Sunday, January 31, 2010

Some progress

This



Has become this



Has become this

Pygora/wool neck shawl

All in the space of a month! I am actually quite impressed with myself.

I am also pleased with the fact that the yarn has softened, gained a much nicer hand, as I have knitted with it, so is going to feel all right around my neck. As is obvious, I never did find a more sophisticated pattern, just simple yarn overs, but even unblocked, they look quite nice, and suit the character of the yarn. The colour has worked out well, too - I used the breaking-off-to-match technique, was rarely aware of any bits where that hadn't been successful, and by dint of having to frog and reknit, even managed to end up with a dark-to-dark thing going on.

All things, given the accompanying background noise, I am indeed well-pleased.

Oh - and look closely at the photograph and you will see a hard hoar frost, quite a rarity these days. I gather it is going to be warmer, greyer and wetter very soon, dammit, but it is lovely while it lasts.

I have a knitting sighting to report - went to Opera North in Leeds last night to see "Ruddigore", which was a great treat as I grew up on amateur performances of G&S and have never lost the taste for it. I really enjoyed the performance, but in the second half, one of the main characters came on, drew up a chair and got out her knitting! I got the distinct impression that her incompetence with the needles was her own and not the character's, but still....I had to be forcibly restrained from cheering.

I have attempted today to give myself more focus - I have been drifting around of late, maybe not so surprisingly, but It Won't Do. So far, so good - now to refind that part bag of cashmere that surfaced a few days ago when hunting for something else, and to get out my Bosworth charka, for far too long languishing on the shelf. Then next up, having worked out the stitch count, to actually cast on the mohair yarn.

Go, me.........

5 comments:

beadlizard said...

The photo of the shawl really surprised me -- I really like the vertical stripes. Refreshing after seeing so many triangles knit vee fashion. Your yarn photo is an excellent art shot. Beautiful!

What's DSM working on lately?

Janet said...

Excellent result.

Janet

Dorothy said...

Did you use Navajo plying technique? I love to see the rolags, yarn, shawl sequence, makes me want to get back to my spinning wheel, in fact, I think I'll switch off now and go and spin something!

Cecilia said...

I love unexpected knitting! My favourite so far is in Middlemarch, during a scene where a couple of the chorus of townsfolk are discussing Lydgate the doctor. No mention is made of knitting or suchlike. Then suddenly:

"'Yes, indeed, I can imagine,' said Mrs Taft, keeping the number of thirty stitches carefully in her mind all the while."

And that's all it is, but suddenly Mrs Taft has become someone quite different!

Cecilia

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