Rear Window

So, here is my rear window. Isn't it a happy window? It looks out into our backyard. Right now, the backyard is a vision of green... with oxalis stricta.

You can't see it through the window, but we've unfortunately have a toilet in the back yard too. With the weeds, I guess the contractor forgot to take it. Nor do you see all the other junk in the back yard. What you can see is the 2 doors we had removed during our remodel, and the chair that one of the workers had out there when he ate lunch.

I decided to use a smaller linen thread than what was used for the front window (because it arrived after I started the Steinrose curtains for the front of course).

I'm now at the first of many many leaves. This is a very straight forward pattern (as all Nieblings are). After I finish the first set of leaves, I'll block and calculate how many more leaf sets I'll do before the funky flowers.

Have I ever mentioned how much I absolutely love coned yarn/thread? Love it! How many yards are on this cone? More than you or I can imagine...Okay, so, it's 25 Lea (I forgot and had to double check). I've got over a pound of this thread, so, I have over 8000 yds of this. I can make curtains til the cows come home.

By the way, here's my front window, looking out. Why yes, it does make me happy.

Curtain #2

I'm embarking on a new knitting project. Yay. It's the back door curtains. I have been checking out the Ikea curtains, and have decided that I shall instead knit this for the home. I'm doing the Teerose curtains from Burda Special E418.

I also decided to use even finer Irish linen (ebay). It's 20 Lea. So, doing the handy dandy conversion (1Lea=300yd/lb) equals 6000yds/lb...which to my eye, feels like a #80 thread? Much thinner than what I used for the front door curtains. But all's well.

My swatch was 20stitches/3 inches, so I should be able to do 3 complete flowers for this curtain.

Cast on 180 +14 stitches using #0 needles.

Knit a few rows of stockinette, and I'm ready to rumble.

Curtains

psst. I finished. I knit the curtain, I blocked the curtain, I weaved in the ends...need to still put up the hardware for the door, but here it is:
this is the Steinrose curtains (Anna Burda July 1992). Nice knit. A few minor errors in the pattern (or maybe I just misread them). The knit 7 togethers were a minor pain, but other than that...

I knit this curtain using a provisional cast-on since I didn't know how I wanted the bottom edge (it's knitted bottom up). I then found that in one iteration of this pattern, they used this edging. But I had already did some plain knitting, but I like the break before the edging.

Anyway, specs:

needles: US0

yarn: linen thread

time: complete blur...will have to check the actual dates

pattern: Steinrose from Niebling

Next project

As I'm knitting away on my shetland shawl, and knowing that the next 3 pieces are just like the first, I'm already trying to figure out what to knit next.

A Niebling, of course. Now which one?

Well, I had a couple choices picked out. Mostly because I said I was going to knit them (and they are all so pretty). It was going to be a table topper, and when I get really crazy, I'd like to do a table cloth for my 'seats 8' dining table...(yeah, that's going to happen).

But, as some of you might know, we're getting some work done on our house, and one of the items on the agenda was to get a new front door. Well, on my birthday earlier this month, they came and installed a new front door. This one has a big giant window in the front, and so, I've got my project.

I'll be knitting Niebling's curtains from Anna 07/92.

I've done a swatch with linen thread and am pretty okay with using US1 needles. I'll be knitting 3 motifs and started with a provisional cast on so that I can do a decorative scallop edging on the bottom.

Wish me luck.

Another test knit for Lacis

I offered to knit one more for Lacis. This is pattern from pg. 72. Wait a minute, you say...this doesn't look like the one in the book...

Well, since this was a test knit, and they asked for it to be completed by the end of January, what was I going to do? As I finished the first set of motif, I realized that after row 87, the pattern is repeated again (2 in each section). So I just made sure that this knit okay, and then proceeded to the edging section.


This took a bit over a ball of the Cordonnet 100 thread.


