Random Acts of Knitting

In complex situations, we may rely too heavily on planning and forecasting and underestimate the importance of random factors in the environment. That reliance can also lead to delusions of control.

-Hillel J. Einhorn

My thoughts are scattered today - not good for a writer. I don't know if it is due to the heat which has suddenly struck hard at the midsection of our country, the many patterns I have in the pipeline at the moment, or the push-me-pull-you nature of balancing the demands on my time.

All I know is that I am having difficulty settling down to any one thing right now. I work on Evenstar's beaded border until my eyes and brain give out (which comes sooner on some days than on others) then pick up Dwarrowdelf to finish the second side. When that feels stale, I knit on Strider which is already in test knit and about 10 rows from sample completion.

When all else fails to interest, I work on another design which I have had in mind for Fellowship since it's inception, but had not finalized in time for the initial offering. This one is low on the priority list as it is not part of the original series, but I hope to have it ready for publication in August, just in time for you to complete it before the cold winds of winter strike again.

Evenstar's release has been pushed back from June 1st to the 4th (next Friday) in consideration of the holiday weekend and the many festivities surrounding it. I have learned (to our detriment) the consequences of premature release (now that sounds a lot racier than it should-lol) and want to make sure the final product is thoroughly proofed by several people since it has only been tested in its clue format.

Those errata are sneaky little suckers - they and their ugly cousins: the typos!

Now some random acts of knitting for your enjoyment...

close up shot of back panel of Dwarrowdelf showing the center graft & the pick up along the side edge (the diagonal line) with the side panels knit out from the back.

beauty shot of Dwarrowdelf on the artist's chair

!!SPOILER ALERT!!
Evenstar Pic ahead

Almost done with beaded border - next time you see her, she'll be blocked
so excited!!!


Galadriel's Mirror triangular shawl - mid-way through 3rd chart

close up of center back divide showing mirroring

close up of twisted stitch/bobbled lace pattern

Elven-ish motifs ripple out in mirror fashion from center of shawl before radiating out into an overlapping lattice with half round motifs on the edge. The yarn is the yummiest color - String Theory Blue Stocking in Alexandrite - a real joy to work with! I have almost used up the first skein, but have 2 more if I need them.

And I think that's about it for today. Not up to my usual standards, but as much as I can manage today. My knitting awaits...

Dwarrowdelf

“Then the halls sang with glory and gold- now they whisper with darkness and death.
Then the mines were places of mirth and merriment - now they are places of destruction and decay.
Read my words, traveler, and despair”

- from "Seen in the Halls of Dwarrowdelf" by Aruthir

DWARROWDELF STOLE
$8

MEASUREMENTS
72 in long by 22 in wide
MATERIALS
1100 – 1200 yds. fingering weight yarn
Sample knit with Madelinetosh Sock, color: Thicket
size 3(US) needles
GAUGE
6 stitches = 1 inch (unblocked)

The yarn is Madelinetosh sock in Thicket, a lovely dusky, earthy eggplant type color. I looked at black & charcoal, but it was too stark. Dwarrowdelf isn’t an evil place. Yes, the Balrog lives there, yes, it has been overrun by cave trolls. But is was once the great hall of the Dwarven Kings of Old. It has been forgotten & neglected.

I think this color perfectly captures the essence of that feeling - faded out to a dusty echo of what was once royal purple.

The stole is knit in an interesting fashion. A back strip is knit in two pieces & grafted at center to form a pattern like this: <<<>>>. then the ends are knit down from the sides of that strip. turning the pattern upside down results in a repeating arched pattern reminiscent of the great hall itself.

Stole is finished at the bottom edges with an openwork pattern representing the Misty Mountains.

I will get better pictures tomorrow, including ones of the back panel. My camera batteries are dead and I didn't want to delay the release of this long awaited pattern any further.

Pattern is available individually both here on the sidebar & on RAVELRY

OR... as part of the $45 subscription, for which I have had so many requests in the past two weeks that I am re-opening it by popular demand. That button is also on the sidebar and if you click on the picture it will take you to the post that outlines all the patterns you receive with this subscription.

If you have already subscribed & confirmed your subscription with my email server, AWeber, you should have already received an email with the code to download your pattern free of charge.

