Now, down to the needles.
First. My mother loved the shawl she got. She wrapped it about herself as soon as it was out of the box. The first pic is of a close up of the pattern, UNdressed. That means, for those uninitiated with lace work, this is what it looked like when I put in on the floor to take a picture. The second is the full thing out on my floor. I choose a quick cat-free moment. I moved so quick that the bottom edge to the left is hiked up. Anyway.
Here we have the blocked/or dressed shawl close up. What this means is that I got it all wet, spun out the excess water so it was *just* damp, like a wrung out sponge damp, and then used long thin metal wires and pins to pull and stretch and shape the shawl. Lots of wires. Lots of pins. Lots of fun getting cats OFF shawl, away from wires and pins and closing door. Pattern name is Barbara from Stahman's book Scarves and Shawls. Oohh, aaahhh. :)
Next picture is the dressed shawl. What do you do when you don't have an extra mattress to block on to, and no carpeting and no foam board? Why, you take home lots and lots of cardboard boxes from work, make sure they are at least double thickness, and pile on all the extra towels you have in the house, reserving just one for the morning shower. And then realize you still don't have enough boxes or towels for some spots. I didn't realize I had so many different colored towels. Anyway, you can sorta see the shape here of the shawl -- a Faroeses shape, greater than a half circle with lovely shoulder shaping so the thing with stay ON.
Neeexxttt. . . My father's sock -- on his foot! I know some people who saw me working on this at work couldn't believe it was for a man. Hey, dad picked this out! He loves colors. Also for those who felt them -- yes, they got a lot softer after I washed them. For the sock knitters out there -- it's Opal, Brazil (I think. I don't think it's Lollipop) (can't remember #, sorry!), knit on a 0 and something like 8-9 sts/inch I've got it noted down somewhere! I used one long 60" Addi Turbo employing the magic loop method, worked both socks at once, from the toe up. The "pattern" is from Crazy Toes and Heels by Queen Kahuna ;) Great sock book in my opinion. I've got little tabs on it so I can flip about it. Dad has a wide duck foot with a tiny (comparative) ankle. By measuring his foot using the Crazy Toes and Heels method I've got a sock that fits him.
For those who saw the "family" socks in the works, here ya go in order of Mother, Father, Son (and then son socks ontop of father's socks --just for comparison sake). They were make at 4.5sts/1in, on a size 4, 60" Addi Turbo, each pair made at the same time, top down. Because I didn't have their feet to measure. Jeeze. :) I used Plymouth's Encore, worsted weight, 75% Acrylic, 25% wool, completely machine washable, dryable and abusable.
Now -- here is a close up of ONE curtain that I finally just put up on blocking wires in my dining room window. Yes, you guessed it -- Old Shale aka Feather and Fan. In garter stitch. Dead simple. In cotton, a kind of natural ecru color. I figure with bright yellow living room walls, burgandy and pale, pale burgandy dining room walls and green kitchen I needed something . . . quiet. :)
And here it is looking from the inside out. I have to keep the shutters closed so my lovely cats don't demolish it. I have the second half on the needles and am working on it today as I watch my presents -- the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, special edition. Here's to finishing the second curtain before Christmass 2006!
And to paraphase Tiny Tim (from Charles Dicken's Christmas Carol) "Bless us, Everyone!"
~Briony
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