Started January 15 2009
Completed January 24 2009
needles: 000
thread: Cordonnet 100
pattern: test for Lacis

GESTRICKTE SPITZENDECKEN pg 78

Since I was done w/ 2 patterns, I asked for another one to check. I am impressed by the number of errors that can occur in one small pattern. whoah...

But the result is pretty cool.



I'm amazed by how by manipulating stitches, you can get a more 3-dimensional feel. Very cool. See these petals, the crossed-stitches give the petals depth.


When the book comes out (a little plug for Lacis), definitely worth getting. Every pattern I tested has had errors in it.


pattern: GESTRICKTE SPITZENDECKEN pg 78
Cebelia #20 thread in white (less than 1 ball)
needles: 2mm KP Harmony circs
Started January 4 2009
Completed January 7 2009

GESTRICKTE SPITZENDECKEN Doily 1

Whew, 45 rounds, mostly hex mesh and crossed stitches (yes, the crossed stitches are almost all the stitches NOT hex mesh). That's pretty much the doily. And a row full of errors (okay, 2 errors). I had to change up the binding off so that it would like like the original picture.



Started November 21 2008
Completed November 22 2008
thread: Cebelia #20 in ecru
needles: US0 dpns and US1 circs


Mods: corrected what I thought were errors. there's a move marker row that I thought I moved the wrong way. It just didn't look symmetrical. But it blocked out, so I guess I did it correctly.

The other thing I had to do was to rework the chain togethers. What a pain. But it looks pretty nice, don'tcha think?

New Anna magazine and Lily of the Valley

While at the Lacis lace knitting group this weekend, I got to check out their wonderful books (including the Estonia book). On my way out, I spied w/ my eyes the new North American Anna Burda magazine. hmmm...

Yep, I came home w/ it. I also decided that this little doily needed to be knit with 100/2 linen thread. (I did mention that there's a gap in my small needles collection and I don't have 0000 circs). So, I pulled out my 000, and got started.


The start is on 16 stitches, and I just couldn't do it w/ dpns. So I modified the start by casting on 8 stitches, and the next round, increasing to 16. Pretty easy knit but I did curse the k5tog...okay, not so much except last night, when I was on row 81, only to realize that I missed one of those k5tog back in row 77! From row 77 to 81, it's just stockinette, but there was no way I could drop down and knit that 5 stitches together (oh shoot). I ended up tinking back to row 78 -- yes, that is over 1800 stitches (thank goodness it was all stockinette). Then as I was crochet casting off, I managed to yank ~50 stitches off the needle...yikes. Anyhow, here's the finished blocked item.




As for the 100/2 linen? It has a little wee bit of slub, but that was it (definitely not like thicker linens I've used). I don't think I'll be knitting our kitchen curtains with the 100/2...the thought of 000 needles for curtains (sigh). I think I'll stick w/ the huge thing of 40/2 linen. One thing of note is that the linen thread is much more unforgiving than Cordonnet. You see all that unevenness of the stockinette? Some of that came about in the blocking.

Right after I knit myself a pair of socks (shh...I'm going to knit these. They have DNA on the side).

Erbstullgrund and Lacis lace meeting

This month's meeting at Lacis was without our fearless leader, Mary Frances. But as usual, it was interesting and fun. I got to show off my Lyra and a friend of mine is doing her Lyra with Habu merino -- nice!

I started Estullgrund there and worked on it off and on this week. What fun! I've seriously got to say this is one of the funnest Niebling's I've done--ever. There aren't endless rounds of hex mesh, just enough...a few knit 5 togethers...and yes, even ONE crossed stitch per section.

It would have been done earlier, but I stalled out on the edging region. I could not make heads or tails from the instructions. I figured you needed to do some make1's and that your final stitch count should be 101 stitches, but neither Babelfish nor Google translate was very helpful. I did end up googling this pattern and emailing a knitter that also knit this. I received her notes and voila, edging.

