Where did those 2 weeks go, then?

The Heirloom-Knitting Ravelry group project, The Queen Susan, continues to progress.

The last part has been the designing of the corner segments, as the consensus was that the layout could be tweaked from the original. This is an homage to the original, not an exact reproduction. TQS is being designed to be knit centre first, then knit in the round outwards from the centre for the borders, with an edging knit on at the end, so modifications had to be made to little bits so they could be worked from the 'other direction'.

Traditionally, it would have been knit from the outside in. A quarter of the edging would be knit. Stitches picked up along the length would then form the base for a border, with decreases at each end, knitting towards the centre, and then the centre knit. Each of the 3 remaining edging/borders would be knit separately then sewn or grafted to the centre.

So it means the tradition continues. New pieces knit using the collective 'remembrance' of shawls past. I can't even conceive of tackling something like this without computers and graphs. The Museum has very few records of knitting patterns as such. Your actual Shetland knitter probably worked vastly complicated designs from memory or feeling. We should be humbled by their expertise. And grateful. That they made these beautiful things, and that they have been saved by generations to inspire us, so long after the originals were made.

I can't work out how to paste an actual copy of the Museum's photograph but here is the Shetland Museum gallery link showing original photographed by Magnus Sutherland, from the family of knitters who made it. The Museum has a wonderful gallery of images of shawls and photographs which is a fantastic resource. There is a photograph of the Lerwick string band, which shows Our Magnus. What a delight to put a face to the name.

We all want to go there to view the archive in person. I wonder how many beds are available? So there has been joking about a group excursion. For some of us, it would mean a longer trek than for others of course, but the very idea is delightful.

There is to be a conference in Lerwick next year, on knitting traditions. The Museum has suggested the group should prepare a paper for submission, as one of the themes is evolution of knitting. It would be wonderful if it were accepted, but just the invitation to submit is pleasing. The moderator of the H-K group, fleegle, has been doing a superb job co-ordinating and preparing the draft of the pattern, background and general information, for distribution, free, via Ravelry and hopefully also the Museum website. I think the woman never sleeps. Within the group, there are people with a whole range of expertise to bring to ensure this is a success. It's been a pleasure to get to know them.

IN THE LOOP 2

Knitting: origins and evolution

A four day international conference

SHETLAND MUSEUM & ARCHIVES
Lerwick, Shetland
1-4 September 2010

So here's my output from the last couple of days. A test swatch of the inner corner.
We are using 1.75mm needles, and Gossamer Web's Phoenix (merino, cashmere, silk) 52/2 thread for the samples, but as I knit fairly tightly (all that mini knitting I guess), I would use a larger needle for the final shawl. Others have said they may go finer. It will be interesting to see the range of 'looks' achieved when we all finish. Which of course we will. Won't we?


p.s. The Phoenix is a delight to knit with. The silk component has saved my bacon on a couple of occasions when a bit of undue tension on the working thread might have seen a pure merino yarn snap.

Day 3 draw

Booky goodness will be wending its way to the great south island. Congratulations Tinkingbell. And may your crochet skills advance in leaps and bounds, inspired by the creation of itty wittle tings.

checking..... no.... still no sparkling wit on the horizon.
broke the lawn mower today. again. needs a new bolt to reattach the handle. and tomorrow won't be nearly so appropriate for engaging in vigorous outdoor activity. and as for the few days afterwards! i refuse to allow summer if it's just going to be nasty like that.

Day 2 draw

Well, that was easy. A coin toss tells me Janet McKinney is today's winner. Fabric will be on its way to you when you send me the postal details. Enjoy.

Too hot to be sparkling and witty.

Maybe tomorrow.

Cheers.

Day 1 draw

Thanks everyone for taking part in the destash. I will explain later why the nett outcome with regard to my stockpile has not been negative this week.

And the winner of the Cashsilk (drumtiddlydrumdrum) is Renee G, from Washington, who thought green was good.

And the winner of the cashmere is (anotherdrrrrrrrrrummmmmrollllll) Jan of Sydney, who said blue was best.

Yay. (little whistley blowy party things going squeeeeeee)

Contacting you separately by email, to get postie address things.

p.s.
So out goes 225 gms lace weight, just in time to make way for 300 gms lace weight. I know. I said, "No more". Bows head in shame (actually so smile doesn't show so much).

