Magenta Ishbel finished!

After a concentrated burst of knitting on the Magenta Ishbel, it is now finished! Once I got going the pattern was actually quite easy. I think all the stopping and starting I did actually made it more difficult to get into a flow and remember the pattern changes. In fact, I found this easier to get into than the beret. But then again I did do that in small bits too!

So after all that knitting, I had to wait to block it as I didn't have anything big enough to use. So lovely pink playmats to the rescue, home delivered from Argos in two days so I could get to block my lovely scarf.

These mats are great. They fit together like a jigsaw so I can make a square, or a long line if I'm knitting a long lacy scarf rather than a triangular one. I wasn't sure how big each mat was or how many were in a pack so I got two just in case. Turns out each mat is 60cm x60cm and you get 4 in a pack. So I probably didn't need two but you got the second half price so it was worth it. I was also thinking what if I did a really BIG shawl?! You never know!

So I pinned it two nights ago when I was tired, quite late and I didn't realise I'd done it wrong - I pinned the wrong bit of pattern as a point and wondered why it didn't work. Lesson learned - look at the picture before you start and don't do it late at night when you're tired!! Yesterday, I wet it again and pinned it correctly this time and it is fine. The points aren't as pointy as some finished Ishbels I've seen but either I didn't stretch it enough (but I did pull until the pins wanted to pop at the top), or the acrylic yarn I used only stretches so far.

But it's my first lace shawl and I like it. I can get plenty more practice blocking for my next few shawls lined up - the woodlands shawl and the forest canopy shawl. Both good patterns for beginner lace knitters that can be knitted small - same size as this - or full size that would totally wrap around you. Lovely! But a lot of knitting and a lot of yarn! I think I will work on the smaller sizes for now until I find my lace knitting feet and then I have some yarn all ready for larger projects.

But for now, I'm going to start the Forest Canopy shawl in my new fushia yarn from Needlefood as the pattern only needs one skein and it will be lovely and soft being merino. No more Acrylic for me:-)

The knitting has been quite slow this weekend as the garden has been claiming a lot of my time. It started with the bench that arrived with my playmats from Argos. We had to clear a space - imagine a BIG heap of earth, weeds and grass tufts - then pave it so the bench had something solid to sit on, and then actually assemble the bench. Sounds simple but my poor hands are complaining at all the landscaping, carrying and fitting bricks. But it was worth it. Now that's done, the surrounding bits are looking neglected and the earth path needs finishing......

But the bench looks lovely - I love the rose pattern on the backrest - and it didn't take someone long to find a new perch to sit and watch us at our toils!! Now my hands just need to recover so I can get some knitting done:-)

Getting into the habit of blocking....

At last, at last, the cable shrug is finished! Well, it was finished last saturday night but I found it difficult to photograph this colour. I kept getting purples and bluer tones than the actual true pink colour - thank goodness for photoshop! It is also quite difficult to take a flattering picture of yourself when trying to pose (using a mirror), click the camera and not go 'urgg' at the results. It took many attempts and I still feel reluctant to include a pic of me wearing this! Anyway, enough of that - look at the lovely meandering cable....


I did eventually master the kitchener stitch - although I did pull the thread a bit too tight and had to loosen it all afterwards. A lesson learned. It worked well on the stocking stitch but not the rib. Maybe that is the nature of the stitch? To pull alternates into the gap so they aren't truely aligned in parallel but more in a zigzag. Of course this wouldn't matter much in a smooth stitch but it makes all my rib uneven - knit meets purl. A very unsatisfactory look - messy and an obvious join on the back. I did like how the stocking stitch did disappear as a join (when I realised I had tightened it waaay too much - of course!)

Can you see the lower rib and how it doesn't seem to meet? I think I will try it out on a sample to see if it does work or if it was just me first time around. But at least there is no obvious ridge or seam right down the back so I suppose I can live with it.


Anyway, after all that, I feel this is a little small on me - hence the unsatisfactory pics of me wearing it. I look so BIG in all of them, like the top is a few sizes too small. I have considered altering the pattern so I could get more wear out of this but I don't know if I like it enough to want to knit it again. There are so many other patterns out there I still have to try!

It did also occur to me that I maybe should have blocked it before sewing together. I know it is good practice but I haven't got into the habit as yet. I did read up about it yesterday and you can add length and volume to your garment when it is wet. So maybe I should take more time, block, and possibly the garment might fit as it was meant to?!!