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)

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.

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.