Hazy Orkney - progress report

I'm not a fast fair isle knitter . I knit the continental way with the yarn held in my left hand. I have tried knitting with two colours at once both held in my left hand but it just did not work. At this moment I'm almost done with the second sleeve but already seamed the shouldered on the back and two front.

I suppose most knitters will make the neck and buttons band when all pieces are done but I'm too impatient, I just want to have an image of the finished product to inspire me to continue and knit further. so here the back and two fronts are first blocked . I am stopping and weaving the ends every 10 cm or so just to keep sane . There is no way I can face weaving hundreds of ends at the end..

 All looks pretty the way it should . I have picked up and knitted the ribbed neck band- not a problem.
And then started a big pig of a job- the facings. I mean this was one of the features that attracted me- the fact that there is no visible button bands but be warned, really is hard work. The first button band went OK and was sewn by slip stitch to the inside and some nice green ceramic buttons were attached to the outside with a counterbalance small vintage mother of pearl in the inside.

I painstakingly knitted the button hole facing to correspond to the button holes created on the front- all done whilst slip stitching the facing on the front. At this stage my green buttons fitted beautifully through the button holes. Then it was time to re-enforce the button holes and I've done it with the same yarn -rowan felted tweed.

If you look closely you should see two re-enforced button holes in the photo below. Having difficulties spotting them ? so do I ! They become so small I had to rip all my lovely green buttons away and go and look for some coconut shell  small ones .

Any way its all done and my sleeveless Orkney is waiting for its sleeves which  by the way are different in their fair isle pattern and have some really striking  bright yellow snow flakes..just wait and see , not long now :)

New Beginnings in New York

New beginning shawl was my chosen travelling project in New York. I cast on a day before the flight , knitted enough rows to establish edges and spine and all was packed neatly with my bamboo circulars in my hand luggage straight through Heathrow Security- no questions asked. The needles were clicking (well not really , remember bamboo ?) during take off and most of the flight. The project grew mainly in the small hours of the mornings when I could not sleep, in Starbucks coffee breaks and in Kansas where I was visiting little sis.

The pattern is part of the love collection by Boo knits. The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn but I don't like wearing large shawls, so knitted it with a the wonderfuly soft Orkney Angora 4 ply in light grey. The yarn was purchased in the summer when holidaying in the Jurassic coast . If you are ever in Bridport go and have a look at this yarn shop. It is a really little knitterly heaven .

The pattern is easy but still interesting. The feather and fan lace repeats grow and become  more pronounced towards the edges. There are wavy stripes of reverse knitting which I love.

I chose a simple garter edging but there is other lacy choice with beading.

Just lovely ! :) 

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