Friday, February 22, 2008

Tischdecke Afghan Complete!


My first instinct, after I had finished the final stitch of this lovely piece, was to frog it so I could have the pleasure of knitting it again. The engaging design and the exquisite yarn melded into an incomparable knitting experience.


The design, which is on page 12 of Andrea #801 (you can buy it here), is lyrical, lacking a single boring or tedious stitch. Lisa Souza's inspired Mother of Pearl colorway added a subtle twinkle to the already soft and lustrous yarn--Petal--a 50% wool, 50% silk blend. I believe that Petal is actually Carrera aka Silk and Ivory from Henry's Attic--I have some of that and they seem to be the same thing.



This is the only design that I ever seriously considering knitting a second time, perhaps with cashmere silk.



The final size--74" in diameter--makes for a cozy and luxurious afghan. Roy was using it before I even blocked it. This version required about 2800 yards and was knit on a #5 needle.


It's difficult to see the exquisite coloration, but if you click on the picture below, you will be able to discern the pastel loveliness that Lisa gave this yarn.

62 comments:

Sue said...

Oh my. That is gorgeous!

Meredith said...

This is magnificent. I am in awe (and lust). Congratulations, and please don't frog, but I can understand the impulse.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful

Agneta said...

Love it.It's absolutely gouergeous

fluffbuff said...

Fantabulous, magnificent, and other superlatives.

About the frogging instinct… I believe they have medications for that. ;)

Anonymous said...

WOW. Fleegle, you should really put together a list of the books/patterns/whatever-it-is you find these gorgeous patterns in.

Does it make me a stalker if I sort of want to be *you* right now? lol Or at least, raid your stash?

RiverCitySTL said...

Wow! Stunning. I love the petals.

Kitty Kitty said...

Wow... it is really fabulous. The pattern looks like it would be so much fun to knit. I am really in love with the pattern.

And to prevent you frogging this beauty I am sure any of us would buy you the same yarn in trade for the FO . All in the name of saving this FO of course. evil :)

fleegle said...

Dear KnitterBunny--

No it doesn't make you a stalker, but it does say something about your sanity! Unfortunately, raiding my stash could be a problem. I am married to a retired lieutenant of a SWAT team. He has his orders regarding stash raiders and it's not pretty :)

Agnes said...

I am speechless! So gorgeous!

knottykitty said...

Wow! That's truly one of the most gorgeous and magnificent pieces I've seen in all of my blog and web-surfing...and that's a lot! If I could make just one piece like that some day, I would consider myself accomplished as a knitter! Great job!

Beverly said...

Wow! So beautiful. I'd be afraid to use it as an afghan.

Heather said...

even the non knitters in the room gasped as i read your blog! it is so beautiful!

Smitten Knitten said...

just extraordinary...pieces like yours make me want to keep at lace knitting.

Rebecca said...

Fantastic! It looks more like an excellent shawl than an afghan, but I guess those can often be the same thing. :D

You seem to have knitted it lightning-quick, too! I'm amazed.

Unknown said...

I'm awestruck!

Silvia said...

Really really beautiful.
The pattern remeinded me of my Dahlie. It looks like this pattern might be a Niebling too...

Logan said...

Stunning! Absolutely stunning! I love how large it turned out, too. Could you be a dear and tell me how many rounds this one was? The pattern isn't one I have, but I do have a heck of a lot of doily patterns, and the finished size you got is great, so if I can find one of my patterns with a similar number of rounds, I now know the yarn yardage to buy...

I see more of these doily afgans/blankets in your future - and in the future of many of your readers, too. Nope, not psychic, just understanding the power of blog-enabling.

Judith said...

OMG! I need a thesaurus, I'm running out of ways to say beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, exquisite. And how fast you did it! OTOH, maybe it was all in the yarn, and if I buy the same yarn, it will magically turn a simple doily (think resting rows!) into this incredible lace piece - ahahahaha!!!

z's momma said...

Fabulous! That is a beautiful afghan.

I'd like to see you and Soo in a knitting speed contest...I don't know who would win, but it sure would be amazing.

Laritza said...

Lovely! I love that piece more every time I see it. Yours is to die for!

Anonymous said...

Still a newcomer to your blog, but in the few times I've visited thus far, I find you continue to leave me speechless...Is that for-real?! It's amazing! It's an afghan, you say? I'd have a hard time letting anyone put their hands on it.

Anonymous said...

You've outdone yourself again, Fleegle. Absolutely stunning!