But then tragedy. I realized there's no way I'd have enough to finish the edging. I used a partial ball of thread figuring I'd have enough. No problem. Shortened it and bound off.


Specs:
Started August 6 2008
Completed August 10 2008
thread: Manuela No. 10 thread
amt: .9 balls
pattern: Burda 908/42 Erbstullgrund
mods: changed the edging by making it smaller

Lyra...finally

I actually finished Lyra a couple of days ago. But when I went to look at it preblocking, I realized there were stains on the white cotton. Drats. Double Drats. Anyway, it spent a day in time out, and then another night in oxyclean. As I pinned it out, I realized there are additional stains. I'm not sure how that came to be (am sure it had nothing to do w/ the fact that this was toted EVERYWHERE).

From the closeup, you can see where the binding occurs. Remember, I did not change needles, fuss or muss with the pattern at all. It is knitted as originally written. I didn't even bother changing the needle size at row 113 as per Anna Burda version.

I've got to agree w/ many folks that have knitted this beauty, it's not the most difficult Niebling, but it's quite a fun little knit (altho' I found the leaf edging a pita-- so up to the leaf edging very fun). I opted to knit the square version, but had a heck of a time trying to block it out to the square shape.

Anyway, here's the pic and specs:


Patern: Lyra by Herbert Niebling (Anna Burda magazine)
Started August 12 2008
Completed August 31 2008
thread: Cordonnet #100 2.1 balls
needles: 0000dpns 000circs (32in)
mods: none. no needle change, no additional stitch, nada. See, you can see where there's binding. Yes. There is binding when you knit Lyra with thread.

eta: this is much smaller than other folks Lyra since I used #100 thread with 000 needles.

Ravelympics part II--sadness

No bronze medals were thrown, no refs kicked in the head...nope. I tried really hard, but only managed to round 135 of Lyra. (at least I finished one project). Will post pics/story later.

Niebling Leaf shawl complete

Here's the finished shawl from a Lena magazine. It's official name is "Rosa romantic", and there's variants in Lavori VIII and it's suggested it's related to Phoenix Palme. A couple of notes on this knit is that it's ginormous. And it would have been even larger had I not modified the last rows of leaves and the edging. The original is 211 rounds and I dropped it down to 198 by shortening the leaves and changing the edging.

Knit-wise, this was pretty simple, but as I mentioned before, you need to twist the twists and purl the purls on the 'rest row', which means no resting row. The yarn is pretty nice. It's Colourmart 100% cashmere. I'm off on vacation tomorrow, but when I get back, I might toss it in a bag and put it in the washer...or not.

Oh, there was binding between leaf set 2 and 3, so I added a hex mesh/section and then took it out toward the end.

Would I recommend this pattern? Well, yes, but I would have something a tad more challenging at the same time. I didn't bother recharting, so I ended up coloring in the leaf motifs. That helped me alot to see the general leaf pattern. And since it's kinda boring, it was a nice little break too.

btw--I originally used a white shirt for modeling this shawl, but it was so large that it looked silly. So I had to go and pull out a lab coat (shh, yes, I own my own lab coats) and use that for showcasing the shawl

specs:
start: July 13, 2008
finish: August 1, 2008
yarn: US3 and then US4 (when I needed longer needles--should have probably just started w/ US4, but whatever).
pattern: Lena March 2006 Rosa Romantic
mods: to release binding and to make it a tad smaller than given. And changed edging. Also changed crochet loops too.

all I can say is that if it weren't so not an exciting knit, I'd do it again as a tablecloth. Maybe I'll switch it up and do the Lavori VIII one...

My next project was going to be the WRS from Sharon Miller, but with Ravelympics and season of lace and vacation, I might wait--or not.

I might do Hyrna Herborgar with some lovely red cashmere that I've had and knit and ripped twice for two other projects.

No rest...

