Blues Power

"Bet you didn't think I knew how to rock 'n' roll.
Oh, I got the boogie-woogie right down in my very soul.
There ain't no need for me to be a wallflower,
'Cause now I'm living on blues power.

I knew all the time but now I'm gonna let you know:
I'm gonna keep on rocking, no matter if it's fast or slow.
Ain't gonna stop until the twenty-fifth hour,
'Cause now I'm living on blues power."

- Eric Clapton and Leon Russell

I got the blues...

But that ain't bad!

After many permutations, she is finally complete!

DELPHINIUM STOLE

the garden variety collection

$8

SIZE: 18 inches wide by 72 inches long

MATERIALS: 2 skeins (874 yds.) Handmaiden Sea Silk or Mini Maiden in color: Periwinkle

4500 size 8 Miyuke seed or delica beads

matte opalescent cobalt AB

Size 3 (US) needles

Cable Needle, Size 12 Crochet Hook, Large Eye Beading Needle

GAUGE: Delphinium lace panel = 3 inches wide (blocked)

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL PATTERN
CHARTED
Stole is knit in two pieces and grafted at the back.
Design features three delphinium panels of overlapping "blooms" separated by beaded columns of fagoting and a nifty little three stitch arrow motif.

This arrow motif is transformed into an allover beaded pattern on the ends of the stole, which wave gracefully in a scalloped hem. This section is repeated at the center back of the stole, where it helps camouflage the join.

I hope you enjoy this pattern; she was a little ornery at the outset - didn't want to show herself, but in the end, I'm very happy with how she turned out. I photographed her laid out on the front deck of the lake house. She looks cool and summery and light - just like her inspiration.

My grandmother, who built the lake cottage, used to garden where our yard now stands. I remember the tall spires of her beloved delphiniums so well. It is only fitting that I completed the design while here overlooking the spot where once her garden bloomed.

Have a lovely Labor Day weekend. I know I will.

Playing Catch Up

"Learn to pause... or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you."
-Doug King

I don't know about you, but I often feel like the answers find me, rather than the other way around.

I can fret and fuss, knit and rip out, turn a problem over and over in my mind with no concrete results.

And then, one day, clear out of the blue, as I am engaged with something else, the solution pops into my head.

I usually know that a design isn't quite right, but I often can't tell you why or how to fix it.

Yet, I know when it is right...

And when it isn't...sigh...

That is what happened with Delphinium.

When we last left our heroine, she looked like this:

I liked the bottom. I like the sides. I thought I liked the twisted stitch center panel.

But the more I looked at it, the less I wanted to knit on it. That is always a bad sign.

After ten plus versions, I had reached the end of my imagination. So I left her in the dust knitting basket for a couple days, traveled north to the family lake, and put in a little time on another design I have been germinating.

The yarn is from a shop in Lansing, so I needed to decide if I wanted to stop on the way home and get more of this shade of Rowan Felted Tweed. Gotta match dyelots...


This is Lakeshore Tweed, because, well, it's tweed and I'm at the lakeshore - Duh!!!

The color reminds me of the sand beaches and the pattern reminds me of seagull tracks.


One rainy day later, I knew what was wrong with Delphinium. She was too literal. Instead of trying to replicate the entire plant structure, with it's branching upward flowers, I decided to make each panel represent the actual bloom.

I began looking for patterns that mimicked the graceful curves and layered aspect of the delphinium spires.


How'd I do?


I am a lot happier with the way the color interacts with the pattern in this version. Much more graceful...


I kept the connecting stitches intact as I had them on the last version, including the fagoting.


In the evenings, when my eyes are tired, I am finishing up the knitting on Chromatic Shift, since it is a much easier (to say nothing of larger) pattern.


Both patterns should be ready for write up next week.

From the north woods, signing off...

Perseverance

"Persevere and get it done."

- George Allen

Not done, exactly...

But finally out of design and into construction...

Whew!

Delphinium is all about the linear - took her design motif from the spires of blue flowers, only here it's done with beads.

No stash sale for the next 3 weekends - heading back up to the lake on Saturday for two more weeks of R & R.

Taking Delphinium and my blocking boards with me, so never fear, you'll get your pattern.

And we now have internet at the cottage - Whee!!!

Back to work...

Leftovers

"If you deliberate for too long, you will end up with leftovers."
- Croatian proverb

Does this quote not remind you of our legislature and their efforts to pass health care reform?

