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.

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.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Here are two of the awesome pumpkins z&a's dad carved. Cool.



Anyway, I managed to finish this doily tonight after the kids went to bed.



Specs:
Pattern: Burda (unknown for now) #32
yarn: lilac linen laceweight
needles: US2 Crystal Palace circs and dpns
time started: October 27, 2007
time finished: October 31, 2007

Modifications: I feared (correctly) that I would run out of the linen yarn. So I opted to modify the pattern substantially so that 14 rows were deleted. I played with the pattern and cannot replicate it again. During crochet cast-off, I had to rip it several times because it was looking too tight. I chained 10, bundled 5 st for leaves, and 3 or 3-5-3 stitches for the spots between leaves. Turned out nicely, I think.



Here's a closeup the the modification and the pattern. There's only three leaves. The original pattern had an additional layer of leaves.













Now, I've just got to block out Frosted Fern completely...

While you were sleeping

I should have been working on several projects that I started, but instead, I picked this little ditty up, and could not stop.

This is #21 Table top by Herbert Niebling from Anna.

Specs:
pattern: Anna magazine
yarn: green lace weight linen
needle: US1 circs from Knitpicks and US1dpns
time: 9/2/07-9/13/07
blocked: 9/14/07

modifications/comments:
I think there might be errors in the chart at the end of the knit. I kept screwing up and not having enough stitches to k2tog and what have you. So, mine is wonky. And if you look closely the last bits don't quite match the flower. So, whether I managed to not read the pattern correctly, or there are errors in this Niebling, it doesn't really matter. 'Cause I like it. I really like it.

I'm not too concerned about pinning out the points perfectly because it's linen, it's pretty drapey and I don't think those points will hold. (this was my observation from making a book marker from the same yarn).

I will likely knit this pattern again. It was fun.

I'm really glad I did this before starting a large project because I was introduced to double yarnovers, knit 5 into one stitch and knit 5 stitches to become one stitch. Oh, and given all the mistakes that happened, I think it turned out pretty nicely.

Must get back to spino and blanket and decide on yarn for campanile. Altho' I might tag along w/ some of the folks now knitting Lyra...decisions...