I'm knitting Rosa Romantic (aka phoenix Palme) from Lena. I've been meaning to knit it for awhile, and when I was last yarn diving (in my stash), I realized I had this lovely teal cashmere. So, I cast on on July 13. Of course, I haven't finished my other project, trollblume, but I'm at the point of moving my stitches off needles to only knit back and forth, so...it's sitting idle while I work on this beauty.

This will by my first (and maybe only) circular shawl. I like knitting circles, but I don't like wearing them (kinda like my love/dislike relationship w/ triangles). I guess I'm a rectangular type of gal. But here's the thing about this pattern, there's no rest row. You know, Nieblings have that every other row is a straight knitting row (which I really enjoy as the rounds get longer). However, with this pattern, you have to twist the twist stitches and purl the purl stitches. ouch.

Anyway, here's a progress shot. I'm too lazy to pin it out, so I stuck a book underneath it instead.

Gone to the Fair

Today was a totally fun day. The boy and I dropped the girl off at school and we went to run errands, including a trip the the Farmers Market, where we got some incredible strawberries from my favorite vendor and even some peaches. Then we hung out and picked up A after she's had her nap (the reason she went to school was so that she'd get a nap) to go to the County Fair.

We got there and A and Z each made one of these:

Very cool. They had set out some sheered wool and paper and glue and crayons.

We looked at a calf that was born yesterday...we looked at hobbies...and then we went in search of ...





yep. I entered several pieces in the knitting category.

I can honestly say in all the years I've gone to the fair, I've never stepped into this building. It was a little frustrating running around looking at every single display to see if it's one of mine. I had Z looking too. But he was trying to look for my name, and that's difficult in that huge place.





After much running around, I found all my items, and guess what?! I ribboned.



My goldlack shawl won 2nd place. woo hoo.

AND
.
.
.
.
.
.



Blue ribbon for Hanalore.

Double woo hoo.

Blood Sweat and Tears for Birch Catkins

I finished my first #100 thread 0000/000 needle project. The knitting wasn't that difficult once I got into it. The trick? Don't switch back and forth between projects. My fingers got used to the thin thread pretty quickly, and it's not like cobweb yarn, that snaps when you look at it. This stuff is pretty tough stuff. But ultra thin thread with similar needles work your hands pretty hard.



So, the trials and tribulations of the Birch doily:

Snippet I:

I had set down the project right after I had first switched over from dpns to circs, and my lovely two year old darling little A (aka Creature), came running over saying 'momma, momma, yarn...' while pointing at her legs. Well, there was nothing there, so I shrugged and she sang me a song.

Anyway, I go back to pick up the knitting, and it's not there. I looked around and found it on the floor with the thread in a jumble. Aha. She had been playing w/ my knitting and the thread got tangled around her legs. (Yes, she had dragged it almost into another room).

Anywhoo. the point to this story? Severalfold.

One. I would switch over to circs as soon as possible. Had I left my 0000 metal dpns on there, the blog entry would be vastly different, and shorter.

Two. Listen to your child, really listen. They're not talking silliness. I promise to be a better mom and listen.

Three. That Cordonnet thread is amazing. That stuff is tough. I'm impressed.

Snippet II:

This form of charting greatly annoys me. Mostly because they use the same symbol for k2tog as Burda does for k2 into 1. That is a pain. And this pattern isn't bundled so you have to read all the way across the chart. Priscilla graciously recharted the pattern and it was awesome. But since the official start date wasn't until this weekend -- it being the 'summer' kal and all, I forged ahead. Anyway, I found a couple of errors/ommissions and since everyone isn't as far ahead as myself, well...anyway, there's a couple of move markers that aren't documented and there's a head scratcher (for me) that I had to knit by pure blind faith -- and given the chart errors, I still did that. There's a bit that might look wonky, but oh well.


Snippet III:

Oh my goodness was it hot this weekend. Whew. It was so hot we all hung out in our basement (it's a high basement Vickie) and I knitted on this doily while the kids played. The only thing is I have got to go find my little string holder because my ball of thread kept rolling around. Good thing it's thread, I'm sure it's going to get a tad less dingy when I actually wash it before blocking.