Anyway, I had several buyers change their minds about the yarn they purchased on Saturday and I have not yet shipped any of the boxes, so I thought I would re-post what's left in case any of you wanted to add anything in.

Besides, Delph isn't quite ready for pictures yet. Tomorrow. Promise...

So, for those of you who need a reminder of the rules:

SHIPPING TO US ONLY
!MORE MARKDOWNS!

Email me at susanpandorf@comcast.net and tell me which one(s) you want. If there are more than one balls/skeins in the lot, don't forget to specify quantity. If no quantity is listed, I will assume you want the entire lot.

I will invoice you through PayPal and ship them out to your hot little hands by the end of the week.Yarn will be shipped first class mail in a padded envelope if the total weight is 13 oz. or less. If yarn weighs more than that, I will ship in flat rate priority mail box for $10.35 or $13.95. By next week you should be happy knitting!

All yarn colors are true (on my monitor- can't account for yours.) We are a non smoking household, but I do have a cat. Most yarn has been behind closed doors, so cat contact has been minimal.

Each Saturday, I will post more yarn for your viewing pleasure and buying frenzy.

Please give my yarn a loving home and a productive future.

Ready?

Here we go again...

SOCK

1) 2 skeins Claudia - Summer Rose - $10
merino - machine wash - 350 yds. total
SOLD

2) Cherry Tree Hill Supersock - Misty Moor - $10
superwash merino - 420 yds.
SOLD

3) 1 1/2 skeins Cherry Tree Hill Supersock - Tropical Storm - $15
superwash merino - 750 yds. total
SOLD

4) Mystery Skein - Crayon- $8
superwash wool - sock yardage
WOULD MAKE GREAT KID'S SOCKS!
SOLD

5) 4 skeins Hand Jive Nature's Palette - Dusky Plum - $5 each
merino - hand wash - 185 yds. each
SOLD

DK WEIGHT

6) Fiesta Starburst Rayon Boucle - Misty Morning - $5
94% rayon 6% metallic - dry clean - 240 yds.

7) Jameison Shetland DK - black - $3
170 yds.

WORSTED


8) 2 skeins Jamieson Soft Shetland - Anthracite (top) & Rosewood (bottom) - $5
dry clean - 120 yds. each

9) Diakeito Diadrey - #206 - $3
mohair/wool/nylon - hand wash - 91 yds.
SOLD

10) 3 balls Jojoland Rhythm - Mixed Colors - $10
wool - handwash - 110 yds. each
SOLD

11) 2 balls Filatura Di Crosa Hawaii (disc.) - 8 Blue - $5
viscose/cotton/polyamide/acrylic - dry clean - 132 yds. total
SOLD

12) 2 balls Adrienne Vittadini Dianna - Coral - $5
cotton/microfiber - machine wash - 174 yds. total

13) 2 balls Noro Kureyon - 154 (l.) & 195(r.) - $5 each or $8 for both
wool - dry clean - 100 m. each
SOLD

CHUNKY

14) Colinette Stash Pak - Blush - $50 (retails for $220)
mixed fibers - hand wash - varying yardage

15) 6 balls Schulana Samo - 23 Blue variegate - $5
mohair/cotton/acrylic/wool - hand wash - 480 m. total

Delph Dilemma

"Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better."
-Émile Coué

"To finish a work? To finish a picture? What nonsense! To finish it means to be through with it, to kill it, to rid it of its soul, to give it its final blow the coup de grace for the painter as well as for the picture."

-Pablo Picasso

Okay Pablo, I will take comfort in the fact that Delphinium still has a great deal of soul.

And yes Emile, it IS getting better.

You know, if I had had any idea I was going to change the pattern this much I would have started much earlier...

Say...

February???

I had this design in the bag, having already started it in Canopy last Spring, before deciding it would make a terrific Garden Variety pattern. After all the gauge was similar and the color just a paler shade of blue/violet.

Or so I thought.

In reality, changing from wool to seasilk changed the way the pattern looked. What seemed in perfect proportion now seemed too open and plain.

Adding beads further complicated things. They didn't show up well in the original placement.

So I edited.

And re-edited.

And re-edited again.

And since I am a visual thinker, I knitted.

And frogged.

And re-knitted.

And re-frogged.

And so on...

And so forth...

World without end.

Amen.

