Getting into rhythm

The last two months have passed with a lightening speed.... So many things happened! I went to Latvia in August with both my kids - and I did not have time to knit a single stitch while we were there.... The start of the school year, changing the preschool and organizing all other activities for Alexandro took a lot of time and energy. Adriana, who is ten month now, is crawling super fast by now and wants to walk whenever possible. I think she'll walk by herself before her first birthday. So my life is all about kids and house stuff lately.

But, I had missed knitting so badly! I had promised my mom a winter shawlette, and I bought the yarn while I was in Latvia. It's nothing really special, a simple sock yarn and a simple pattern, but I love the color and the texture it gives. It's a small to medium size shawl, so she can wear it as a scarf with a coat and keep her shoulders warm. Here are some pics:

It's simple stockinette with some garter rows and a crochet finishing. I did the flower brooch on a loom, really love that little thingy.

This set me on a shawl knitting spree and I knit a few more:

This one is done with On Line "Lorena" 15% alpaca, 15% mohair, 70% acrylic. This yarn was a little pricey for the high acrylic content in it, but it's really amazingly soft and silky, and it drapes well. I could not resist the colors. :)

Another yarn I bought in Latvia was "Texrena" by Midara. I wanted to try one of these wool yarns with long color changes, and I got really disappointed with Aade Long - it's just way too scratchy! This one is much softer and colors are beautiful. I've knit the "Diamond for a girl" with it, and one skein made a nice small to medium size shawl. Here are the pics:

Diamond for a girl, blocking

All these were quick and pleasant knits, but I don't intend to keep these for myself. I had a cone of beautiful cashmere delivered recently and I am craving another shawl... for me this time. I just need to really think of how will I knit it - the yarn has a slubby strand twisted in and so far I haven't found the perfect pattern for it. It looks nice in simple stockinette though, I'm just torturing myself, since I had a textured shawl in mind.....

Windcatcher

I am happy to announce the release of Windcatcher - airy, light, very delicate lace shawl. I have to say I am very proud of this pattern. Before writing it up, I did some research about what makes a pattern good, and tried to use all advice I found. Clear instructions, pleasant layout, big, clear, easy to read charts, most commonly used knitting symbols. I have received a very positive feedback from my test knitters, and I am in fact considering  doing a remake for the patterns I already have published to match the same standard.

All of my test knitters have voted this pattern suitable for beginner lace knitters, mentioning following reasons:

• easy to read lace in both - body and border patterns
• easy to memorize the pattern
• has no complex stitches
• easy to pick up and knit without getting lost in the pattern

I agree with them, but I would just like to remind that a beginner knitter and beginner lace knitter are not exactly the same things. This will be an easy project - even as a first lace project - for those, who are comfortable with knitting in general. As there are a lot of yarn overs, You will need to keep a steady tension for the pattern to look nice and even. That being said, it really knits up in a breeze, so it's one of those knits that are easily finished and less likely to stay in a pro-longed Work-In-Progress status.

One of my test knitters has added beads throughout the body of the shawl - right on top of each double decrease. It looks absolutely stunning! I love it so much that I might just end up doing another Windcatcher, beaded this time.


At the moment the lace part is done in charts only, I might also add written instructions later on, if there are requests for that.
While I have done both my shawls with a relatively small needle, I am a really loose knitter. Normally I'd suggest using a needle size US 3-6, 3mm-4mm, or even 4,5mm for a fingering weight yarn. I have calculated the pattern for 5 different sizes, it is easy to adjust the size as you knit.
Here are a few more photos:

This shawl is available as a pdf file download for $6.00
You can also find Windcather on Ravelry.
Happy knitting!
Inese

When Less Is More...

I found that a simple knit triangular shawl with a lace edging is very appealing and sometimes even more than a complicated lace... Why? Because it is so easy to add it to various styles and combine it with everyday outfits, creating a really classy and elegant look.
These are my latest lace shawls:
The Red Lace Shawl:

It is done in simple stockinette stitch, adding a lace border that features hearts. A few more pics:

 I might just write up a pattern for it, I really love how this came out....  For now, You can purchase the ready shawl at silverliningknits.etsy.com

And here is the Fuschia Lace Shawl:

It's a fairly simple border, but it also looks nice. I have used this border for my Deep Purple shawl, but I simplified it a little this time. I have added this shawl to my shop at silverliningknits.etsy.com