Westemnet Errata

Is my face red...

I accidentally counted the right edge stitch in the repeats . Should cast on 56.

Yeesh...

Westemnet

Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended
giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende on Meduselde
þat heo mano arer his þruc ne deores
on meagorinc deorcas, belu

An evil death has set forth the noble warrior
A song shall sing the sorrowing minstrels in Meduseld
That noble cousin who always held me dear

Now is held in darkness, enclosed…

Eowyn's Lament

When I got this lovely ball of Isager Bomulin, it was a challenge to find a pattern that showed it off to its best advantage. The yarn is slightly bumpy, due to the wrap of the 2 strands: one linen & one cotton. The linen is natural beige; the cotton is white. So there is a slight marl to the yarn as well.

Complicated lace patterns got lost in the yarn. The yarn was too fine for cablework. Knit/purl and slip stitch patterns weren't the answer either.

Then I found this nifty little yarn-over pattern in my Barbara Walkers. It couldn't be simpler. If you can knit, purl, yarn-over, knit 2 together, & slip, slip knit, you're all set.

The pattern is slightly textural and evolves into this dainty hourglass pattern. It is open & airy & light & quick & easy peasy - everything a summer scarf should be.

In my humble opinion...

As to the name, I wanted something that played off of the casual, slightly rustic feel of the scarf.

Westemnet was the westernmost grasslands of Rohan beyond Entwash that spread until the rivers Isen, marking the western part of the land of the Mark.

The most important of Rohan’s settlements and fortifications lay to the south of the Westemnet, where the White Mountains rose up from the plain. Helm’s Deep was among these, and to the south-east was the seat of the Lords of the Mark, Edoras itself.

Emnet means “plain” in Rohirric.

WESTEMNET

The Lord of the Rings Collection

Materials:
3 balls Isager Bomulin (color: natural) or 525 yards other fingering weight yarn
size 3 (US) needles

Size: 10 by 64 inches
Gauge: not important

Written & charted directions.
Suitable for the beginning lace knitter.

Mine is coming in with 2 balls, but I have added 15% to the yardage estimate to allow for differences in knitting styles.

Hope you enjoy the free pattern as much as I did, knitting it up. Now I'm just waiting on that second ball.

Patterns on the sidebar and Ravelry - you know what to do...

Treebeard

Naur vi eryn, lanc i dalaf.
Mathach vi geven?
Nostach vi 'wilith?
Mâb le i nagor,
Bâd gurth vi ngalad firiel.
Dorthach vi mar han?
Dagrathach go hain?

'The woods are burning,
the ground lies bare.
Do you feel it in the earth?
Can you smell it in the air?
The war is upon you,
Death moves in the fading light.
Are you part of this world?
Will you join their fight?'

- Words by Philippa Boyens, translated into Sindarin by David Salo,

TREEBEARD $6
THE TWO TOWERS SERIES

A shoulder hugging organic lace wrap from the needles of Susan Pandorf

Size: 33 (36, 39, 42) (45, 48) inches wide by 10 inches tall

Materials: 440 (480, 520, 560) (600, 640) yds Alchemy Silken Straw in Forest Waltz or other DK weight yarn
size 4 (US) needles or to obtain gauge

Gauge: one pattern rep measures approx 1.5 inches wide & 1 inch tall, unblocked

WRITTEN & CHARTED DIRECTIONS

suitable for beginning lace knitters

This pattern is intended to be left unblocked to maximize the likeness to moss. Wrap is knit flat in one piece, twisted and seamed at back of neck.

I love this piece! It is light as a feather and stays on your shoulders effortlessly, due to the strategic decreases in the pattern. By leaving it unblocked, you maximize the elasticity of the finished piece. It really does hug your shoulders.

Any fingering weight yarn will work, but the Alchemy Silken Straw really enhances both the lightness and the textural nature of the wrap. It's a little stiff to work with in the beginning but softens up beautifully as you work and has fabulous drape & color.

