theraineysisters knitting and so much more

Before I launch into my latest FO, I’d like to ask this question: “What do you all know that I don’t?”  I mean, do I have two months to live and no one bothered to tell me?  I am trying to figure out why everyone is being so darn NICE to me!!  First, Romi sends me a beautiful pin and then a lovely package arrives in the mail.  Michelle sent me this array of “knitting nirvana” to thank me for a very small favor (and I do mean miniscule!!):

The yarn is soft and luscious just like vanilla ice cream and the other items are absolute great FUN!!  Thank you, Michelle — you are knit-tastic!  Wow 😉 😉 😉

On to the knitting portion of this blog… 

The Diamond Fantasy Shawl is a fait accomplis.  I finished it Monday, but needed to block and photograph it, which adds time to the blogging process!

Here it is in its unblocked, crinkly, ugly duckling stage:

Being blocked:

Don’t you just love the built-in edging?  That’s why I like this pattern.  And now she’s back on Lettie for the final viewing:

The finished shawl ended up being 68″ by 34″ which isn’t too bad.  I started with ~450 yards of worsted weight silk of unknown origin and now have something to show for it.  I feel pretty good about that.

Front view:

And, with the gorgeous shawl pin!

I think it’s wonderful!  I wish the camera captured the sheen of the silk yarn.  I am really glad I read blogs because that’s how I got hooked up with this pattern.  Bloggers rock 😉 !!

PS – Cindy mentioned the lovely photograph of the fireworks — my daughter took that picture.  I thought it looked very professional!

PPS — Sally, please come back!  I need my blogging partner!  I know everyone is tired of reading a single sister — it isn’t called The Rainey Sisters for nuthin’.

 

Sorry to step on your post, Surly, but I have a new project to introduce and a great pattern. I can’t wait to see the picture of your Mermaid tomorrow!

First, though, I want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments about the Peacock Shawl. I felt very warmed by your generous and thoughtful praise.

Back to the present!! My next small project is the Diamond Fantasy Shawl/Scarf by Sivia Harding. Many of you are familiar with this pattern, but it is fairly new to me. I was looking for something for some handpainted silk that Sally generously willed to me from her stash (and I did offer it back to her when she was here — honest!!).

The yarn is 100% handpainted silk in teal and lavendar/purple; approx. yardage is 450 yds.; worsted to heavy DK in weight. I am using a US 10 needle. The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn, but says sport will also work. Sivia thought the heavier silk would work fine — perhaps yielding a medium sized shawl. I love the yarn and the pattern. I like the fact that the edging is built in as you go. This pattern reminds me of the Hemp for Knitting Ponchette I made last year, but a little dressier.

Sivia does not follow pattern writing convention completely — i.e, her charts are kind of different, but you can certainly figure it out. She includes written and charted versions.

I was supposed to be working on Kauni, but knitting is my hobby and I do it for fun — and this seemed more fun at the moment!

I’m sorry but I have failed at being faithful ;).  I have been thinking about making the cardigan on the cover of Lace Style since it came out:

This looked like the perfect summer cardi to wear in the meat locker they call my workplace!  Do they really need to keep it at 50 degrees??

The cardi takes chunky weight yarn: 90 yds to 50 gm.  I’ve been searching and searching for yarn.  I finally found my dream yarn today: Sublime Aran in “Clipper’ which is denim blue.  It is 75% merino, 20% silk, and 5% cashmere.  Oh my! It could NOT be softer, and I thought the denim would look cute with everything. 

I am just getting started and could not get a good picture, but you get the idea.  The fabric is not as “white” in places as it looks here, but it does get that washed denim look from light reflection.  I love it so far.  My justification is two-fold: I need a summer sweater, it is mindless knitting, and my Mitered Tote is nearing completion :).  

I came home and said to Hubby, “Hey, I bought more yarn” and he said, “Keep on buying yarn until we run out of money.”  Okay, dear, anything you say!

 

I’ve been happily mitering along.  This is the perfect take-along project.  It is semi-mindless (except where I have to do my decreases, since sometimes I motor right past them!). 

One of the big squares is done — it’s a lot of knitting, mes amies!  It’s about 20×20 inches!

I also started the bottom sections.  I could NOT wrap my brain around how the bottom was going to work, so I had to do it to see it.  It makes total sense once you get going.  I think it would have been helpful to have a diagram with the pattern for us “visual” learners!

It did not call for a provisional cast on, but I thought it would be nicer and I think it is.

RE: Sally’s brief visit in June.  She will be here on June 14 and we are going to Panera’s in Plymouth for my weekly Knit Night.  Come one, come all!!

I am still 10 rows away from where I was on the Peacock Shawl before I ripped, but I am enjoying it immensely. 

And, please, will someone chip in to buy poor Lucy some underwear?  It is a bit unseemly ;).  They just moved our blog into the porn listings!  And should I be concerned that my husband volunteered to shop for her knickers?

 
On another note — thank goodness GA is back on track!  Last week’s show was an embarrassing disaster.  Shondra, what were you thinking?  The lame California story line was only eclipsed by the stupidity and lack of reality of its characters.  This week was pure gold.