I am now on version 9 or 10. I lost count somewhere around 7 or 8.

I have knit the first couple inches enough times to have completed the scarf it began as...

Enough times to be halfway done with the stole it has wound up as...

And each time I was convinced this one was THE ONE AND ONLY.

Sort of like Liz Taylor and husbands.

Ah hubris...

No pictures yet. Hopefully tomorrow.

In the meantime, I take comfort from Stuart Smalley:

It's good enough, it's smart enough, and doggone it, people will like it!

Evolution

"Oohh, Aahh, that's how all of this starts, but then later there's the running and screaming"
-Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park 2: the Lost World

Saturday Stash Sale

SHIPPING TO US ONLY
!MARKDOWNS!

Email me at susanpandorf@comcast.net and tell me which one(s) you want. If there are more than one balls/skeins in the lot, don't forget to specify quantity. If no quantity is listed, I will assume you want the entire lot.

I will invoice you through PayPal and ship them out to your hot little hands by the end of the week.Yarn will be shipped first class mail in a padded envelope if the total weight is 13 oz. or less. If yarn weighs more than that, I will ship in flat rate priority mail box for $10.35 or $13.95. By next week you should be happy knitting!

All yarn colors are true (on my monitor- can't account for yours.) We are a non smoking household, but I do have a cat. Most yarn has been behind closed doors, so cat contact has been minimal.

Each Saturday, I will post more yarn for your viewing pleasure and buying frenzy.

Please give my yarn a loving home and a productive future.

Ready?

Here we go again...

LACE

1) Lanas Pura Melosa - Desert Bloom - $10
merino - hand wash - 900 yds.
SOLD

2) Handpainted Yarn Lace - color similar to Malabrigo's Mariposa - $5
wool - hand wash - 850 yds.
SOLD

3) Handpainted Yarn Lace - Charcoal - $5
wool - hand wash - 850 yds.
SOLD

SOCK

4) Dream In Color Smooshy - Night Watch - $10
merino superwash - 450 yds.
SOLD

5) 2 skeins Claudia - Walk in the Woods - $10
merino - machine wash - 350 yds. total
SOLD

6) 2 skeins Claudia - Summer Rose - $10
merino - machine wash - 350 yds. total

7) Cherry Tree Hill Supersock - Misty Moor - $10
superwash merino - 420 yds.

8) 1 1/2 skeins Cherry Tree Hill Supersock - Tropical Storm - $15
superwash merino - 750 yds. total


9) Mystery Skein - Crayon- $8
superwash wool - sock yardage
WOULD MAKE GREAT KID'S SOCKS!

10) Noro Silk Garden Sock - S268 Green/Aqua/Brown - $10
wool/silk/nylon/mohair - hand wash - 350 yds.
SOLD

11) Yarn Pirate - Sweet Magnolia - $10
superwash merino - 480 yds.
SOLD

12) Schaefer Anne - $10
merino/mohair/nylon - 560 yds.
SOLD

13) Fleece Artist Basic Sock - Straw - $10
wool - machine wash - 400 yds.
SOLD

14) Mystery Skein - Blue/Gray - $10
wool - sock yardage
SOLD

15) Mystery skein - Pink/Burgundy/Blue - $8
wool - sock yardage
SOLD

16) 4 skeins Shibui Sock - Pagoda - $5 each
superwash merino - 191 yds. each
SOLD

17) 4 skeins Hand Jive Nature's Palette - Dusky Plum - $5 each
merino - hand wash - 185 yds. each


18) 5 skeins Hand Jive Nature's Palette - Spring Grass - $5 each
merino - hand wash - 185 yds. each
SOLD

19) 2 skeins Koigu KPPPM - color P117 - $10
merino - hand wash - 175 yds. each
SOLD

20) 6 skeins Koigu KPM - color 400 - $5 each
merino - hand wash - 175 yds. each
SOLD

21) 3 skeins Koigu KPPPM - Mixed Blues - $5 each
(top to bottom: P457, P820, P443)
merino - hand wash - 175 yds. each
SOLD

22) 5 skeins Koigu KPPPM - Mixed Colors- $5 each
(left to right: P523, P511, P506, P135, P823)
merino - hand wash - 175 yds. each
SOLD

23) 4 skeins Koigu KPPPM - Mixed Colors- $5 each
(left to right: P114, P124, P511D, P900)
merino - hand wash - 175 yds. each
SOLD

