Saturday, June 29, 2013

More Landscaping

I normally do not knit the same pattern twice in a row. Yes, I have knit maybe dozen Landscape scarves since the pattern was published in 2000 but never twice in a row. However, the stars lined up so that just as I finished the Bluefaced Leicester version (see June 14 post), I bought this yarn during a visit to Richmond, Virginia. After several false starts on other patterns, I was back to Landscape.

The details:
  • Yarn: Cestari fingering; 67% cotton, 25% wool, 8% silk; 190 yards/2 ounces; Sea Shell (the color is deceptive; it looks like off-white but it also has flecks of green, red, and blue).
  • Needles: US5
  • Finished size: 14½ inches back neck length
Of course, I made modifications:
  • Alternating garter and stockinette bands
  • Beads instead of picots (Toho round 6/0 gold-lined rainbow aqua)

Friday, June 14, 2013

Bluefaced Landscape

The Landscape Scarf is one of my go-to patterns when I want to show off some special yarn. And, wowee, is this special. It is Bluefaced Leicester in natural colors from Sporfarm. I purchased it on a trip to The Dalles, Oregon, earlier this year.


Working with it was a dream, so soft. And I love the natural colors and luster. I started with 258 yards and knit nearly every inch of it on US6 needles. I did change the pattern (as I usually do) by alternating garter and stockinette bands. And I made the picots on two stitches instead of three because I thought it looked better.

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Pretty Doily

The Lacy Knitters Guild newsletter always has some interesting designs. The Petit Chevalier doily is exceptional in several ways.

First, it is based on a collar pattern by Marianne Kinzel (who calls it the Cavalier Collar). Second, it was adapted into a doily by the great knitter Eugen Beugler for the Lacy Knitters Guild. And, third, the decreases for the feather-and-fan border are done as purl2tog on the front side. I had never seen this version of feather-and-fan before — and I like it!

I knit my doily in DMC Cébélia, size 30, in ecru on US0 (2mm) needles. The doily has 88 rounds. Finished size is approximately 14 inches.