For the last five or six nights, I’ve said to myself “I’m going to finish this shawl before I go to bed” and half the time, I never even get to knit a stitch. I’ll accept that I’m probably the only one who feels this way but I do not like the long days. By the time we get in from outside, it’s well after 8, sometimes 8:30. Last night we were still out doing things with flashlights at 9:00. If you think I’m not listening for every little sound . . just in case there’s a snake lurking . . I do not like having so many snakes this year!
So, we come in, take a shower and go to bed . . no knitting time. Do not like the long days! I am counting down the days til June 20 and then I will celebrate that slowly, but surely, the days will be getting shorter. I do understand why so many people like the longer hours of daylight though.
Back to my Fairyhill Shawl. It’s the first installment of Curious Handmade’s Shawl Society II. I can’t say enough good about her patterns. Every row is written out and numbered. At the end of every row it tells you how many stitches you should have on your needles and there’s a notation in increments of 5% to let you know exactly how much, percentage wise, you have done. These projects aren’t true mystery projects because you see the whole pattern at once but up until the pattern is released, you don’t know what it’s going to be. A week or so before the next pattern is released, she gives you the yarn requirements and a bit of info about the pattern. I’m really enjoying this. It’s a bit of a challenge and I love that.
I’ve already shown some of these photos but here’s the yarn I chose. This particular pattern has a small and medium option, one color or two colors and beads or no beads and called for fingering weight yarn. I chose the medium size, two color with beads and my yarn is sport weight, Cephalopod’s Bugga.
Yarn for Fairyhill
After knitting a bit, I was concerned that using sport weight, the fabric was going to be too dense and not lacy enough. I went with the same size needles as had been recommended for the fingering weight, instead of going up a size, because I’m a loose knitter and I usually go down a needle size.
Beads on Fairyhill
In my opinion, there’s a fine line for my preference between wanting the beads to show and not totally blend, and also not wanting them to be in your face (think . . white yarn/red beads). There are time when in your face beads are good but for the most part, I want my beads to almost blend but have just a little bit of sparkle. These beads, while they were very hard to photograph, are exactly what I wanted. In the light, there will be a little bit of sparkle but they don’t take away from the design.
OK .. here it is all finished!
Fairyhill
The lacy actually blocked out to be quite pretty and I’m happy with the design, the yarn and the beads.
Fairyhill
It’s nice to finish something I love and it all came from stash yarn. We’ll get the second pattern (#2 of 6) some time after the first of June. I already have my yarn for that one and it’s all stash yarn too.
Sherrill says
LOVE it!!! So pretty and glad you were able to finish (though I’m on the opposite side of the daylight fence..LOL).
Joan from Alaska says
Oh, Judy, I know exactly how you feel, except here the sun is setting at midnight and coming back up around 4:00 am! My daylight hours are consumed by the garden, and nothing else is getting done…but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Winters are for knitting, sewing…and sleeping!
Marilyn Smith says
Judy, I am with you! I don’t like the sun going down at 7:45 pm but do enjoy the sunrise at 5:41 am. It is too hot here to eat before 7 pm and I want it dark when I cook and eat! Love the early mornings. I read, sew, have my coffee or do a load of laundry. Often at the grocery store by 7 am. DH shows up between 8 and 9 am. I tend to poop out infront of the tv and watch very few shows. Most of what dh selects puts me to sleep by 9 pm. Usually, we are both in bed by 10:30 after watching the news.
sharkiecat says
I hit row 100 last night, 299 stitches. When I think how we started with five, it feels like a lot. I’m doing mine with a variegated fingering weight and no beads. Good to see that the stitches block out so nicely. Are you going to do the next one?
DonnainKS says
That shawl is gorgeous! You are going to get me back to knitting sooner or later. Enjoy the beauty you continue to produce and tempt me with! Tempt? Encourage? Whichever!! 🙂
Ava Crotinger says
That is lovely! I’m working on Fairyhill and I do love the pattern. I always like the things you recommend. I’m using stash yarn also (hand dyed yarn from Janet’s little shop). But, I haven’t got that far. So many other things have come up and we’ve had graduations and birthdays and lots of typing / transcription work. Let me tell you this short funny / embarrassing thing that happened today. I have poison ivy really bad – my face, eyes, lips, chin and neck and around my ears are all swollen beyond recognition. So I managed to get myself to the walk in clinic, feeling a bit dazed and out of kilter. I went to the restroom and was standing in the stall when my phone rang. I saw that it was a man I type for (court case document review) so I thought I should answer. I said “hello” and just at that moment the toilet behind flushed really loud. Michael on the other end, laughed and laughed. There was no way to disguise that flush. He said, “don’t you just hate it when that happens.” If I had been in my right mind I would have died of embarrassment.
Gale says
Oh I love the longer days. I am one of those whose energy lasts as long as the sun does. When it goes down I am done for – summer or winter. In the winter I can barely even sew or do anything after 5pm. In the summer I can keep going until 9pm. Guess the sun winds up my batteries.
Wanda says
Very pretty and lady like.Good work
Jennifer in Indy says
The shawl looks great!