24) 5 skeins Koigu KPPPM - Mixed Purples- $5 each
(left to right: P121, P154, P456, P131, P134B)
merino - hand wash - 175 yds. each
SOLD

25) 3 skeins Koigu KPPPM - Mixed Colors- $5 each
(top to bottom: P852, P824, P608)
merino - hand wash - 175 yds. each
SOLD

26) 3 skeins Koigu KPPPM - Mixed Reds- $5 each
(top to bottom: P801, P511D, P602)
merino - hand wash - 175 yds. each
SOLD

27) 4 skeins Koigu KPPPM - Mixed Pinks- $5 each
(top to bottom: P204, P147, P212, P1214)
merino - hand wash - 175 yds. each
SOLD

OTHER 4-PLY

28) 8 balls Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4-ply (disc.) - 275 Foxy - $10
wool - hand wash - 480 yds. total
SOLD

29) 6 balls Rowan 4-ply Soft - #392 Deep Coral Rose $25
merino - machine wash - 1146 yds. total
SOLD

30) 2 skeins Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester 2/8 - $20 each
hand wash - 1000 m. each
SOLD

SPORT

31) Briar Rose Fibers Legend (wound) - Mixed Colors - $30
wool - handwash - 23 oz. total
SOLD

32) 6 skeins Blue Sky Alpaca Sport - Natural Copper - $30
hand wash - 660 yds. total
SOLD

33) 6 skeins Blue Sky Alpaca Sport - Natural Medium Tan - $30
hand wash - 660 yds. total
SOLD

34) 6 skeins Blue Sky Alpaca Sport - Natural Taupe - $30
hand wash - 660 yds. total
SOLD

35) 5 skeins Blue Sky Alpaca Sport - Natural White - $25
hand wash - 550 yds. total
SOLD

36) Blue Sky Alpaca Silk - Blush - $5
hand wash - 146 yds.
SOLD

37) 5 skeins Blue Sky Alpaca Silk - Ecru - $25
hand wash - 955 yds. total
SOLD

38) Blue Sky Alpaca Silk - Verte - $5
hand wash - 191 yds.
SOLD

39) 2 skeins Blue Sky Royal Alpaca - Cafe - $40
hand wash - 576 yds. total
SOLD

40) Partial skein Handmaiden Sea Silk - Berry - $10
silk/seacell - hand wash - 284 yds.
SOLD

41) 2 skeins Handmaiden Mini Maiden - Blackberry & Ebony - $15 each
silk/wool - hand wash - 470 m.
SOLD

42) Handmaiden Silk Twist - Silver - $15
wool/silk - hand wash - 437 yds.
SOLD

DK WEIGHT

43) 2 skeins Handmaiden Flaxen - Peridot - $20 each
silk/linen - hand wash - 250 m. each
SOLD

44) 8 skeins Alchemy Synchronicity - Mist - $70
silk/wool - handwash - 944 yds. total
SOLD

45) Handmaiden Great Big Seasilk - Popsicle - $15
silk/wool/seacell - hand wash - 250 m.
SOLD

46) 2 skeins Handmaiden Lady Godiva - Glacier - $15 each
wool/silk - hand wash - 257 m. each
SOLD

47) Fiesta Starburst Rayon Boucle - Misty Morning - $6
94% rayon 6% metallic - dry clean - 240 yds.

48) Jameison Shetland DK - black - $3
170 yds.

49) 6 balls Jo Sharp DK Wool - Mixed Colors - $3 each or $12 for the lot
(top row, left to right: 326 Red, 804 Embers, 330 chartreuse)
(bottom row, left to right: 339 Eggplant, 003 Tangerine, Purple- no label)
wool - hand wash - 107 yds. each
SOLD

50) Briar Rose Fibers Wistful - Rose/Green - $10
alpaca/merino/silk - hand wash - 250 yds.
SOLD

51) 6 skeins Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light - Oceanic Mix - $20
alpaca/wool - handwash - 144 yds. each
SOLD

52) 7 skeins Handmaiden Cashmere Pullover Kit - Ivory - $150 (retails for $225)
hand wash - 1190 m. total
SOLD

53) 5 balls Rowan Damask - 45 green - $20
viscose/linen/acrylic - dry clean - 575 yds. total
SOLD

