I'm on my way

Halfway, that is. On my Paisley Long Shawl. I’m loving this pattern. When the Yarn Harlot bragged at how good these patterns are, she wasn’t just whistlin’ Dixie. It’s lace knitting with the pattern on both sides and a yarn that is a bit splitty. The pattern is as clear as clear with the addition of text directions when something different is going on in the pattern out of the ordinary. It’s been a pretty quick knit, too, so far. This picture isn’t really blocked, it’s just lightly pinned out so I could take the photo.

Tomorrow is the first of the 3 classes for the beginning lace course I’m doing for Lincoln Land and I’ll have 3 knitters. I’m very excited as this is the first time I’ve done this in an extended format like this. We’ll be doing a sampler scarf with fingering weight yarn.

Silly stuff

I found this recently and it makes me laugh so I thought I’d share…

“What they said…And what we did

According to the story, after every Quantas Airlines flight the pilots complete a ‘gripe sheet’ report, which conveys to the ground crew engineers any mechanical problems on the aircraft during the flight. The engineer reads the form, corrects the problem, and then writes details of action taken on the lower section of the form for the pilot to review before the next flight. It is clear from the examples below that ground crew engineers have a keen sense of humor – these are supposedly real extracts from gripe dorms completed by pilots with the solution responses by the engineers. Incidentally, Quantas has the best safety record of all the world’s major airlines.

(1=The problem logged by the pilot.)
(2=The solution and action taken by the mechanics.)

1. Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
2. Almost replaced left inside main tire.

1. Test flight, OK, except auto-land very rough.
2. Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

1. Something loose in cockpit.
2. Something tightened in cockpit.

1. Dead bugs on windshield.
2. Live bugs on back-order.

1. Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
2. Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

1. Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
2. Evidence removed.

1. DME volume unbelievably loud.
2. DME volume set to more believable level.

1. Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
2. That’s what they’re there for.

1. IFF inoperative.
2. IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

1. Suspected crack in windshield.
2. Suspect you’re right.

1. Number 3 engine missing.
2. Engine found on right wing after brief search.

1. Aircraft handles funny.
2. Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

1. Target radar hums.
2. Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

1. Mouse in cockpit.
2. Cat installed.

One down…234 to go

Woohoo! I’ve finished the border for the Saltire & Thistle shawl. 708 stitches. I did finally decide on a knitted border. It’s one taken from one of the Weldon’s Practical Needlework books I bought in Wisconsin a while back. I’ve figured out this book was from around 1890 and, although everyone keeps saying the old patterns are riddled with mistakes, this one was right on.

Round and Round

It’s been a while since I’ve had this kind of weekend. Of course, I always knit on the weekend but this weekend has been overdrive – in circles and circles. Remember the old mommy, mommy jokes? Mommy, mommy, I’m tired of running in circles. Shut up or I’ll nail your other foot to the floor. Seems kind of crude now but at 8 years old, that's funny, I don’t care who you are!

I’ve been fleshing out my 2-hour program on lace knitting to a 9-hour course and have been having a ball. But the overflow of that is that I’ve been a lace knittin’ fool. I’ve got 3 lace projects that I’ve had on the needles, one since February. This weekend, two of them got the business, especially the Shetland-style one. I worked 18 rounds on it in the past 3 days and considering it’s got over 600 stitches, I’d say that was a feat. Then I also worked about 35 rows on my Paisley shawl. Of course, that one’s only about 80 stitches but it’s patterned on both sides.

I’m nearing, I won’t call it the end because I still have the knit off edging, but I’m nearing the point where I can start knitting off the edging. I have to make the final determination about what edging I’m going to use and, at this point, I’m tempted to use a crocheted edging or small knit edging but I’ll have to take a breath when I finish the border to see what’s what.

The Paisley shawl is getting a little boring because you have to repeat this same pattern 6 times before you start the more interesting bit but I’m still enjoying it. We’ll see how I do when I have to join the middle and do 6 more of this pattern repeat. Maybe there will be enough between now and then to get me ready for it!

Oh, and one more thing. I did a class on knitting with jewelry wire and beads a couple of weeks ago and wanted to show you this. It’s something new I did as a sample because I didn’t really have a necklace to show. I love how it came out and it was a big hit with the class. I knitted over 3 stitches, passing the beads on every row and then, when I was finished with the necklace part, I took this wire disc I’d found somewhere and wove the blue wire I’d used in the necklace through it to pull it into the overall design and also to tone it down a little bit. I just want to wear it all the time!

Fun class

I had a Knitting with Jewelry Wire and Beads class this morning at LLCC and had a great group. There were 6 ladies who came along and all of them were up for anything. Several of them had never even knit before and I thought it was quite brave of them to come to the class. They did a great job, though, not only learning to knit but learning to knit with wire - not an easy feat, for sure, don't you think? A couple were able to finish pendants and we got the necklaces fixed up and the others got quite far in making their bracelets.

It never ceases to amaze me how individual and striking these projects are. I love it when people to catch on to all of the possibilities and the basic simplicity of the process which is why I always bring lots of samples for people to look at. I wish I had some photos but I always get too wrapped up in the class and forget!

I've just started a new lace project, because 4 projects are simply not enough to be going on with! I found Fiddlesticks Knitting from the Yarn Harlot's blog when she finished her Peacock Shawl. I don't always check out these links but I did this one and found this. The Paisley Long Shawl. In plum. Oh, yeah, baby. Paisley. Plum. Lace. I repeat, Oh, yeah, baby.

This is probably the most advanced lace pattern I've ever done with the pattern worked on every row but I'm very excited about getting it started.

Vintage Cute

I've started playing with patterns for reproductions of some vintage patterns. This one was from a picture of a beaded purse. In the original version, which was called a vase coin purse, the white stripes were beaded. I didn't do this one that way because I wanted to work out the pattern. It's made with size 5 perle cotton in powder blue and white.



I've posted a free pattern for it on my web site so have a look if you want to try it out. I've also been seeing 19th century patterns for a similar concept but in a larger size. This one stands about 5" and is really just too cute, don't ya think!


One of the other things I've been working on is a linen top. Here's the back of the bodice. It's going to have a square neck with a vintage lace inset pattern. Then it's going to have a lace insert at the waist with a 'skirt' that will go about hip length. This is the Louet Euroflax Linen that I love so much in color "Grape." and using US size 4 needles. The bodice is stockinette and cable, the skirt will use a cherry lace stitch from a 19th century pattern and a yet to be decided lace insert.

This is where the 'N more comes in

I just got home from the Opening of the watercolor show and I’m surprised, astounded and, frankly, a little bit in shock that one of my paintings won an honorable mention. Out of about 50 or so paintings (some of which were breathtaking, by the way) there was 1st, 2nd and 3rd and then about 8 honorable mentions. One of those was mine. I still can’t fathom that that happened. I’m really anxious now to see the notes from the comments made by the judge. They’re being transcribed and I don’t know when they will be distributed but that’s really the reason I entered the paintings I did – to get the feedback from an artist of the caliber of Tom Francesconi.

The show will be at the Chase Bank lobby in downtown Springfield through October so go have a look.