Life LackaDaisiCal

Thanks for all of your kind comments about Autumn Rose, and how it fits me! It makes me feel great! Eunny Jang did a fabulous job on this design.......and it fits beautifully! I highly recommend it! It's obviously a hit -- 20 comments on my "Finale" post. A new record has been set. While DH and I are on Vacation, I'll be swatching for this..... This is the "Duxbury Point" aran from Simply Shetland 4. Done in the new Simply Shetland Silk and Shetland Lambswool yarn, fingering weight, used single ply, fine gauge aran knitting at it's best! Some of my knitting friends think I'm crazy LOL! (This will be a sweater for DH -- but don't tell him, it's a secret!) She Ewe Knits will also be taking a break -- and when "She" gets back, we'll be getting organized for the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters' Fair Sept. 8 at Bingeman's . I'll be doing something different at the Fair this year -- I will be showcasing the new Simply Shetland...

It's done.....well, I think I'll give it a steam press to set it now that I know it fits. After steaming, I'll clean up the neckline steek and tack it down. But other than that, it's done! I was trying to find something to wear with it -- the model in the book has an orange top underneath.......even though I love orange, did I have fine scoop neck orange camisole type top - NO! Brown, yes Turquoise, yes Both look good in their own way. It's funny how the shades in this sweater work with other colours. DH loves it -- he said "finally, a figure flattering fair isle". Daisy seemed to like it too.....she loves getting her photo taken so here's one with Daisy. OK, I'm not big on the photo thing, but I wanted anyone out there contemplating Autumn Rose to see that it does look ok on someone that isn't stick thin (I'm definitely not stick thin). It can be adjusted -- not so low a neckline, not as nipped in at the waist, whatever you want. Next proj...

What a low neckline you have! Cutting the Autumn Rose neckline steek.......scary! I tried this on..yes it is low but with a little rib and definitely a camisole or some other little top underneath....well, I should be presentable LOL!

Ricki left a comment... Anne.. I was just watching Lucy Neatby's DVD (Knitting Essentials 2) on steeking. She changes colors inside of the steek - and when she sews the front steeks - she brushes the ends out of the way so they won't catch in the seam - and she never weaves them in - just clips them off. Does that make sense? Do you think that would work for Autumn Rose? I HATE to weave! Ricki If you are knitting a cardigan, you start/stop the yarns in the middle of the centre front steek. That's what Lucy is demonstrating here. When I got to the front neckline -- you set up a front neckline steek, and at that point you change the beginning/end of the round to the middle of the front neckline. So, here it is just a matter of getting the ends out of the way when you cut -- and with Shetland Spindrift, there is no need to do anything else to the steek. But, when knitting a pullover, as in the case of Autumn Rose -- you start/stop your yarns at an underarm "seam" and...

That's how I like to think of all of the ends when you start/stop shades used in a fair isle. Sometimes I weave the new shade in and then weave the old shade out as I go around.....but Autumn Rose changes both shades at the same time......and I didn't want to weave two strands in and two strands out at the same time, if you know what I mean..... So, I just knit merrily away -- knowing that some day (soon) I'd have to deal with the ends. It's not so bad -- just sit down with your sharp needle, a small pair of scissors, and a good movie, and get weaving! Once I've got a section finished, I clip off the excess yarn leaving about 1/4 inch to allow for any ease needed when blocking. Now I have to graft the underarm stitches together. Then, cut the steek! I'm hoping Autumn Rose will be finished this weekend. Happy Knitting

Beth asked about the Autumn Rose chart: "I was wondering how you figured out what color to use and how many rows we knit with each color? The chart in the book is gray and white and only lists the two yarn colors to use." Yes the chart is in black and white -- grey boxes for pattern shades and white boxes for the background shades. See the table on the right -- two columns where it tells you what shades to use on which row -- what to use for the grey squares and what to use for the white squares? Look at how the table lines are and you'll see how the shades are designate for the motifs. This isn't done for the whole chart -- when I copied the chart and enlarged it, I made a couple of copies, and cut out an additional shade legend table.....and pasted it to the part of the chart that didn't have the legend on it. This will all be quite confusing for those of you who haven't seen the chart -- but trust me, once you have a good look at it, you'll figure it ou...

