Life LackaDaisiCal

OK, it's looking good so far......... and the pattern lines up from the body to the sleeve - almost perfectly!

I'm ready to start my top down fair isle sleeves. I've picked up one stitch per row......and done some figuring...... I found this book to be invaluable - it has just been republished by Schoolhouse Press.

I didn't cast off the facing stitches - just sewed them down live for a neat finish.

It's always a miracle to me when you cut the front and back neck steeks and reveal the neckline opening. Then I picked up all of the stitches the were on waste yarn, and a stitch for every row - using Colour A - on the first knit row I decreased by 8%, adjusting to fit the 12 stitch pattern repeat. The body was knit on 3.5mm needles, so I picked up and knit the first 4 rows of the neckline with 3.5mm, then 3 rows with 3.25mm and the last 4 rows with 3mm needles - purled a row (the fold row) and gradually went up in needle size again when knitting the neckline facing. Here''s the inside - neckline facing folded down and pinned ready to be sewn in place. I don't think I showed how the shoulder "seam" worked out - this pattern has 2 centre rows and when they meet at the shoulder - wow - a perfect motif!  

Don't you find the things that stump you are usually much easier than you think? Finished my "Warm Lindisfarne" neckline shaping that is.  Doesn't it look odd LOL?  I had to tuck the magic loop part of my cable into the bottom of an armhole steek to keep it out of the way! You can see the front neckline steek and kangaroo pouch sort of at the 10 o'clock position on the needle - and the back neckline kangaroo pounch at the 4 o'clock position.  I will 3 needle bind of the shoulders tomorrow, cut the steek and post and update photo.

I've reached the spot where I need to divide for the armholes - I shaped the body a bit and I think that I need set-in sleeves too! I've also taken my Stilettos out for a spin - swatching for my Tara (Rowan 48)

I'm pleased with the colourway........so I'll keep on knitting! I wonder how Renee is doing?

There is an obvious error in the shades in the top half - the golds - I think I forgot to change up shades a couple of times LOL - but the bottom half shows the true graduation of shades and I am happy happy happy about this colourway. The Lindisfarne sweater pattern is only one size- so I have to take my gauge and rework it - with a 66 stitch pattern repeat - this is going to be fun LOL! .....off to find my calculator!

Thank you for your comments on Anastasiya - it was a great project - so totally out of my normal style that I loved it - and I LOVE wearing it! So Pru was asking what my next project will be......well, I am knitting Rambler in Cocoon from Rowan 48 for my next Rowan group project.....I'm doing the sleeves first to get the boring bits over - and intend to knit the body in the round up until the underarms - then back and forth.  I'm doing it in the colourway as show in Rowan 48. Also, in 2011 I intend to do a couple of "I've always wanted to knit...." projects.  The first is......drum roll here...... LINDISFARNE from Celtic Collection and I'm doing it as a KAL with my friend  Renée (aka Froggie Meanie on Ravelry) and  Renée will be popping in to Shades of Shetland occasionally to post updates on her progress.....and we will be meeting regularly to compare notes....so there will be side by side photos in the future too! So here's the set up -- back in the da...

Saturday morning - 9:00 am - back on the Subway down to Victoria - a 10 minute walk to the Horticultural Centre - up the stairs to the third floor for my Workshop with Alice... Alice explained her charting system, and the way she starts and ends her infinite cables that are required for Celtic style cable type knitting....and we all knit away on our swatches. Just lovely! We also got to see, examine, fondle and drool over, swatches in the new Bainin yarn, the actual Boudiccia braid sweater (both inside and out) and the new Eala Bhan design, both knit by Alice herself in her 2 ply Hebridean Yarn - all things Alice available at Virtual Yarns . Alice said that she had worn her Eala Bhan sweater on Friday but it was just too hot to wear it on Saturday.  Alice was very stylishly dressed -- wish I had photographed her shoes (heels, with high laced fronts - open toes and cut outs) -- with a pin tucked pleated skirt and silky blouse. While the class was busy knitting our Celtic infinite l...

Do you know how hard it is to take your own photo -- Here's the best one I took of my finished Roscalie vest....... Seriously! LOL!!! Happy Knitting!

You might think with all the Martha Grimes book posts, that I've been neglecting my knitting......well, no I haven't LOL!!! The Roscalie vest is progressing nicely.......when I'd finished the body I did have a little stall before I started the armhole and V-neck shaping. This is one of the points where I usually get stalled....along with sleeves (a whole other issue -- I still have to put sleeves on my Mossbank...and I think there that is where my Water Lily pullover is stalled too) ......in this case because I am deviating from the pattern as written. Roscalie is no different -- I wanted the shoulders to not stick out over my shoulder line -- and with an inch of ribbing on the neckline and armhole side. So I've adjusted the armhole shaping, and the front neckline, and the back neckline........and have ended up with what looks like a very slim looking armhole......so I was a little concerned.......but all turned out well. I had to think....this is the first v-neck I...

I popped in to see the Sheriff of Knittingham the other day......we hadn't seen each other for a while, I had some stuff I needed to drop off, and I took my Autumn swatch with me to compare to her original Oregon - Autumn colorway sweater. I didnt even think to take my camera with me - but luckily Lorraine had hers. (I did take a couple of photos with my cell phone camera -- I just have to figure out how to get them off of the camera and onto my computer somehow LOL!) So if you're wondering how my swatch compares to the original, go visit the Sheriff of Knittingham and see for yourself! (As I said, not identical but definitely fraternal.) Happy Knitting!