54) 8 balls Adrienne Vittadini Maria (disc.) - Crema - $25
merino/acrylic/lycra - hand wash - 1760 yds. total
SOLD

55) 3 skeins Prism Novelty Yarns - $4 each
(left to right)
2 skeins Bon Bon - 201 Berry
rayon - dry clean - 88 yds. each
1 skein Quicksilver - Autumn
rayon - hand wash - 160 yds.
SOLD

56) Alchemy Sanctuary - Two Rock - $6
silk/wool - hand wash - 125 yds.
SOLD

WORSTED

57) 3 skeins Mountain Colors Mountain Goat - Marias Falls - $30
mohair/wool - hand wash - 690 yds. total
SOLD

58) 4 skeins Fibre Co. Road to China - Lapis - $40
alpaca/cashmere/camel /yak/soy - hand wash - 80 yds. each
super soft - depth of color extraordinary - retails for $19 each
SOLD

59) 2 skeins Jamieson Soft Shetland - Anthracite (top) & Rosewood (bottom) - $5 each or $8 for the lot
dry clean - 120 yds. each
60) 3 Mystery Skeins - Earthtones - $8 each or $20 for the lot
wool - over 100 g. each
SOLD

61) 2 skeins Mountain Colors Weaver's Wool - Mountain Twilight (top) & Sweet Lavender (bottom) - $12 each or $20 for the lot
wool - hand wash - 350 yds. each
SOLD

62) Brooks Farm Willow - lavender & blue hand dye - $15
70% wool 30% bamboo - hand wash - 234 g.
SOLD

63) 2 balls Mission Falls 1824 Wool - Mixed Colors - $3 each or $5 for the lot
(left to right - 9 Nectar, 16 Thyme)
machine wash - 85 yds. each
SOLD

64) 3 skeins Berroco Ultra Alpaca - Spiceberry Mix - $15
alpaca/wool - handwash - 645 yds. total
SOLD

65) Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted - Black - $5
wool - machine wash - 225 yds.
SOLD

66) 5 skeins Fibre Co. Khroma - Raspberry - $25
50% alpaca 50% merino - handwash - 500 yds. total
SOLD

67) 2 skeins Noro Silk Garden - 88 Beige - $10
silk/mohair/wool - dryclean - 218 yds. total
SOLD

68) Diakeito Diadrey - #206 - $3
mohair/wool/nylon - hand wash - 91 yds.

69) 3 balls Jojoland Rhythm - Mixed Colors - $10
wool - handwash - 110 yds. each

70) 2 balls RYC Natural Silk Aran - 462 Palm Leaf - $5
rayon/silk/linen - hand wash - 142 yds. total
SOLD

71) 2 balls Filatura Di Crosa Hawaii (disc.) - 8 Blue - $5
viscose/cotton/polyamide/acrylic - dry clean - 132 yds. total

72) 2 balls Adrienne Vittadini Dianna - Coral - $5
cotton/microfiber - machine wash - 174 yds. total

73) 2 balls Noro Kureyon - 154 (l.) & 195(r.) - $5 each or $8 for both
wool - dry clean - 100 m. each

74) 3 skeins Noro Silk Garden - Mixed Colors - $5 each or $12 for the lot
(left to right: 279, 245, & 84)
silk/mohair/wool - dryclean - 100 m. each
SOLD

74 AND A HALF-OOPS!) 4 balls Mission Falls 1824 Cotton - Mixed Colors - $3 each or $10 for the lot
(left to right: 100 Black, 303 Jade, 204 Lentil, 205 Goldenrod)
machine wash - 84 yds. each
SOLD

75) 2 balls Rowan Handknit Cotton - 315 Decadent (top) & 314 Double chocolate (bottom)- $3 each or $5 for both
machine wash - 93 yds. each
SOLD

76) 2 skeins Fibre Co. Terra - Henna - $8
merino/alpaca/silk - hand wash - 200 yds. total
SOLD

77) Malabrigo Worsted - Dark Earth- $5
merino - handwash - 216 yds.
SOLD

78) 3 skeins Pear Tree Australia 8-ply - Nut - $15
merino - hand wash - 645 yds. total
SOLD

CHUNKY

79) Colinette Stash Pak - Blush - $60 (retails for $220)
mixed fibers - hand wash - varying yardage

80) 6 balls Schulana Samo - 23 Blue variegate - $5
mohair/cotton/acrylic/wool - hand wash - 480 m. total