Lothlorien Errata

The numbering on chart 2 begins on the wrong number. It should begin with row 105, not 125.

PS - did not forget about sneak peek Saturday - just worked on nothing but In Dreams last week, so couldn't show you pics...

Argonath

Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien.
Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!

Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come.
In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world

The Argonath, also known as The Gates of Argonath or The Pillars of the Kings, is a monument comprising two enormous pillars, carved in the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, standing upon either side of the River Anduin.

Each of the two figures was shown wearing a crown and a helm, with an axe in its right hand and its left hand raised in a gesture of defiance to the enemies of Gondor.

ARGONATH
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING COLLECTION
$8

Size: 20 in wide by 70 in long
Materials: 7 skeins String Theory Merino DK
(color: Labradorite) or 1960 yards DK weight yarn
size 5 (US) needles or to obtain gauge
Gauge (in pattern): 6 st = 1 inch
charted pattern - advanced

This deeply textured capacious wrap is just the thing to wrap up in for long voyages. Will keep the chill from your bones, Now if it only repelled orcs…

Fringed Stole features winding cable patterns to evoke the river Anduin, framed by strong columnar patterns with diagonal lines just like the up-stretched arms of the Argonath statues/gates. The dense cables make this piece look like it has also been carved in stone.

This one has charted directions - much easier to visualize the cables on charts.

If enough people want them, I will write up written directions for each individual chart, but knitters will still have to put them together in proper order. To write out individual row by row directions would be prohibitively long, due to motifs having different row repeats.

Thank you for your patience in waiting so long for this eagerly anticipated pattern. I hope you find her worth the wait...

I Love to Tell the Story

"In the tale, in the telling, we are all one blood. Take the tale in your teeth, then, and bite till the blood runs, hoping it's not poison; and we will all come to the end together, and even to the beginning: living, as we do, in the middle."

Ursula K. LeGuin

When I was young, my mother read Uncle Wiggly stories to me. He was an old gentleman rabbit with many friends & great adventures. And each story ended with something like this:

"And now boys & girls, if you are good, tomorrow we will hear the story of Uncle Wiggly and the "whatever...".

Inevitably, this left me wanting, "Just one more, Mommy. Please?" The writer knew how to whet the appetite of young children and keep them coming back for more.

A little later in my life, the Indiana Jones movies came out and revisited the format of the serial movies of old with their cliff hangers and potboilers. You always wanted to know what happened next.

Today, we eagerly await the next installment of the Harry Potter series, or the Hunger Games, or Twilight. Before that it was Star Wars.

Or my favorite: Lord of the Rings.

There is something in us that loves a good yarn, that keeps us turning the next page, reading well past our bedtimes, lining up for midnight shows at the cinema. We chafe at the bit, we drool over spoilers, we want - no - NEED to know how it turns out.

Why?

Maybe because our lives are such a mystery to us. We don't know what comes next. We plan, we ponder, but ultimately God laughs. Our lives are not our own. Call it fate if you aren't religious.

All I know is on most of the momentous days of my life, I didn't see them coming.

I will admit to falling prey to several exciting narratives recently. I have been burning the midnight oil most nights, working on my designs.

While I knit I have been watching Dexter on DVD. What has impressed me most is how well crafted the plot lines are. Nothing is wasted. Every episode ends with a little cliff hanger of its own and each season finale neatly gathers in all the little loose ends & ties them up in one thrilling package. That is very good writing.

After I have toddled off to bed, I have unwound from the day's stimulating work with a murder mystery: "What the Night Knows" by Dean Koontz. It too is a page turner, with a surprise around every new development. When you are reading till 2:00 in the morning, you know it's good.

But the narrative that has totally held me in thrall this month is the evolving design of In Dreams ( the mystery shawl that kicks off with the first clue on Friday)

I decided months ago that I wanted the design for this piece to feature large motifs, rather than repeating small ones. I wanted it to unfold, rather than repeat. I wanted the increases to flow from within the pattern rather than adding one stitch at the end of each row.

I am now moving into the final section of design elements and it has been a great challenge. If I increase too much in one area the shawl begins to ruffle or forms a point rather than a semicircle. If I increase too little, the stitches pull.

