Swallowtails....as in two of them.
Gretchen and I are writing a dual post showing the Swallowtails in progress...actually after finishing the Budding Lace 1 and Budding Lace 2 charts.
Gretchen first.....
Alrighty then. Thanks for all the birthday greetings! I had a fabulous day – really great. I don’t really feel 50 years old – more like, I don’t know, 32. Imagine the daily shock I get everyday when I look in the mirror! I enjoyed my day, and it started by seeing Marianne’s post. I am so lucky to have such friends.
It seems that people are interested in seeing our progress in the Swallowtail Shawl KAL. Marianne and I decided that we would stop at the last repeat before we start the edgings to compare. This gave me enough time to go out and get a digital camera (love it better than my old Polaroid!) and learn how to use it (enough). So that is where we are at.
Here's a close-up. Note the fine little fuzziness! Love this yarn, really.
I used a yarn called Kitten Mohair from Sandnes. Size 7 needles from the KnitPicks Options set (my favorite Christmas present from myself). So far I also love this pattern. If I did another couple of repeats, I may have even gotten the pattern memorized (it’s only 3 pattern rows and 6 stitches wide; maybe you want to skip to Marianne’s part of this blog for intellectual stimuli). It’s really very pretty.
But my yarn… I have a big and growing concern about it. Maybe you can help. In spite of the lovely soft brown color and the very manageable halo from the mohair, I am very afraid of this yarn. It is 50% “courtelle.” From my guest post you know how I feel about knitting with fur from small domesticated (or not) animals. This was my primary worry until I learned from the little people in Google that courtelle is not a type of kitten, but a fancy word for acrylic. I felt enormous relief.
It was fleeting. A word floated up in my happiness and blew it into very small chnibbles.
Blocking.
Will a yarn that’s half acrylic, 20% wool and 30% mohair block like wool and stay put, or will I have to wear safety glasses to avoid getting snapped in the face when the shawl is released from its pins? Stay tuned. The nups will probably distract me anyway.
_______________________
Alright, for some reason it won't let me add my images.....let me work on this a minute...perhaps I need to start another new post....hmmmm.
Be right back.
OK folks...I need some help...
you know when you make a new post and you have your icons...and one is add image? I seem to not have any of those icons......they're not there...anyone able to help me out????? I need my icons back...
***********************************
Bobby is still trying to figure it all out, in the meantime I was able to have the icons in WIExplorer...go figure. (but I was nearly stroking out as I'm making and baking cream puffs for a birthday celebration this evening and I'm running late...and Gretchen, it had nothing to do with anything you did, I'm the dork, and I still don't know what I did or what happened.....)
Here's mine, I'm using Knitpicks merino lace weight, Shadow in the Oregon Coast colour (I love this) and using US4 circulars.
I love the colours in this yarn, they're very subtle and earthy....soft. I'm going to want to make myself one of these out of the same yarn, I love it so much.
Happy Knitting to All and continue to make good time.
Gretchen first.....
Alrighty then. Thanks for all the birthday greetings! I had a fabulous day – really great. I don’t really feel 50 years old – more like, I don’t know, 32. Imagine the daily shock I get everyday when I look in the mirror! I enjoyed my day, and it started by seeing Marianne’s post. I am so lucky to have such friends.
It seems that people are interested in seeing our progress in the Swallowtail Shawl KAL. Marianne and I decided that we would stop at the last repeat before we start the edgings to compare. This gave me enough time to go out and get a digital camera (love it better than my old Polaroid!) and learn how to use it (enough). So that is where we are at.
Here's a close-up. Note the fine little fuzziness! Love this yarn, really.
I used a yarn called Kitten Mohair from Sandnes. Size 7 needles from the KnitPicks Options set (my favorite Christmas present from myself). So far I also love this pattern. If I did another couple of repeats, I may have even gotten the pattern memorized (it’s only 3 pattern rows and 6 stitches wide; maybe you want to skip to Marianne’s part of this blog for intellectual stimuli). It’s really very pretty.
But my yarn… I have a big and growing concern about it. Maybe you can help. In spite of the lovely soft brown color and the very manageable halo from the mohair, I am very afraid of this yarn. It is 50% “courtelle.” From my guest post you know how I feel about knitting with fur from small domesticated (or not) animals. This was my primary worry until I learned from the little people in Google that courtelle is not a type of kitten, but a fancy word for acrylic. I felt enormous relief.
It was fleeting. A word floated up in my happiness and blew it into very small chnibbles.
Blocking.
