finishing it, I think a cowl would be a good choice. What do you all think? Which pattern would you be more interested in seeing?

In which things get started

When it rains it pours. Two new projects starting right now: one, a redux of a recent FO, and the other something completely new. A regal re-envisioning. And hopefully the beginnings of a brand new pattern.