Putting all the pieces of the story together has been a greatly stimulating endeavor to me. I cannot wait to get back to it each day. There have been many changes and false starts. But I have learned so much and enjoyed the process so tremendously. It has been a page turner.

I only hope you enjoy knitting it as much as I have enjoyed designing it.

The downside of this fascination, is the languishing of Argonath & Mithril. And my lack of responsiveness the past 3 weeks. I have been on retreat these past few weeks as I worked my brain around and around the unique problems of this design, looking always to making her the very best I have to offer.

Crafting a well coordinated pattern is much like telling a story. All of the pieces must fit together neatly and arrive together at the end. Each element must contribute to the enjoyment of the whole experience and the well honed beauty of the finished product.

Today, with clue 4 completed, I have forced myself to put In Dreams down and use the day to set up the database for In Dreams clue dispersal (Hurry up, Friday!) and catch up on my huge backlog of correspondence, here on the blog, in my home email account, and on Ravelry.

After those housekeeping tasks are completed, I will devote my time to the completion of Argonath (finally!) and get the pattern out into your in-boxes by week's end.

In Dreams is calling to me. Soon, it says...soon... but not yet...

sigh...

All I Want for Christmas

Every body stops
And stares at me
These two teeth are
Gone as you can see
I don't know just who
To blame for this catastrophe!
But my one wish on Christmas Eve
Is as plain as it can be!

All I want for Christmas
Is my two front teeth,
My two front teeth,
See my two front teeth!

Gee, if I could only
Have my two front teeth,
Then I could wish you
"Merry Christmas"

Things were so quiet around here in the last month, that I have actually gotten emails asking if I was alright. Everything seemed to be "in development."

But now, everything is ready! And I will be rolling things out on a regular basis. It is tempting to throw it all out there today in a big gush, but first things first...

Thanks to the generous hearts of Fellowship knitters, I can now offer Legolas as a stand alone pattern for individual purchase.

This little kerchief has a lot of fans & they have been clamoring for the pattern to become available to those who missed out on the series subscription. I polled the Fellowship to make sure no one would be offended if I did this, and to a knitter, they all said, "Not at all - the more the merrier!"

I love knitters...

LEGOLAS $8

SIZE:
main portion measures 18” deep by 34”wide, with 18” tails
MATERIALS:
250 - 275 yards (229 - 251 m) DK weight yarn
Sanguine Gryphon Dance (Sword Dance) used for sample
Size 6 (US) needles
Gauge: 4 stitches = 1 inch in lace pattern (blocked out)

Tomorrow brings another free pattern; I did mine in MMMMMMMMMMMMalabrigo. Here is a sneak peek.


Saturday, I will post Galadriel's Mirror (finally! this pattern has been in development purgatory for months)

Sunday, I will open sign ups for the next mystery KAL: In Dreams, and put a button on the sidebar for purchase of gift certificates with a discounted price for the Two Towers series.

Anything else you want for Christmas? Just let me know.

Back to the workshop...

Drive-By...

"Hasten slowly and ye shall soon arrive."

-Latin proverb

Things have been a bit busy today, so not a lot of time...

But I wanted to share progress pics of Dwarrowdelf with you. I have finished the back strip and am beginning to knit down from it. The yarn continues to delight me. Will let you know as soon as I have firm amounts.



Third clue for Evenstar comes out tomorrow at 3:00 EST.

Back to the salt mines...

Change It Up

"The most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Since life is growth and motion, a fixed point of view kills anybody who has one."

-Brooks Atkinson

Hope no one will be too disappointed in a change that happened over the last week.

I do my best, when selling subscriptions to stick to the released plan. People don't like it when you change things too much. Especially if they have paid for it.

The yarn I intended to use for Dwarrowdelf just wasn't working for me. It was too variegated and too blue, where I wanted something darker.

I have however ordered it in a DK weight and am hoping to use it for a Misty Mountain piece.

Here is the final design element for Dwarrowdelf.


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.

I have been told I over-think things, but this just seems right to me. I have ever used an intuitive process when it comes to design, and my gut tells me when the knitting is right.

I also swatched over the weekend for the front bands of the mithril vest.



Change is the only constant in our lives. We do well to embrace it...