Stitches Galore

Here is the completed shawl - I don't intend to use it as a table cloth though! (I'm not really sure what to do with it, so it is stored away safely until inspiration arrives!). I am really pleased with the finished result although I think I need to work on my grafting - I can do ordinary stocking stitch grafting but did struggle with the purl and lace stitches here, so I fudged it a bit and hope to keep that part of the edging away from detailed inspection!

I can hardly believe it has been a year since I past posted! That's been a reflection of what this year has been like. Work has been an all-consuming entity really combined with the fact that I have had to complete my PGCE as well, on a part-time basis. If you factor in the time I've used to keep up with family life, church life and crafting, then my blogging time really hasn't figured at all. However, I have finished the Shetland Tea Shawl from A Gathering of Lace and the end is in sight for 'Fish', hopefully within the month after I complete my last clinical teaching assessment tomorrow and my final portfolio assignment by 7th September. Phew! Pictures to follow in the next post.

I was recently given 8 balls of 'Kinair' by Filatura de Crosa, in white. It reminds me of Kid Silk Haze - it has similar yardage but is a little softer to handle and not quite as 'fuzzy'. What to knit? Since it came from a friend in the Shetland Isles, I thought that a lace shawl could be an idea. having been inspired completing 'Birch' this spring, I was ready to tackle another project. As you can probably tell from the ball price in the picture above, this has been stashed for a while, so I am looking forward to knitting it up. I have looked at the Gathering of Lace book by Meg Swansen to see if any patterns there would suit the amount I have. One possible option is the circular Shetland Tea Shawl, which seems appropriate enough. However, I am attracted by the Traditional Lace Shawl book by Martha Waterman, although I do not have a copy. Has anyone used patterns from this book and could you recommend it?

Don't you think this hydragea is a lovely bright colour? We have acid soil and it wreaks havoc with pink hydrangeas, turning them a murky, dirty lilac colour. Last year we transplanted them into pots, adding some lime to the compost - and it seems to have done the trick nicely - I can't believe that I haven't posted anything for such a long time! I have had a bit more time to myself over the last few weeks and have used it to get several jobs completed that have been outstanding for a long time. Although this hasn't involved any knitting, it has involved tiny needles and acres (?) of fabric: Firstly, I decided to make two pairs of curtains for our home - one pair for the dining room (with a matching runner from the offcuts of length): Secondly, curtains for our living room and cushions to co-ordinate: Needless to say this has curtailed my knitting time, but I do now have two full strips of my 'Fish' throw completed, now I just have to get started on the third ...

The results of my machine embroidery workshop are as follows: All the machine sewing and the bonded applique were done during the workshop. However, most of the hand-embroidered blanket and stem stitch had to be done as 'homework'. Although I did do some patchwork at school, it never was one of my favourite crafts. The workshop was taken by a lady who had, at one time, owned a fabric and craft store, and she had brought lots of samples of her work. She has developed her skills towards painting and embroidering fabrics and creating lovely works of art. It was an inspirational day and I now have to add some sewing someday into my creative stitches. 'Fish' is making slow progress. I managed to complete the first 9-square strip at the weekend and so have 6 more strips to get through. I think Christmas is a realistic deadline for finishing it, as 'real' work is seriously limiting my personal leisure time at the moment - maybe it might be time to look for another proj...

Last week I had a chance to take my new Birch shawl to dinner. It was quite an affair, hosted by the Royal College of Nursing, to bestow the 'Nurse of the Year' awards for Northern Ireland. One of our student nurses was awarded joint 'Student Nurse of the Year' so we were really proud of her. And for the full effect: I have had a love/hate relationship with Kidsilk Haze. It often takes me several attempts at casting on to start knitting an item and I am left struggling with a twisted, fluffy one or two row strip that has to be consigned to the bin. This may explain why I tend to run short of yarn with my KSH projects! Once I get going however, things seem to settle. The main project I have knitted with KSH has been 'Dew' by Kim Hargreaves. Her kits are so beautifully presented it really is like receiving a gift you have sent to yourself! The colour is 'Dewberry' - familiar to many of you, I am sure, so apologies in advance for decimating the actual shade...

I've made some progress on the squares for my 'Fish' throw. Cotton Glace is a real treat to knit with, I love it! Each square is knitted and then cast off as normal. Stitches for the next square are then picked up and knitting continues with the new pattern. This cuts down on the amount of sewing required to finish at the end. There will be seven strips, nine squares long - so there is a bit to go yet. These are some of my favourites so far: This square is supposed to represent seaweed floating in the water. This is called 'Ripple' and requires the threading on to yarn of 140 beads in a particular colour sequence. It takes ages, but once you get going the knitting is quick enough. This is one I love - once 153 sequins are threaded on. The pattern calls for turquoise opague plastic sequins, but mine are mettalic - if makes them look more like fish scales, which is the desired effect. This is called 'Sun, surf and sea'. Debbie has done a super job of writi...