Sunday 29 July 2007

The wedding



Here is a really bad photo of the wedding present dishcloths. This was the first attempt at arranging them in a witty or artful way, but it is the only photo I have. Looked a lot better with the dishcloth fairy clutching the real present (money) but I think it would be really bad form to do show & tell so everybody could count it!


Well, the guests behaved well except for Millie, who loudly announced how bored she was at the critical moment during the ceremony, so we made a hasty exit out the back door as she kept saying, louder & louder, 'why do you keep shushing me, mummy?'
It was as lovely as a wedding can be. The weather and the hotel were gorgeous.

Any opportunity for a photo of Millie...don't you think the tattoo just sets it all off nicely? It was only supposed to last for 3 weeks 2 months ago, but Murphys Law triumphs again..

The cardigan is knitted from the top down in 100% cotton DK - no pattern, I made it up as I went along after I charted the lace flowers & stems, then used an edging pattern from Knitting Counterpanes Traditional Coverlet Patterns for Contemporary Knitters by Mary Walker Phillips . The lace flowers & leaves echo the design on her dress. She loves it as you can see!

Tuesday 3 July 2007

Japanese Feather & Fan Shawl



I first spotted the Japanese feather & fan pattern in Barbara Walkers Treasury. I noticed it again in Vogue Knitting magazine last year, the issue with loads of shawls in it. At the time, I was playing with knitting a pinwheel sweater but the yarn I tried didn't work as it was slightly boucle & the rows to stitches ratio is different. (It is still sitting in time out, waiting to be turned into something else.) I finally got round to making this shawl for a wedding next weekend. I am going to try to put up the pattern in a sidebar...watch this space! I have my DH on the case! He's my hero, should be there now.

Added 16/11/07...
The knitting details.

My pink shawl was knitted on 4mm circular needles using 3 ends of 2/28nm laceweight silk from Colourmart UK. It weighs 85 grams. From Colourmarts website, 2300 yards is 150g. Using 3 ends, therefore divide by 3, is 766 yards for 150g...so 85 grams is 766/150x85 = 435 yards. Looks like you have plenty there, then! However, I didn't knit the last repeat of the pattern. Mine measures 15" from the back of the neck to the bottom.

Added 20/07/08

The excel spreadsheets have got a couple of strange things happening on them. I am test knitting it again now, and I will post a revised version -PDF, no less! in a few days. With some more pictures, if my camera will behave.

Added 07/09/08

Finally got it knitted, blocked, photos taken, pattern put in to pdf format & everything. Sorry folks for the delay, I decided to do the edging differently after I knitted it a couple of times. In 3 strands of slippery silk. 'Nuf said.

Added 18/09/08
Errata on pdf JFFshawl20080907
The written instruction for lines 11 to 15 have the K2Tog & SSK instructions swapped with each other. The chart is correct.
Added 19/09/08
The chart for rows 68 to 88 on page 5 should have a comment to repeat the 11 stitch pattern twice in the same place as the last chart shows where to repeat it 3 times.