Lacefreak said...

That is a fantastic afgan! I know what you mean about patterns that are so much fun to knit that you would want to knit them all over again. That's a real beauty. I just wish I could see the colors better. Roy is very lucky :-) It really does look like a Niebling to me but is so pretty it really does not matter. Congratulations on a great jog of knitting it.

LittleBerry said...

WOW is the only word I can think of saying!!!

Debi said...

That is simply breath taking, congratulations!

KnitYoga said...

It looks absolutely beautiful and how wonderful that you enjoyed every stitch, too!

Soo said...

Speechless.

I love it.

Wow.

Anonymous said...

thank you for your backlink. can you change it to the right ones - see here --> http://www.bastelundhobbykiste.de/andrea-kunststricken-0801.html

Dave said...

Totally gorgeous! I love how the delicate colouration adds such depth to the design. It almost has an antique feel to it, right off the needles. If that yarn makes YOU swoon, then that's a high recommendation indeed. Well done!

Anonymous said...

Exquisite! What a gorgeous afghan. Enjoy it!

Batty said...

It's breath-taking, literally. I gasped.

And it's so unfair that something this gorgeous is simply called "table cloth"!

Carol said...

How lovely. I'm glad you managed to take pictures before you frogged it to knit again. You didn't? whew, I was just saying that. I love it!

Anonymous said...

jesus christ!

BadCatDesigns said...

Wow! I want to wrap up in that too. Just wow...

Yosemite said...

That is just gorgeous!

madonnaearth said...

You must have had the patience of Job pinning out those points. I can appreciate Roy's eagerness at wanting to wrap himself up in that; it's a beautiful thing!

Anonymous said...

That's incredible! I mean, wow! Words just can't seem to do that thing justice. I'm in awe, seriously!

KSee said...

to see the first picture it looks like a peice of fabric. Then to move down and see each part closer is wonderious. What an accomplishment.

NeptuneNancy said...

WOW!

I think that says it all... :)

Courtney said...

Breathtaking.... that is all I can say...Wow

DonnaC said...

You are truly inspiring!

StashDiva said...

It looks wonderful, congratulation on finishing this truly beautiful piece.
I love the mother of pearl it goes so well with this design.

StashDiva said...

Yes the yarn is fairly soft but it is more of a fingering weight than lace weight.

June said...

Good God, it's gorgeous!

Sandy said...

This is amazing and of course,your knitting is just lovely. How difficult is it to do the pattern if one does not know German (or is it Dutch?)?

thanks, Sandy

EGunn said...

That is just amazing. I love it, but I fear I would never make it through an afghan's worth of lace. Not now, anyway. Maybe someday. Rather than frogging, you should make another as a gift...do you have a favorite person that would just love to be your twin (and who wouldn't, given the gift they'd be getting)? I did this with a quilt I loved, and now there are two copies out there in the world, one keeping me warm, and another wrapping up my friends. =)

missalicefaye said...

Beautiful....

Shea said...

Fantastic work, as usual!

Romi said...

So gorgeous! :)

I saw your amazingly lovely lace work at Stitches West in the Yarn Place booth. They even let me drool on it a little. Now I feel like I've met a small part of you. :)

Monika said...

This is a master piece! Wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Oh, my. I swoon with delight, and not a little envy. I have to start reading your blog archives. Nessaz

Anonymous said...

Seeing your beautiful afghan was a terrific start to my day. Also, thanks for the link. I notice there are several lace publications there of interest.

Katie J said...

Stunning.

PenCraft said...

I wish you that you could have twice the talent you already have, if that would mean that I could be half as talented as you.

Oh well, I hope you catch my drift. Gorgeous work.

StatenIslandSusan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
StatenIslandSusan said...

Simply stunning. Your knitting makes me gasp and my words can't convey the amazement I feel when I view your art. Thanks so much for sharing your passion.

mel said...

This is so incredible Fleegle. This is the type of lace knitting that I aspire to someday (but fear it will take more time & skill than I will have in this lifetime). Absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for sharing all the lovely photos!!

Kirsten said...

Spectacular! This is the type of project that will be cherished for generations.

She Knits Flying Monkeys said...

This. Is. Gorgeous.

Kristina B said...

An incomparable knitting experience... for an incomparable shawl. Wherever did this pattern come from, anyway?

I want to be you when I grow up.

Hege said...

Wow! It's gorgeous! You are always an inspiration!

gilraen said...

Breathtaking!!!!!!!!! wow...........