Sneak Peek Saturday

"Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance."
- Jean Petit-Senn (1792-1870, French poet)

It's been a while since we've had a sneak peek Saturday. Each week, time would roll around to the weekend and I would say to myself, "Well, I really want to get to this that or the other point before sharing my recent work."

And the weeks just seemed to fold seamlessly into one another and here it is a month later.

My bad...

It has been an abundant month at Sunflower Designs.

Before vacation, I was sort of burned out on designing, but the 10 days of rest, relaxation, reading (the 3 Rs) and NO KNITTING (gasp) worked their magic on this worn down middle aged knitter.

Well, since vacation, I have come roaring back with a vengeance.

WARNING: picture heavy post!!!

First off, some old business:

Many of you have requested modeled shots of my creations. I roped DH into taking some shots a week or two ago, so here goes...

Barad Dur

Lothlorien - front...

and back

and last, but most certainly NOT least!

In Dreams

I will be compiling the Mystery Shawl clues into one pattern next week, which all KAL participants will receive. This pattern will include all charts, written directions, & corrections. I will post more pictures then.

On to new business:



The Mere is coming along - mine is 1/3 complete and my test knitters have made good progress with their knits. As soon as I get her a little further along and vett the directions for attaching the final edging, I will write her up & get her out to your hot little hands.

REMEMBER: Barad Dur & Mere were added to the Two Towers Series AFTER the Christmas gift certificate promotion. THEY ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE $52 GIFT CERTIFICATE.

They are part of the $15 add-on package. THEY ARE INCLUDED FOR THOSE PURCHASING THE SERIES AFTER MARCH 1 FOR $60.

Those of you forgoing the extra 3 patterns, your first pattern will be Treebeard, which I finished this morning and shot out to my test knitters.




This shoulder wrap features a twist at front and an unblocked lace pattern to evoke the look of moss on the side of the Ents in Fangorn Forest. The yarn is Alchemy's Silken Straw in Forest Waltz.

It is not too late to subscribe to the Two Towers Series. This gets you benefits such as a reduced price, wonderfully warm & witty (HAH!) missives from yours truly, automatic pattern updates, and a surprise pattern somewhere down the line (SHHHH!!!)

Sign up is on the left hand sidebar - scroll down a bit...

I also have one other new pattern in development that has nothing to do with the Lord of the Rings.




This is the Three Angels Shawl: my first dedicated pattern. It is a fundraiser for the Three Angels Children's Home in Haiti, which includes a school and a hospital. The shawl is knit with Crystal Palace's Mini-Mochi and will be edged with a lace border in alpaca that looks like angel wings.

Here is a shot of the shawl stretched out a bit to show the stitch pattern better.

These spring days are abundant indeed. Even as new life springs from the earth and our pulses quicken with the scent of fresh possibilities, we move into the summer months with hope in our hearts and joy in our own backyards.

Code Problems

I think the reason many of you downloading from the blog have had difficulties with the codes may be that you are only able to use one code a day on E-junkie. The problems seem to be focused on those who are trying to download more than one clue at a time.

Let me know...

In Dreams Clue 5 Errata

Written Directions for Row 173 should end with:

;rep from * 3 times

NOT

; rep from * 3 times, ending row with ssk, instead of sk2p (see notes)

Chart is correct.

Thanks for the catch, Elyss!

Barad Dur Version 3

NEW VERSION OF BARAD DUR - too many errata to list - lost an email from test knitter with many corrections on it.

Just make sure you are knitting from pdf file with name BaradDur.V3.pdf

Updates have been sent to all subscribers and individual purchasers

and pay no attention to the little woman behind the curtain - she is just beating her brains out (what little is left of them)

Barad Dur

Mettanna Irkat-lukhud

ma katabrikihu

Ulfat-atam ma tanakhi

uduhu bin-nât aznân tarsisi

No shaft of light Can breach it

No breath of air

Comes from it

Only an endless dark rises…

It seems only fitting that we should begin our exploration of themes from The Two Towers with a piece designed to represent one of those towers.

BARAD DUR

THE TWO TOWERS SERIES
from the needles of Susan Pandorf

Size: 54 in wide by 20 in long (at center back)
Materials: 3 balls Rowan Panama or 415 yds sport/fingering weight yarn
size 5 (US) needles or to obtain gauge
Gauge (stockinette st - blocked): 5 st = 1 inch

Intermediate level - charted & written

Barad Dur is a quick little shawlette, knit from the bottom or outside up & inward, decreasing as you go. The patterning is only on the outer edges, so once you have worked through the chart or directions for that portion, it is an easy stretch of stockinette until bind off.

Pattern’s lace motif features the Eye of Sauron.

Barad Dur never looked so good!

In Dreams Mystery Shawl

I have now provided two alternate endings to the In Dreams shawl, for those who run short of yarn. Both options shorten the points of the final leaves, rounding them gently to coordinate with the rounded motifs earlier in the design.

Bead count will decrease with the decrease in rows.

The pdf file contains both charts & written directions for alternate patterning that subtracts either 4 or 6 rows from the finished shawl. I have also included revised directions for the outer edging.

These directions are available as a free download both here and on Ravelry. They will also be emailed to every member of the KAL today.

My sincere apologies & thanks for your patience.

I am also updating clue 7 with a new chart, fixing the two errata discovered over the weekend. Written directions remain the same, so you can just print the new chart if you like.

Only Love

"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him. "

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that"

_Martin Luther King, Jr.

I cannot say it better, so I will not try...