We have a rural mail box -- the post man (or as my mother used to say....has the Postie been yet?) has been busy around here. He leaves me "Parcel Pickup" notices that tell me that I have a parcel, but that I can't pick it up until after 1:00 pm the next day at the post office. There were 3 of these notices in the box on Monday -- oh joy, oh bliss, oh torture having to wait until Tuesday! Two were small boxes of Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift to top up my stocks -- always exciting. (I was right down to the last few balls of Old Gold.....not a good thing.) The other was ............ Simply Shetland Lambswool and Cashmere.......details of the designs in the new Simply Shetland 4 book have been added to my web page here . One other exciting thing around She Ewe Knits this week. My "stock room" is in the basement, and although it's a fully finished room, the lighting wasn't set up for peering at dye lot labels....and it's been an annoyance to me......

This design is different than any other Fair Isle out there -- except Eunny Jang's other fair isle Venezia which appeared in Interweave Knits (pause while I run downstairs and get it...) Winter 2006. To allow for shaping, Eunny designates a side stitch that is purled throughout, to provide a line that subtly disappears into your knitting, but provides a marker for your side shaping. In the case of Venezia, the sleeves were knit in the round to the underarm point, then a steek was established to enable you to continue knitting the sleeve cap in the round. The sleeve cap steek is cut open and the sleeve is sewn into the body to finish. In the case of Autumn Rose, the sleeve is knit to the underarm, and is joined with the body at that point to enable you to knit the top of the sweater in one piece. Think of those icelandic sweaters we all made -- with the big patterned yoke. Autumn Rose has raglan shaping between the body and the sleeve. The sleeve top is straight and becomes the shou...

Sounds so much better than "Joined at the Underarms"......doesn't it? But that's where we're at......we've joined the sleeves to the body...stitches at the underarms on both the sleeve and body are live on spare bits of yarn waiting to be grafted together -- while the body and sleeves are now being knit together in the round while shaping the neckline and the shoulder seam. Very interesting.......you can see that Caelee was immediately interested. It's rare that Caelee bothers with my knitting, but she seems to like Autumn Rose and plunked right down and started eating the Old Gold. Great shade -- she does have good taste! You'll never guess what arrived yesterday in the mail - update tomorrow! Happy Knitting!

This arrived on Friday. It's been a busy weekend.....I've updated She Ewe Knits with the details of the designs that are done in this new yarn in the Simply Shetland 4 book. You can see the details here Fabulous shades with terrific Scottish names like Glenbuchat and Drumlanrig. Another great thing about this yarn is that used double, it can be substituted in designs that use the Jamieson's Shetland Heather yarn.....so you can have a wool or silk/wool version of various designs. Next I'll be puttng the info on the web site for the Shetland Heather designs in the book.....and yes, I'll have an Autumn Rose update later today or early tomorrow.

Here's the front neckline steek set up -- only 10 rows to go and I'll be putting the sleeves and body together! Happy Knitting!

Questions about Autumn Rose..... How much do the kits cost? I just updated my web page with the info - but I'll put it here for quick reference -- I'm in Canada, so this is in Canadian dollars. 35, 37, 39, 41 & 43" chest 14, 14, 22, 24 & 24 balls of yarn Simply Shetland 4 book - $24.95 (US pricing in Canadian dollars) Kit pricing: 35" & 37" - $105, 45 39" - $151.45 41" & 43" - $162.95 Includes Shipping (+ applicable taxes in Canada) When I say "Kit" I mean the book and yarn required for the design. (My yarn is priced to include shipping because everyone wants to know what it is going to cost including shipping right?) I'm not too sure about the body shaping or the neckline -- can I change it? Sure you can -- this design is charted in a 1/4 full size chart -- so you can easily adjust the shaping or neckline to suit you. You might need more yarn though......so take that into consideration. I think this would be true for ...

Daisy is so excited -- a box within a box it's totally gorgeous -- lots of really knitable (and wearable) designs. Just my opinion of course, I'm definitely biased LOL! Happy Knitting!