Snippet IV:

Total rookie manuver (or how I had to rewash and soak the doily). I pinned out the doily with the initial 16 pins, then was going through and pinning the other loops when I realized that mine's not circular. So, made a makeshift compass and drew some circles, then was pinning again. After half of it is done, I'm realizing that the doily is drying out --it's been warm here. I can get it done. Hurry Hurry. Sure.

Well, I went and poked myself w/ a straight pin, but still, plodded ahead. Yep, got a drop of blood on the edge. Shoot. Off came all the pins and back in cold water it goes. (See that little discoloration? yep, blood).


I've invested in the stainless steel pins, but sometimes, they bend. And I'm finding that I don't have that many left. I started pinning them 2 together to save pins -- man, I'm lazy. Note to self: go check out th pins that Lacis carries.

edited to add:


Snippet V :

As I was posting this doily to my projects page on Ravelry, I noticed that others listed the pattern as personal, and not Herbert Niebling...I did what a good volunteer editor does, I added the pattern and posted a quick message to the board asking folks to link to this pattern instead of 'personal'.

Well, I get back from picking up the kids only to find much badness. I am no longer a member of the Yahoo group. The group got Ravelry-ized, and I think my putting up this doily was the last straw. It is very sad. They have the right to decide who's in and who's out. I did really appreciate all the information and the lovely folks on that board and how helpful everyone was. I do wish everyone there the best.

In the following picture, in the middle, you see that wonky arch, yep that one, right in the middle. Yes. That's row 91.






Started: June 10, 2008
Finished: June 23, 2008
thread: Cordonnet #100 in white
needles: 0000 dpns, 000 32" circs
modifications: I added 2 extra rows to the edging. Oh, I changed how the doily started too. Using #100 thread, I thought it was too much of a PITA to do the 1->5->10 in 7 rounds.
It blocked out at 23 inches in diameter.

Niebling Summer KAL update

Well, the official start isn't until this weekend, but I am working away at mine. While I was taking a progress shot (I don't usually do this too much for a doily), I realized how thin my thread was, so I thought I'd take a pic for posterity.


This is left to right: #10 thread, #20 thread, and what I'm working with right now, #100 thread.

This is a needle comparison:
Top down: US8, US1, US000, US0000, US6X0


As for the update on the KAL, here it is:


oh, also, guess what I finally ordered....



Thanks for the present! This is a gift from my MIL. Love it!

Napperon Carre

Isn't Napperon Carre just a beautiful name? yep, it means 'square mat'.



Anyway, this was an interesting knit. The flowers are all crossed stitches, and then you crochet bind off and then pick up stitches (makes that cool loop) and continue. I did end up modifying it a tad. Bind off is at round 113, but I went up to 115 (keeping in hex-mesh and edging pattern). Then for the crochet bind off, I knit together 4 loops at hex mesh, 3 at the triangular points, 5-5-5-5, 4-5-4, 5-5-5-5. Crochet 14 instead of 20 chain (too loopy).



Yes, there was binding. I wish I remembered that when I looked at the picture, it looked like it binds right at the start of the flowers. I wish I had remembered that. It would have been easy to put in another hex mesh there. Drats.



Started May 30, 2008

Finished June 7, 2008

Cebelia #20

1.5 balls

US1 Addi Turbo Lace

Lyra Sister finished

I thought I'd do a semi-quickie Niebling. Funny, it only ends up being 30ish rows less than Lyra. But this turned out much smaller than I thought (at 65cm squared). I've really admired it since I saw it a while ago, mostly because I like squares a bit more than circles.

