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.

Current Knitting

Harry demanded the front row seat of this post, so here is a stupid photograph of his current knitting.


I have no idea what he his doing, and persistent questioning from me only verified the fact that he does have a wicked right-right-right-right hook.

Thanks to the bitterly cold weather, I was finally impelled to begin a project that has been in the back of my mind since last summer. The original pattern is presented as a tablecloth, but by knitting it in Lisa Souza's luscious Petal yarn (50% silk, 50% merino,Mother of Pearl colorway), I have successfully turned the tablecloth into an afghan.


The pattern, brilliantly named Tablecloth (Tischdecke), has appeared in many German knitting magazines, almost always partnered with a smaller version. I am working with the one on page 12 of Andrea #801.

Those of you who have been here before have heard me mumble about the International Shawl, but I never gave much of an explanation. The project developed during the pre-Christmas lull, when several of us were casting about (little pun there) for something new and different to fling on our needles.

Someone, I think it was Laritza, but it might have been me, suggested a mutant shawl composed of patterns from several countries. After much consultation, LaceFreak, MissAliceFaye, Laritza, and myself agreed that the center of this shawl would be the delectable item shown on page 64 of Naoko Ichida's Knitted Lace Designs Book 2--a compilation of Niebling treasures. The center is either Japanese or German--we haven't exactly worked out the provenance yet.

Following the center will be an inner border of Laurel Leaf pattern from Victorian Lace Today. LaceFreak and I are tossing about ideas for what should follow. You can see her progress here. We are actually neck and neck, progress-wise, but she is clearly more talented at taking pictures.

As with all circular shawls, this one is difficult to photograph. By snitching the largest of Harry's eggs, I was able to capture a decent photo of the center, even though it sort of resembles a blue cabbage. The blue is actually darker than shown, but you get the idea. As of this morning, I am on row 91--well into the twisty little flower area.



And of course, there's a bit of sock knitting going on too. The munchkin-sized fleegle sock is being knitted with Mystical Creations merino in the Mother Earth colorway.


Just as a little aside, I was thumbing through some knitted mag the other day and saw an ad for Little Knits. She has 700 different yarns in her shop. I want to go live there. See the link in my sidebar for her Web page, but don't blame me if your credit card leaps out of your wallet and gloms onto your monitor.