Will a yarn that’s half acrylic, 20% wool and 30% mohair block like wool and stay put, or will I have to wear safety glasses to avoid getting snapped in the face when the shawl is released from its pins? Stay tuned. The nups will probably distract me anyway.
_______________________
Alright, for some reason it won't let me add my images.....let me work on this a minute...perhaps I need to start another new post....hmmmm.
Be right back.
OK folks...I need some help...
you know when you make a new post and you have your icons...and one is add image? I seem to not have any of those icons......they're not there...anyone able to help me out????? I need my icons back...
***********************************
Bobby is still trying to figure it all out, in the meantime I was able to have the icons in WIExplorer...go figure. (but I was nearly stroking out as I'm making and baking cream puffs for a birthday celebration this evening and I'm running late...and Gretchen, it had nothing to do with anything you did, I'm the dork, and I still don't know what I did or what happened.....)
Here's mine, I'm using Knitpicks merino lace weight, Shadow in the Oregon Coast colour (I love this) and using US4 circulars.
I love the colours in this yarn, they're very subtle and earthy....soft. I'm going to want to make myself one of these out of the same yarn, I love it so much.
Happy Knitting to All and continue to make good time.
posted by Marianne at 3/10/2007 12:06:00 PM
21 Comments:
Icons? What are they Marianne ? I am as dumb as ditch-water about pooter speak ...sorry. Gretchen that was hilarious , good luck with blocking although I am not sure just a wash and shape by hand won't be better .I have visions of melted gunge on your iron.
Hmmmm, Marianne, have you tried shutting Blogger down, and starting over? Sometimes I found that helped, but why, I don't know. :0)
Gretchen, it's looking lovely! I have never blocked out anything like this, so I have no wisdom to share, but I can't wait to hear how it all turns out!
OOOOOH errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I know what Icons are ( so do you Mum ..whacking Mum around head) ..but they should be there who has stolen them ?Blogger does some weird things Marianne maybe it had borrowed them .Mum's blog did weird stuff this morning ..try later never trust Blogger , it is obvious it it trying to drive us nuts.Holly x
Hope you get your icons back we're all waiting eagerly with baited breath to see the other swallowtail! Looks great Gretchen, hope it blocks ok, all depends on the mix as you well know!
Oh my goodness, Marianne, yours is so nice, too! You make me long to get my own started... :0)
Gorgeous Swallowtails! The pattern is really coming through nicely.
Such fun to watch two shawls as they progress. I chuckled with the snapping back of the acrylic when blocking!
Hey I get it this way you get twice as many comments! Lol
Of course it is wonderful to see your swallowtail taking it's place alongside Gretch's, they both look so pretty, can't wait to see them finished!
Lovely to see the two shawls side by side. If I was Gretchen I'd not put an iron too near to her shawl, just block it out and spray it with water and then leave it til it dries. I won't slap you Gretch, honest...I wanna knit a shawl!!
Beautiful shawls.
Mmmmmm...cream puffs! (said in my best Homer Simpson voice)
Man, what I wouldn't give to be able to knit like either one of you.
Wow, nice Swallowtails! They're coming along beautifully! They both look a lot tighter than mine - I'm using 4.5 mm needles with Misti Alpaca, which I think is a little too big.
Oh yes , yours is beautiful too Marianne . I am glad the icons returned .
Thank you All for coming by, and back again....It may not be blogger, it might be the Mozilla Firefox...dang.
Barry is trying out Opera as a browser...just a thought x
Incredibly Lovely..both of you ladies are awesome knitters and make it such fun to read about...the shawls are divine!!..Happy Knitting!!
Beautiful shawls!!You are going to love the finished shawl in KP Oregon Coast! (I made the Estonian Garden Shawl in that yarn and it is one of my favorites!)
Have fun with the Lily of the Valley edging...
Both Swallowtails are gorgeous! It's fun to see them together and I can't wait to see them both finished. :)
The shawls are really lovely!! I love those Knitpicks needles,too. I also got them for Christmas. :) I finally picked out a new laptop, and it was out of stock all over town! Hmmmmph! :) deb
I love that pattern in BOTH yarns. It really does show up nicely and looks wonderfully dramatic. Alas, I have no suggestions whatever about the wild courtelles....having never tried to block anything with acrylic in it...but it seems like 50% natural fibers should give it some degree of self control! Good luck, Gretch!
WOW! Your shawls are gorgeous (pardon me while I wipe the drool off my chin). You both picked wonderful colors and the workwomanship is just great. I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished product. Happy Knitting and have a wonderful weekend (both of you).
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