I mentioned earlier about The Queen Susan project on Ravelry group Heirloom-Knitting. I really wasn't going to actually make it. At the very beginning, there was a fair bit of "me too, me too", going on, and I usually prefer to make things that other people aren't. But the whole process has been fun, and the notion of people in the 21st century, being inspired by something created so long ago, and coming together to work out the details of its construction, has meant I can't not have a go at it. There has been a response from The Shetland Museum in Lerwick indicating they will give permission to reproduce the original photo for the notes accompanying the chart, which will be in the public domain, via Ravelry, and hopefully, via the Museum website as well, as long as formatting considerations can be addressed. All very exciting to watch this come together so quickly - it was a month ago yesterday the first picture appeared on the group board.

So - 300g = 7800m (probably won't need it all) of 2/52 merino cashmere silk blend on 1.75 or 2mm needles equals ... well don't ask how it's going for a year or so, ok?

blogiversary giveaway day 3

... because these are just never going to get to the top of the "make from this book" heap, and I hate to see them sitting there, unused, when there might be someone somewhere who wants to make either crochet animals or lace wraps.

Wrapped in Comfort by Alison Jeppson Hyde, published 2007
12 shawls and 4 scarves
ISBN 978-56477-751-5
Amigurumi published 2007 Kyuuto
ISBN 978-0-8118-6082-6

You know the drill. Comment with your choice of either Lace Shawls or Amigurumi. Of course, we'd all like to see what you make from your prize, should you be chosen. Draw takes place Tuesday November 17th. Anyone, anywhere can enter.

Belated Giveaway Blogiversary Day 2

Today is for the fabricas.

I know I loved all these when I bought them. Some were options for other people to choose from, and they chose differently. Some were for stages when we were definitely going to make a music or garden themed Something that didn't happen.

Can you use 4 of these? If 4 don't appeal, you can opt for fewer.
Fat quarters of each (except for the GARDEN piece J, which is full width by 1/4 metre). Fabric G is a US purchase, so it is a fat quarter yard. I find it funny how a country created by secession from Great Britain clings so adamantly to an imperial system of measurement. I find small things amusing.


My mosaic skills are underdeveloped. I tried to keep the scale the same for each picture, but I wonder if Picasa has Done Things. It is unfortunate, the scale doesn't show in each frame.
You can look at a bigger picture by clicketing, as usual. The tape measure shows cms.

I will draw this one on Monday November 16th.
Don't forget lace weight giveaway is here.

And because I am never confident with my spelling, I had to look up 'secession' just to make sure, and I find that in Ancient Rome, a secession was a temporary migration of plebeians to a place outside the city of Rome, to compel patricians to redress their grievances. I'm glad I know that now. And probably it wasn't the right word to describe the US historical action, but I like the sound of the word. So there.

whoopsa daisy duck

I forgot to take pictures of blog day 2 pressies when the sun was out, so tomorrow will have to be it instead. How inefficient is that!

So instead, here are 2 miniature bears from my collection. I didn't make them. I have never made a miniature bear. I am very unlikely ever to make a miniature bear. I am glad there are people out there who will make them for me.

These are the first and third bears I ever bought. Cedric was number 2 but he has gone on holiday in the room of shame and won't come out.


Alfredo is on the left and Blossom is on the right. They stand about 6.5cm tall, but mostly they sit at about 4.5cm squat.

Blossom was my first-bought. She teaches me that it is ok if you are unfortunate in your looks. You have worth just by being. As my first, I was amazed that people could sew bears this small with articulated joints, and I wasn't concerned about her lopsided face. This is a good thing. I knew her name was Blossom because it said so on her tag.

Cedric was number 2, but like I said, he is on holiday. He will come and visit you some other day. He just looked like a Cedric.

Alfredo was number 3. I think Alfredo is very fond of a venetian mardi gras, and likes to be ready all the time in case one breaks out.

After these 3 came to live with me, I decided it was a good thing to have a collection. 3 is enough to start a collection, I have been told. I thought if I named them alphabetically, boys and girls, then I would be allowed to buy at least 52 little bears. I haven't brought any new ones home recently, but in May I placed an order for 2 more. It seems their real mother is having time management problems. She says they will be born sometime this year. She just isn't sure when.

Daisy, Edgar, Florence, Gladstone, Holly, Ignatius, Jasmine, and Kingsley can't wait for their new sister and brother to come home. I wonder if they will look like a Lily and a Montgomery, or maybe a Lulu and a Marmaduke. We'll just have to wait and see.

blogiversary day 1

I think all versaries should have celebrations that last days. Otherwise it's hardly worth the bother, don't you think?

So today is part 1 of the Asset Redistribution Scheme (maybe I should rethink the name).

For the "woollies" out there, today your choice is from my basket of yubina lace weight. You can enter even if you don't consider yourself a woolly, but know someone who is.