Just Had to Share...

snort - giggle

For those on Dwarrowdelf watch, I just sent the finished pattern to the proofreader. As soon as she looks it over & gives me the thumbs up, I'll send it out to your hot little hands. Thanks for your patience!

Subscribers should have gotten a confirmation request from AWeber: my email server. This is their way of ensuring that I am not spamming. I just exported the list over to them today. Much easier to do in one big file than individually as the subscriptions came in...

If I can figure it out how to work it at E-junkie, I will use this list to send an access code for a direct download link. If not, I will send the pdf file as an attachment like I have done with the Evenstar clues.

As always, please let me know if you have any difficulties and I will do my best to work through them with you.

One way or t'other, before the end of the week, you should be walking into Mordor Khazad Dum.

Best Laid Plans

"It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time."

- Winston Churchill

I had hoped to have Dwarrowdelf out by now, but one of my test knitters (written directions) had some confusion and a hospitalization in the family along the way. I am waiting on her. When I spoke with her on Friday, she said she hoped to finish up over the weekend. Then I have to run the final pattern by my proofreaders.

I do not want to release before this process is concluded, in order to avoid potential errata in the pattern. I also do not want to make the knitter feel inadequate or that she has let me down in any way by taking the test to someone else. These things happen. It is part of the process.

I beg your understanding. The next release in the series will be the Strider Cowl, which I am writing up for the test knitters today. It should be a much shorter interval before release.

Please accept my apologies for the delay.

Goldberry Errata

As in the Evenstar errata listing earlier, the wrong side decreases are backwards - chart is correct but key and written directions are wrong

wrong side decreases should be as follows:

knit 2 tog (/) should be purl 2 tog if done on wrong side
ssk ( backward slash) should be ssp on wrong side

A software glitch resulted in wrong side direction of decreases being reversed - new version (Goldberry2) has been corrected as best I can - program won't let me edit stitch library - have requested patch from developer.

In the meantime I have re done the written directions and overwritten the key in red. Every one who purchased the pattern has received a new corrected copy by email, subject: revision

Sorry for this problem - I don't know why my test knitter and proofreader didn't catch it.

Evenstar Errata

Clue #7: wrong side directions omitted from key

knit symbol (blank space) should be “purled on wrong side”
purl symbol (-) should be “knit on wrong side”
knit two tog symbol (/) should say “p2 tog on wrong side.” THIS IS NOT WHAT THE KEY SAYS BUT THE KEY IS WRONG

the software I use maintains that the opposite of a k2 tog is an ssp. I disagree. I think it is a p2 tog. I don’t know if I can change the symbol key, but I will try.

Bottom line - if you are happy with how it looks, no need to change it. Either way looks fine - only time the decrease is on the wrong side is at the inner edge - if it was the others it would look wonky, but we dodged that bullet.

Added later: I cannot change the stitch key - it won’t let me. Will change written directions & see if I can export the key to paint & overwrite. Have sent an email to the software developer to see if he has a patch.

So sorry - tech glitch - out of my control.

Goldberry

"O slender as a willow-wand! O clearer than clear water! O reed by the living pool! Fair River Daughter"

- Frodo's greeting to Goldberry from The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R. Tolkien

GOLDBERRY SCARF PATTERN $6
$4 FOR FOTR SUBSCRIBERS

MEASUREMENTS
12 inches wide by 64 inches long
MATERIALS
560 yds. fingering weight yarn
Sample knit with Twisted Fiber Arts Kabam!, color: Lagoon Evolution
size 5(US) needles
gauge: 6 stitches = 1 inch (unblocked)

Goldberry is another $6 pattern, but I have put an additional button on the sidebar just for FotR subscribers - your price will be $4. Please do not use this if you are not a subscriber - I will check.

My apologies for the delay in release. We had a bit of a scare out here on the sunflower farm yesterday: one that involved an unscheduled field trip to the emergency room. Everyone is fine now; no need for worry, but it threw a rather sizable monkey wrench into the planned activities of the day.

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO SIGN UP FOR THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS COLLECTION AND GET YOUR FREE LEGOLAS PATTERN.

AFTER TODAY, ALL PATTERNS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUAL PURCHASE ONLY AT THE NON SUBSCRIBER COST OF $6 - $8 EACH

FOR DETAILS AND PICTURES OF THE PATTERNS INCLUDED IN THE SERIES PRICE OF $45, CLICK ON THE IMAGE ON THE SIDEBAR