Monday, May 30, 2011

What I did on vacation

Life has been so busy this spring that I've hardly knit a stitch but I got some vintage magazines given to me the other day and came across a knitted doily that I just couldn't pass up.  I started this on Saturday:
It's been a lot of fun and I love the fact that there's some variety in the textures in each of the petals.  It's worked in size 30 thread on US size 0 needles.  I'm debating about doing the ruffle.  It's pretty in the picture but in what universe am I really going to be able to get it to ruffle right?  We'll see.

The other main thing I've been working on is a great big ole square of garter stitch.  Okay, it's not a square yet but it's going to be a square.  Normally I hate knitting garter stitch but in this hand spun yarn with the movement of colors, it works, I think.  The problem is that I've run out of yarn (twice).

Actually, I knew that would happen but, whereas I'd kept up with the spinning and knitting, I have now run out completely.
I don't want to go too far with the spinning, though, because I think I'm going to do something a little different with the border and the edging.  I'm almost ready to start plying for my third round of knitting but I think I need to add a little more of the brown back into the second bobbin of singles.  I have to say, though, that I'm really loving the whole process of spinning and knitting this shawl.

I did find some turquoise merino roving at the KY Sheep and Fiber Festival that I've started spinning.  I'm wondering about using that for the border and then spinning the browns that I've taken out of the second bobbin of the singles for the original yarn for the edging.  I think I'll have to have a think about that.  I'm just thinking the solid turquoise would show up the lace knitting so much better and then the brown will ground it all in the edging.  We'll have to see.