Finally managed to make the Swallowtail Shawl

It's a project I've had in my queue for ages but I've never been quite brave enough to actually start it. Once I finished a few other projects from my queue I thought, what the heck, I'll give it a burl. I've been saving some reclaimed yarn for at least the last 7 years for a lace project so it's not like I've not had it in mind! So, despite having a deep fear that I might not be able to give it the concentration it needed, I cast on.

It was much easier than I imagined. The budding lace section was really very easy once I got into the swing on it and the yarn knit up lovely.

I had to stretch the lace out because left to itself it's really not that impressive!

I didn't really hit any problems of note until I started the lace with the nupps on it! 

It didn't take me too long to decide I didn't like nupps! They require REALLY pointy knitting needles (which I didn't have!) so I had to do each one with the finest crochet hook I had that I use doing fine filet crochet !

And it was almost impossible to see whether I was making progress!

But eventually I finished, aburdly pleased to leave the nupps behind and looked at my finished creation...

Didn't look like much...

...rather like a large crumple spinach leaf really.

So I carefully washed it, got out my blocking wires and pinned it out on our spare bed and went to bed. It was nearly midnight, after all!

In the morning I went and looked at this amazing creation. So worth every irritation and frustration to be able to just look at it!

So beautiful! It's not very big, really only fit to drape round your shoulders like a triangulr scarf but it is so light and SO beautiful! I can just stare at it!

Can you tell I'm a little proud of my little project?

Happy Knitting :)

A Worthy Pattern for a Worthy Yarn

I spun this gorgeous, scrumptious merino I bought from a craft store in Denmark called Majestic Merinos a while back and spun it as a two ply into one reasonably large skein and then set it aside because I didn't want to waste it on anything shabby. 

I remembered a pattern in one of my Spin-Off magazines for a lovely yet simple scarf. Since I tend to despise scarfs that are just one long strip of mindlessly boring knitting this pattern had the attraction of a small wedge being knit on each side as you went back and forth over the scarf. Perfect! And it only took me three days to do it!

I used upthe whole skein and it looks so good! Feels great too! Now all I need is to get another project up and running. I've still got that alpaca and wool combo to use up!

Happy knitting :)

Let's try a little Dyeing (as in changing things colours, not the other...well, you get the idea!)

I've been wanting to try a little dyeing for awhile but nothing huge so I decided I'd experiment with a small skein of wool I'd spun from the bag I got with the Traveller Wheel.
I bought two sachets of Dylon powder dye in Vert Olive and Fuschia. I filled two glass jars with water, added a quarter teaspoon of each dye to one jar and added a quarter teaspoon of salt and gave them a stir.
Then I added the wool.

What I'd forgotten was I'd rushed washing this skein and it still had a bit of lanolin in it. Didn't realize it would mean the dye would have a hard time getting into all the fibres.

So...the first hour...... And the four hours later......

Then just before I went to bed for the night.....and in the morning!
Was a bit disappointed that it wasn't more vibrant but I thought, well, it's an experiment and just carried on!

So I took it out of the jars and gave it a good cold rinse, worried that the whole thing was going to wash out but very pleased when it didn't! I actually quite liked the more muted shades of the pink, green and white.
I washed in warm water next and washed it properly so all the lanolin was out. I didn't lose any of the colour which I was also pleased with and got this beautiful soft skein of delicately coloured wool!

Then I knit it on 5mm needles with 45 stitches into a rectangle, felted it a little in an ordinary cold rinse with some teatowels and Hey Presto!

I have the softest, cutest little coin purse I have ever possessed!! I'm going to look for a small pink zip to sew into the opening when next I'm in town. For now though, I just pick it up and rub it on my face. SOoooo soft!
I'm going to dye as much of this wool like this as I can spin and then make something epic with it. It deserves the royal treatment :)

Can you tell I'm a little chuffed?
Happy Knitting :)