This is 418/23 from the Burda Lace Special. It's apparently also known as Hannelore (don't ask me why, I don't know...never saw this name to this pattern except on Ravelry). It was a little knit in that it took me a little over a week, but it wasn't as fun as I was hoping b'cause of the the ground stitches. Ends up this is the same background as Dragone and crossed stitches to boot(which I will show you later once I've got it blocked). So, while instead knitting the edging of Dragone, I knit this up.

Specs:

Started May 15 2008
Completed May 24 2008

thread used: Cebelia #20 in white (1.4 balls)

needle size: USo (2mm) dpn and circs

Modifications: none. Oh, wait, I'm fibbing. I did sort of have to mess with the final bind off a little. I'm not sure if I actually changed the grouping of the loops or not, but the way I did it worked out. (I did a 4-3-5-3-4, unless there was a leaf coming up, then it was 4-3-5-3-3 grouping. And at the corner, I did the 4-3-5-3-4--4 at the corner). heck, if you are knitting this ditty and are confused, email me and I'll draw it out.

I love how the flower is crossed stitches. So very Niebling.

Filigree progress

I know I should be working on Dragone, but why when I've got extra lovely Colourmart silk/cashmere in Sangria whispering to me. Saying CAST ON FOR SOMETHING! oh, I guess it's shouting...not whispering. I decided that this gorgeous red cone of delight has to become a Niebling. (It's actually much darker red than pictured--note to self: work on taking better picture).


I was going to make Lyra, but fleegle has such a beautiful red version of it that I decided on Filigree. 'Filigree' is 554/33 aka Burda Special E554 pattern #33 aka Anna 0896/21 (Aug 1996 pattern #21). There might be other names too, but I don't know. Lacefreak is working on this shawl, and her's is in a sweet pink. She calls it Poppy, and I think it's a lovely name. It is related to Goldmohn (Burda #198), I believe that has more chrysanthemum-oaky jagged leaves in the center. And Goldmohn is a monstrocity at 311 rounds while this is a sweet 176 rounds.

Anyway, I had Colourmart double the cobweb weight yarn and am using a US3 needle. I'm finding that for laceweight, that's my standby. I started this project April 5, 2008. Here's the progress picture:



I think it really does need another tier of something...I think I'll do the leaves as is, fill in the in between leaves with hex, and then do a round of flowers or edging to finish it off.

Arnika

I had to put dragone in time out while I figure out if I skipped another stitch--I've already ripped 20 rows of it becuz I can't count.

Anyway, I was itching to for a Niebling fix, and I saw this little sweet doily and said, I'll do that one.

Isn't a nice sweet easy pattern?

A little bit about Arnica--it's a flowering plant that belongs in the sunflower family. Common name is wolf bane. It's used as a tincture for bruises and swelling. Not to be taken internally since it is poisonous. Has also been used as homeopathic medicine. (pic from Wikipedia)


All I can say is that I'm learning more about plants by knitting Niebling patterns than I had ever learned in college.

Anyway, back to the 'easy' pattern. It ended up not being that easy. It's actually quite challenging. There's an error at round 39 where there's an extra stitch unless you knit 3 together instead of 2 (like the pattern says). But the challenging parts?

Petals. Pretty petals. These consist of crossed stitches (that would be mini-cables for you all non-Niebling knitters).

And round 69? You bind off 12 stitches then pick them back up at row 70. How cool is that?! Oh, many thanks to yosemite55 ,Julimond &halfmaennchen from Ravelry for their help in decyphering German. I had babel fished it, but wasn't too sure.

So, here's my finished Arnika:

specs:
start date: March 28, 2008
finish date: March 30, 2008
thread: Cebelia #30
amt used: less than .5 ball
needles: US0 dpns and 0 Hiya Hiya needles

Oh, I should mention this is what I brought to knit on during the Ravelry meetup at the local library. By then, I was just knitting hex mesh, so it was pretty simple. The only modification I made was that I bumped up to US1 needles for the knit edge and then I actually knit 3X into each hex mesh so that I wouldn't get binding.

Back to trying to figure out Dragone...