Please choose
EITHER

100% cashmere, in pink, blue or green. 100g in your choice of colour, 1,000 yards total (I haven't measured it actually, but have taken the information from the website. Caveat optor.) #219, #300, #441 I think.

I used this for my cap shawl. It feels divine, and was a pleasure to work with. 160gms gave me a circle of squish that is about 1.7m in diameter.


OR

cashmere/silk blend - website says it is 45% cashmere, 50% silk, so your guess is as good as mine as to what else is in there. What would a versary be without surprises? I don't think it's likely to be 5% of anything you wouldn't want to work with, though. You're probably safe. I haven't used any of this blend myself, but how could you go wrong!

Oh how dull. I've just seen it listed on fleegle's yarn comparison chart as 45cashmere, 55silk. Just a typo on the website, then. More exciting to wonder if it's yak or mountain goat.

125g, 2,000 yards, in green, yellow or pink (#402, #103, #504 look closest to the mark)

The picture doesn't reproduce the colours very well. The green is a grey-green, more green than grey. The pink I'd described as watermelon, because that's the first thing that comes into my head. Pink with a touch of orange??


So how easy is that?
Cashmere in pink or blue or green
or cashsilk in green or yellow or pink.

In the absence of any labradors, I will select a winner by ye olde hat draw method, in a week(ish). Let's say Sunday November 15th. Posted anywhere in the whole wide blogosphere.

There will be 3 more chances for you to take stuff off my hands acquire wonderful new things, over the next week. Every 2 days, as long as I remember.

Be lucky.

oh and a warning. I do own cats. The cats own everything else. Your laceweight cannot be guaranteed of being free of cat fur. Not that they've slept on the stuff. Honestly. It's just that the fur seems to work its way into everything. Perhaps I should have 1 day of giveaway of something that has never entered my house, for the catophobes and catallergics out there.

O.P. shopping

I present my new stuff:

2 skeins sea silk by HandMaiden from ColourSong, colour SAFARI
Because.
and 2 skeins (yes, indeedy, turns out 2 x 9000m each) of 120/2 silk from Gossamer Web.
I put a 1mm needle there for comparison of thicknesses, but the picture is so blurry it is no help, I fear. My apologies.

And in the interests of full disclosure, knowing full well Himself doesn't read the blog, purchases from September:

1 skein Gossamer Web Phoenix 2/52
60% merino 20% silk 20% cashmere
colour glacier
(This is what I did the Shetland lace test sample in.)


and
2 skeins Gossamer Web AK47 2/20
100% silk
colour black plum
This is what I am using for the first item on my agenda for the Long Lacy Summer. Note the spirit of optimism and high expectations w.r.t. multiplicity of outcomes.

knitting from the skein, with absolutely no problems


my favourite Rose (trellis) lace, for the triangular body (of yet another shawly thing), to which I shall add a wide border on 2 sides based on the rose garlands being developed over in the Rav Heirloom-knitting Shetland graph-along.

In addition let us recall

1 skein Gossamer Web Sheherezade 2/36
50% camel 30% cashmere 20% merino
colour scarletand
1 skein Gossamer Web Love Potion #3 2/36
35% merino 35% cashmere 30% silk
colour tealish


If an etsy enabler will go and provide a whole range of options for lace weights, one has no choice but to get 1 (at least) of each. Although, so far no Tribble, or Truffle, or Vorpal Bunny Ranch has been acquired. Options open.

And why are these purchases not a problem? I am pleased to report that with the input of only another $5million in grants from the Federal Government Daylight Saving Research Scheme (application outcome pending), I should be well on the way to developing those 36 hour days, previously discussed.

Thank you.

I have just noticed I am approaching a blogiversary. I think there may be an opportunity for some options distribution aka give away. Stay tuned.

Fortunately

I didn't have to knit all 160 rows of the test sample, as my 'bit' was just the swag. So it is done. I knitted it as charted as it was a test run, although if I had been making a final version, I would have changed a couple of stitches. These changes are now being addressed by the design group.


I think I will use larger needles than the 1.75mm when I get around to knitting An Actual Thing with this merino/cashmere/silk 2/52 nm thread, simply to get there faster.

As you can see here, it is quite fine, but the silk gives it such strength, I found working with it really easy.


This is really embarrassing, but I've only just realised in the last month that I don't need to pin out all my mini knits with whole packets of pins, as my s/steel dpns would make excellent blocking wires. How slow am I? Purely rhetorical question, that, thanks.
Well, except for the circular knits, of course!