Fall Knitting

It's hard to believe that September is coming to an end and no actual knitting happened since July.  My lace shawls for my grandmother are still hangin' in there for their little lives perched on their needles and Venezia is much in the same state as it was in back in July - the odd 10 rows or so which only added about an inch and a half if that.

Now that it's fall I feel more compelled to finish, well, everything thats hanging off the needles in preparation for Winter (my fav season!)  I see a finished Cobblestone Pullover, Venezia, Union Market Square Pullover as a going away present for my roomie and some Gossamer lace.   Recently I purchased a mere 10,000 yards of Silk Lace - Gossamer Weight, Oh Yeah!  Will Galina Khmeleva and Carol R Noble's Eastern Star Gossamer Shawl or perhaps Medallion Square Shawl by Galina K. be on my needles this winter?  Both shawls are gorgeous and respected in their own ways and it will be hard to choose which one.  I am looking for a challenging project so it looks like the Eastern Star will come out on on top.  Who knows. 

The paper work for my own Fair Isle Vest is complete after sitting around for a few months (seems like forever). There were chart tweakings to do because the numbers were not adding up to comply with my size and a small gauge change.

I did have photos of my shawls, wraps and other projects,  the thing is, during my sailing trip back in August I had knocked over my Brand Spankin' New Camera - The Atlantic Ocean now has a $500 camera resting on the bottom ~ natch.  I was tempted to dive in and rescue it, but it wouldn't be of much use after the fact :(  Yeah I know its stupid to leave possessions on the gunnels even if they are somewhat tied down - I SHOULD have Stayed Focused on my job rather than enjoying the view and marsh mellow-y clouds and snapping pics - one of the most expensive lessons of my life!!    But hot damn it was a gorgeous summer day on the water!  The smart thing would have been to download the previous pictures taken before embarking on a sailing trip.  Such as life.

I will be camera-less for a while ~ Again.  It's a sin (actually, down right wrong) to think of Boxing Day sales in September but the prices will be marked down for holiday clearance.  My next camera will be bottom line and  C h e a p!!!

By the 3rd week of October Venezia should be done and blocked and I can knit it on the bus or in coffee shops.  The lace has been picked up again and is progressing.  I forgot how fast true Shetland Lace goes by.  I love how Hazel Carter has embedded each motif side by side as it creates a strong structural appearance but so delicate and intricate at the same time.  

More to come soon!

A First Post

-What to say other than I am new at blogging-

After reading soo many other blogs out there in blog land, I decided to join to write about my interests in knitting and other hobbies I have.

To start off, I am mad crazy about lace - I love all lace patterns and enjoy looking at intricate detailed motifs.  Its interesting how the finished fabric drapes depending on the materials used either from fine gossamer threads to horse weight yarns to where the motifs are placed.  When I first started knitting about 4 years ago, my objective was to knit lace for no reason at all other than to say 'I can'!

I usually don't keep my FO's, they are either given away to friends or gifted to my Grandmother.   I could always knit a Shetland Lace Stole and wear it to the office on cold windy days or go to drag nite at one of the local gay bars here in Halifax, but its not so much the finished object that I admire, its the process of doing that I find interesting.  Its those tedious hours of knitting Shetland Lace or those long knit a patterned row and purl the next row kinda lace, the mood Im in, sitting in coffee shops and knitting glancing up every now and then looking at the people staring at me with a look of 'What is he doing?' on their faces.  Its the everything in between form cast on to blocking that makes it an interesting piece to me!   

Aside form knitting lace, I started doing color work last winter for the first time and thoroughly enjoy it, so much Im planning a FI vest (in DK weight mind you) and am making Eunny Jang's  Venezia Pullover.  -The two have very similar qualities ~ both have a background and pattern theme.  I find that in fair isle sweaters and patterns the background is most interesting with its subdued earth tone shades that don't clamor for attention to heathery peppy colors that illuminate and call for attention.  Its what makes a piece or not, just my opinion!

Comparing the two, I suppose the same goes for lace, Of Course!  Its the ground upon which it is worked that is most interesting.  Depending on what I want to knit or my cockiness, the yarn that is available (usually from my stash), the amount of time I want to put into something, the ground means everything. 

Its the garter stitch background with YO's in every row that makes a visually detailed piece to knitting in the round kind of lace!  Eugen Beugler, Elizabeth Zimmerman and Dale Long to name a few! Hell yea!  I wouldn't be sitting here typing about knitting if it wasn't for them :)

To say the least, Im working on getting a camera to take photos for updates and what nots :) poor student you know (hehe)

~Matt.