Here's a list of the colours I used starting from the top: P219 8, P211 148 P803 56, P216 19, P621 105. The second number is the dyelot. Remember that every dyelot of koigu is unique so it might be hard to reproduce. I bought all the yarn from Four Seasons Knitting about a year ago, but she may have more. J0-Ann, the owner, picked the colours for me and she's amazing. I'm sure she can suggest some amazing colours for you too.
And, some more photos, might as well take advantage of the sun.
Behold the final Charlotte's Web Shawl*.
This is the last one--five is enough. I really loved the colours in this one and kept all the ball bands so I might be able to make something nifty using these colours in the future (maybe a blanket or a series of socks or scarf). My only issue was that I crocheted the edge a tad too tight** which made blocking a challenge and created a rounder shape than the triangle it's supposed to be.
And while I did manage to finish it on my Aunt Charlotte's birthday (Happy Birthday Auntie Charlie!), I didn't get it to her since she lives in a different city. But now I have a reason to go visit the family (everyone's in the same place) or possibly my Aunt will be making a trip to the city.
*I need some photographic help from someone like Michelle because my pictures suck.
**I should listen to Laura. She's a smart cookie she is.
I finished knitting Charlotte's Web IV last night. I still need to do the crocheted edge and the blocking/fringing, but that's the easier part. I took advantage of the lovely morning sun to snap some photos. I'm convinced Koigu is some kind of stealth covert yarn--it refuses to photograph well. But this one is pretty good:
The bottom colour isn't that dark and there are some nifty subtle pink variations in the hot-pink section in the middle. I only have a few metres of the last two colours and very little of the hot-pink so the edging will be very pink. I'm not sure how that will look, so this one may not have fringe. Or I can see if Four Seasons Knitting has another ball of one of the orangey colours. The owner, Jo-Ann, was the genius who came up with this fabulous colour combination.
My Aunt Charlotte's birthday is May 4th so I need to get going. I did think of doing a beaded edge, but since I've never knit/crocheted with beads, the learning curve might be a tad steep on that. Maybe on my next lace piece.
It's almost nine on Sunday night and I've finally taken the time to blog. This means that I didn't photograph the gorgeous Koigu I'm knitting up for Charlotte's Web V (aka Sunset Shawl) so you get to see an over-lit and under-lit version of it, neither of which does it justice.
This shawl is a lot like knitting socks for me. I don't need a pattern, and I can knit it anywhere. And it suits my current busy-mental state which can only handle this kind of rote knitting. I only have 8 (long) rows to go and then I can do the finishing. This shawl totally encapsulates my current colour binge--pinks and oranges. Very nice and springy on a rainy weekend. After this I'll get back to the Sunrise Circle Jacket (done the sleeve part, only one more round piece to go) and hopefully be in a mindset to tackle something more challenging. Something that'll be interesting to blog about too.
I'm sick. The only thing that kept me from staying in bed feeling all bleh and sorry for myself was the weather (and work if I'm being totally truthful). Spring has finally arrived and it was beautiful today. No mitts beautiful. Wash the snowpants and pack them away not to emerge until next December beautiful. Everyone just seemed happier weather.
Even though I'm feeling icky, I finished Charlotte last night. Here she is modelled by me--an elegant shawl to compliment my pj's. I think my Memere will love it. It seems a bit strange knitting for my grandmother--a non-knitter--but I like how it troubles our ideas about what both academic types and grandmothers should be doing.
And, I figured out where I left off on Sophie and got to the armhole shaping on the back--nothing worth photographing though. I probably won't knit much tonight because I'm going to attempt to be sensible and get to bed right after the kids. I'm not usually this sensible, but I want to feel better so I can enjoy every minute of this lovely weather.
We spent the bulk of this long weekend packing for the move. We're now at the point where we start packing the everyday things we need to live, so we get to stop for a bit. We get the new house on Friday, but we have our old place until the 10th so we can do a slow move. I'm thinking a get-it-over-with-move-and-just-deal-with-it move would be nice right about now because it feels like it will never end, but I know this way will be much less stressful. So far, so good.
And this way there's still time to knit a bit. I got past the heel on my latest sock, and Charlotte's Web IV is blocking.
What is most impressive is that there's enough room to block it. Tonight I'll put on the fringe (I really hate this part) and put it away and then I can resurrect (is that impertinent of me?) some abandoned projects--Colourwork Classic and Sophie. It's time to wear a sweater like Sophie so hopefully I can figure out where I left off and what modifications I was planning (must learn to take some notes on my WIPs) so I don't have to rip back the few inches I've already completed.
I'm in a blue mood, but in a good way. The cosmic forces are pointing to better days ahead and converging to enable the purchase of my latest techno-covet. Turns out a 2nd generation i-pod mini is being released and the price has dropped, and the 1st generation is now on sale. Yipee! So, I rush out to the local Best-Buy to snatch up the last pink ipod mini (1st gen) close to home. I get it home, crack it open and check out the i-tunes site.