Now that my photos are done, I think this one is going into heavy rotation this summer. Just the thing for cool evening breezes...

Sneak Peek Saturday, er Sunday, er Monday! Yeah! That's the Ticket!

"Enthusiasm, like measles, mumps and the common cold, is highly contagious."

-Emory Ward

Lord, I sure do hope so!

I have been sick this past week with the cold that wouldn't die...

Started sniffling on Wednesday and still hacking the following Monday.

Puts a real crimp in a gal's social life, don't ya know.

But it does wonders for the WIP pile.

I holed up with a tall glass of juice, my two current projects, and a weekend long Friday Night Lights marathon, courtesy of Netflix.

And lo & behold, they are both ready to join Treebeard & the Mere in testing. YAY!

First out of the starting gate is the Mithril Vest, last pattern in the Fellowship series.

I would do a modeled shot, but have not done my hair since last Tuesday before the plague cold hit. It's not pretty folks...



All that is left is to weave in the ends & knit the I-cord for the closing tie. I have some knifty little gold "Tree of Life" pendants coming for the ends of the ties.



Going to lace the I-cord through the front edges for closure

Mithril is knit in one piece - only seaming is at the shoulders. It has optional beading on the front only.

All the glitches are knocked out of it, the sizing issues have been addressed satisfactorily and she is heading out the door to all the wonderful test knitters in a wide variety of sizes - Hallelujah!

Haven't been this excited to see something leave home since my brother-in-law got his own apartment - lol

close up of upper back lace

The other WIP is something y'all haven't seen before.

This is Isengard, a highly textured lace stole knit up in Rowan's Fine Milk Cotton, which is fingering weight.


Isengard is all about linear length, contrasted with circular motifs. The tension between the tall tower and the circle at its base.

I had to do it, folks. After all, if Tolkien had stopped with Barad Dur, it would have been the One Tower, no?

You remember when I said Two Towers subscribers would be getting a little surprise somewhere down the road?

SURPRISE!

This pattern will be emailed free of charge to all Two Towers subscribers, just as soon as my test knitters are finished with her.

The pattern will eventually become available for individual purchase for $8 at the end of the year. Till then, the pattern will be exclusive to Two Towers subscribers, as my way of thanking them for their faith in me.

Not too late to join the fun. Sign up over on the sidebar or on Ravelry...

Speaking of subscribers, Fellowship of the Ring subscribers should check their in boxes this week for a little surprise from me to you to make the wait for Mithril a little less frustrating. I have not forgotten you and I appreciate your patience.

Now, if y'all will excuse me (WOW! I need to stop watchin this Texas hoedown of a series)

I have patterns to write...

In Dreams

When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams I still hear your name
And in dreams We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come, to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there I will go there
And back again

- Words and music by Fran Walsh and Howard Shore

In Dreams
(full pattern)
$9
(includes $1 donation to Doctors without Borders)

beaded half circle shawl
THE TWO TOWERS SERIES
from the needles of Susan Pandorf

Materials: 1300 – 1500 yds. Eos or other laceweight yarn

5000 size 8 seed beads (optional)
Model knit in 6 color Unique Sheep Gradiance - Abalone
size 3 (US) needles or to obtain gauge

Gauge (stockinette st - blocked): 7 st = 1 inch

Advanced Lace

Written & Charted

At Long Last...

"Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self."

-Bhagavad Gita

Mithril is finally off the needles for good & blocking. Thought I had her ready for testing in May, but had to pull back a bit & add some short rows to the front to get the shape right.

Will get her out to one test knitter in each size by end of week - whew...

I know many of you are counting the days and wish it was done sooner. Me too!

All I can say is:

Something like this takes time & patience & extreme focus (which is often hard to come by in a household where a 2 year old has taken up residence.)

Mama had WB all last week, so was finally able to get in several days in a row of nothing but thinking & knitting & frogging & thinking some more.

I hope you think she is worth the effort and the wait.

I do.




Thank you for your patience with this challenging & rewarding design.