Victorian Lace Again

I had mentioned in an earlier post that I would be knitting lace for wedding gifts this summer.  One of the wedding gifts is going to be for a niece who is also my god daughter.  Her wedding was actually a year ago and far from Alaska.  She was then stationed to Germany and her husband sent to Iraq.  They were planning to come to Alaska this September after his tour and have a reception where I plan to give them their gifts.  But due to a dreadful event they will becoming home in August.  We have all been concerned about her husband’s welfare while he was in Iraq, but the event that surprise and shocked us was that my niece was mugged, beaten and left unconscious while on a run in a very “nice” town in Germany.  Her husband was able to get back to be with her within 23 hours of getting the news.  She is healing and otherwise doing well.

I have mixed and matched some of the designs from “Victorian Lace Today” by Jane Sowerby for the stole I’m going to knit for her.

The stole will have a center panel (Chart B from “Scarf with the No. 20 edging from The Knitted Lace Pattern Book, 1850“) with a border (Chart B from “Scarf or shawl with a center pattern”).

To start the stole I used the chain cast-on for the first time.

I like it very much, for me it works a lot nicer than the invisible cast-on.  This chain is temporary and will be removed when I knit the border.

“Victorian Lace Today” has a good reference section in the back of the book for techniques.  One of these references that I have found helpful is “Planning a shawl with a knitted-on border” which I used for planning the size and width of the center panel so the border should (fingers crossed) fit perfectly.

Off now to be mummy taxi driver (soccer practice).

Some Socks

I finished another pair of the Cat Bordi’s Basis Sock using Marks & Kattens’ Clown in shade 1724.

Now all I need is a summer to wear my summer socks.  (Sorry, but I had to whine at lease once with regards to the weather we are having).

Now with regards to Ziggy…

The toe got larger but it was too large, so I frogged.

The toe was re-knitted, but it was too small, so I frogged.

The toe was knitted again, and it was the right size and fitted the toe lovely.  But the heel design for this size toe would not be large enough to fit me comfortably.  Also this yarn and the standed knitting are not elastic, so I decided to knit the sock cuff down.  Again I frogged.

So here’s the cuff down version.

I broke the yarn once due to the same colour was coming from both yarn balls.  Though Ziggy has been a bit of a bother, I am liking the results.

Ta, Ta for now.

Blocked Wing

I finally blocked MS3.

A closeup of the wing.

If you look closely at the tips of the wing you can see the beads which add a very nice shimmer to the stole.

The stole being blocked with wires and pins.

It helped that a daughter’s room just got new carpeting.

I wanted to get a pic of stole being modeled, but the weather has been very dark and gray for me to get a decent shot.

To recap…

Pattern: Swan Lake by Melanie Gibbons
Yarn:  Jagger Spun Zephyr Wool Silk, Colour Ebony
Needles: US#4, Addi Lace

I made it longer and used Beading Banshee’s variation (a border for the transition to the wing).  I started last July and stopped because of indecision on how to finish.  I revisited the project last month and decided to try the wing.  I am very happy with the finished stole.

It’s been a cold and cloudy summer.

It poured down rain at my son’s last soccer game, he was half frozen even thought he played the whole game.  I had to get him some long sleeved Under Armor and gloves for tonight’s game since it’s colder (48F) and still raining.  None of my kids for the past 9 summers have had to wear extra gear to keep them warm during a soccer game.

Oh summer, where for art thou summer?