Checking the website was a mistake for a girl who wants some instant gratification, but who also fastidiously reads reviews and researches her techno-purchases (often to the point of total inertia--the reason why I haven't got an ipod yet). The 2nd generation i-pod has a much longer battery life--18 hours over 8. And, it's only 20 bucks more. Shit.
But I can't have it now. So I hum and haw. Then I call around town and no one has them yet. Then I notice that the Apple site offers discounts to those attending/working at universities. I work at a university and I can get a discount that makes the 2nd generation model cheaper than the one on my dining room table.
And I can get a blue one.
So I call Best Buy and confirm that I can return the pink one. Check. Then I consult with Craig on the engraving (what the hell it's free and that way I'll know it's mine). Then I trade instant gratification for anticipation and I order it.
The other blue in my life is koigu (I say if you're going blue, do it with the best). Charlotte's Web IV is coming along great--I'm on the fourth colour and I'm liking the blue intensity of this version. Here's a look at it in it's unblocked glory.
Now I'm going to sit on my blue couch (I have two) and wrap myself in a blue blanket and see if I get this done. I could be silly and say I'm eating blue corn chips, but food and I are still having issues so I'll drink ginger ale from a blue mug instead.
My brain was fried yesterday. After finishing those socks, I wanted to knit something new. So, I went to the stash and pulled out my favourite yarn--Koigu--to make the Charlotte's Web Shawl for my Memere--the one I promised many, many months ago.
I like this pattern. For me, it's the socks of the shawl/lace world. I have the pattern repeat memorized and it's pretty mindless knitting (I did screw something up last night and had to rip back a few rows but I'll blame that on Law & Order instead of my fried brain). Here's a shot of the shawl in progress. I'm on the third colour already.
Now here's the thing. The second stripe is a solid blue and I'm not sure if it works. I have a larger picture that will pop-up here that is pinned to replicate the look if it were blocked (and worn with something orange). What do you all think? The rest of the shawl is in handpainted colours with a predominantly blue theme. I've used a solid colour for the first stripe before and the effect was nice, but this time I'm not entirely sure. I could rip back and alternate the solid with a varigated every second row for that entire stripe (to get all the use I can out of the yarn), but part of me (the lazy part) thinks this might be a good design element.
Behold, lovely pinky/orange Charlotte's Web the Third:
She's really pretty. I can't wait to give it to Mom. I went up a needle size for this one and it blocked out to the correct size. My blue one is a tad smaller.
I did have a ton of trouble with the fringe, because I ran out of yarn. I had most of the fringe attached, so I had to remove each one and take out a strand (instead of 6 strands each now has five). And I still didn't have enough. Luckily I had a teeny ball of something similar in the stash so I used that too. That whole thing just confirmed that even though I love the look of fringe, it's not something I like to actually do as finishing work. And, I ran out because I used a partial ball for the first colour--this pattern really takes 5 full balls with almost nothing left over. You've been warned!
I spent the weekend dusting off my Anniversary jacket (that noro entrelac coat below). It was fun getting back into the kureyon and the pattern. I do want to finish this one. I still really love the zig zag coat, but Kureyon in 80 isn't right for it in my mind. And, I've pretty much decided that the Butterfly sweater is on my to-do list (that's the bottom one from the last post). I do need to knit up some things from the stash first, like Klaralund which I'm dying to start.
I need to get to work now. Did you notice the defense count down? It's getting close and I have to prepare. I'm feeling good about the whole thing right now--mostly I just want to get it over with.
I got some lovely mail today. A copy of Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton's Book Two to make Klaralund. It is a very lovely book with gorgeous pictures. It made me want to visit Sweden someday. I also took a real shine to another pattern in the book. It's a stunning coat in Kureyon.
The thing is I'm already working on this stunning coat in Kureyon. Remember this one? I HAD to have it.
I went through a bunch of stuff to get it (finding the discontinued colour with Theresa's help, bartering for the book, only to not get it and lose a ball of silk yarn for the trouble, then somehow letting it lie in the knitting bag untouched--I started it almost a year ago). I thought for a moment of ripping it and making the new one instead. I might even swatch to see if I like it.
They both have their charms. And, since I have about half the body done, I should just stick with it. Doesn't mean a girl can't have two kureyon coats in her wardrobe does it?
Or maybe three, because this one from the new Jane Ellison book is also fab. Yikes I think I have a Kureyon fixation.
Good news on the Charlotte front. She's blocking. I just need to do the fringe (I hate fringing). I'll save you from the obligatory blocking shot, mostly because a pink/orange shawl on an orange/red rug is practically invisible. I'll post some finished shots of it this weekend before it goes with my brother to Mom's house.
