Pink blossoms

A while back I bought some lovely pink Malabrigo lace, it is gorgeous and soft and pretty and... swoon...

I decided I would do a simple Haruni with it. I started out following Ysolda Teague's Ishbel pattern (link upper left corner of screen) until I had 100 stitches on every "wing" of the shawl. I could have made it bigger and maybe I should have but at this point I was getting bored and wanted to start the Haruni border (ravelry link again on upper left corner of screen).



I did not do the V shape in the border, cos, well.. I don't find it that pretty.

I blocked the living hell out of it, stretching it way out before pinning down.

I think it turned out real pretty and I'm pleased I finally made a Haruni shawl for myself. Even as I type there is a new Haruni on my needles. It will have to be done before july 16th since it is my entry in an auction for a local benefit. Phew.....

And a random pretty flower pic I took:

Deer Antler hat Adventure

A few days back Nicole from Australia asked on a forum if someone could make her the Deer Antler Hat. I figured I could, and after sleeping on it for a night I decided I would do it for free. Mainly because I don't have the slightest clue on how to transfer money trough paypal and I don't feel like finding out.. But also because I love to knit and can't wear everything I make :)
And because I really think that what you put out into the world, that is what you will receive: Give love, receive love.

She mailed me the pattern (which I get to keep, nice..) and I bought yarn. Since Drops is on sale that is what I went with: Drops Eskimo for the main hat and ears, in a grey brownish color. I love that yarn btw. And I bought some Karisma for the antlers. That felted really fast: I soaked them in some luke warm water with some hand soap, took them out and while still wet rubbed them between my hands. The motion is somewhat like washing your hands. It took so little work I it blew me away! And I hardly had to mould afterwards.

For the pink in the ears I held some pink Arwetta together with a natural color Rowan Kidsilk Haze for some fluffyness.









I think the hat turned out lovely! It only took me one afternoon of knitting in the sun. I think I spend more time on positioning the ears and antlers and sewing them on than the actual knitting. I had a blast making it!







Now to send it to the land of Oz...
Dear antler hat, please behave at your new owners house, promise to keep her ears warm at all times and make sure she looks smashing while she wears you.

Blue Ishbel

Sometimes yarn wants to become a certain object. You can tempt it with other patterns you desire to make and the yarn will go "mwah...".

I had in my stash a gorgeous skein of Colinette Jitterbug in the colorway "heavens above". Prettiest blue you have ever seen.

I offered it sock patterns, but it wouldn't budge: I will be an Ishbel shawl!

Then there is nothing more to do but oblige...
At first I screwed up. The Ishbel shawl has a shifting lace pattern and I put stitch markers after every repeat! So it looked nothing like it should and out of sheer frustration I frogged the whole thing! (For all you non knitters: if you rip out a project it is called frogging: rip it, rip it, rippit, rippit, ribbit... get it?)

But still the yarn wanted to be the shawl, so after a few days and the luminating insight of the shifting pattern, I started again. Yesterday it was finished and I get why the yarn wanted to be that specific shawl: it looks heavenly!







No idea who will wear this, it's not really my color and I had no one in mind while making it: time will tell who will be the proud owner of the stubborn yarn shawl.  :)












Funny photo of me looking wonky, I like it anywayz: