The Wing is Flapping / Clue 6 Done

Shows the join -- a little funky, but not too bad.

(clickable for detail)

I love how the variegated yarn camouflages my mistakes! (also clickable)

The wing looking -- well -- wing-like.

One pleasant surprise of working this clue was how the variegated yarn co-operated with the pattern. I started my second ball right before the join, and the new ball was ever-so-slightly more vibrant than the old one. Those "feathers" really pop. My stitch count was off at the end, so something will have to be fudged in the future.

Hopefully, when clue 7 is released I'll figure out how to deal with the stitch weirdness. I'm hoping clue 7 is heavy on the beadwork. If not, I might have to do some wee pattern alterations. Love doing the beading, and love the elan they give this stole.

Off I go to spin some nice blended top.

Clapotis Reminiscing

click for close-up view

I knit this Clapotis Shawl last summer -- the (much simpler) equivalent to MS3. It really is a fun knit, once you get used to the pattern. Very modern and un-fangled, but still lacy. I used almost every bit of one skein of Brooks Farm Yarns Riata for this. If you don't know Brooks Farm, click here to visit them -- some of the nicest yarn I've ever knit with.

The pattern is a free download from knitty.com. If you are craving more lace, but want something simpler, have a look at this pattern. It's a great way to show off a variegated yarn in lace.

More Info: Hanne Falkenberg

Hanne Falkenberg "Mermaid" --

If Ballerina goes well, this one might be next!

Thanks to those who left comments or e-mailed me directly! A couple of things:

Hanne Falkenberg is Danish, not Dutch. (Sorry, Hanne.) I corrected this in the original post to avoid confusion. Thanks to Ellen for letting me know.

Her kits are generally sold in America for about $260, but you can get them for half of that on e-bay. I bought mine from ecclescakes on e-bay, and my total with shipping from England was $147.50. Prices are similar on ecclescakes' web site here and in this Danish site, which ships to America, here (site is in Danish, but can be figured out. Thanks to Gail for this link).

You can see all the colorways offered for HF kits here. The colorway I wanted (#1) was not listed on e-bay, but Jane at Cucumber Patch (mother ship of ecclescakes) listed it promptly when I e-mailed my request to her.

Finally, there is a very helpful HF KAL group here. Someone in this group has actually gone to the trouble of creating line-by-line spreadsheets of a couple of HF patterns! Now that is dedication. Yep, I'm already signed up. But the rule is: No starting on the Ballerina until the swan bites the dust. Right? --

-- (sigh) Right.

Reason I Must Finish MS3

Hanne Falkenberg Ballerina Coat (see below)

Many thanks to those of you who sent words of encouragement regarding my MS3 project. Perhaps I am too close to the actual item to be objective. Yesterday I noticed that those last few stitches on the right-hand needle -- the ones we aren't working -- are actually starting to felt. grrr.

On to other matters. I have been looking for a new winter coat for 2 years now. I live in Colorado, in an area with (generally) pretty mild winters, so I wanted something:

1. lightweight
2. stylish but not trendy
3. preferably black
4. light-to-medium in warmth (I overheat easily)
5. packable.

For two years I've been after this thing like it's the holy grail. I refused to buy something that wasn't quite right, so kept wearing my old coat, which I loathe. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it. Probably that it was cheap and didn't itch.

Also, for at least two years, I have been coveting kits by Danish designer Hanne Falkenberg. Specifically this coat: On the one hand, many people on the net have "horror stories" of working on HF kits. They are knit on itty bitty needles in garter stitch. Sitting down to knit a Hanne Falkenberg kit is like sitting down to read Moby Dick -- something not to be done lightly. Something which requires serious commitment, fortitude, and possible eye strain.

On the other hand, I love this coat. Everything about it. And knitting lace has made me more comfortable with knitting on 2's and 3's. These kits are expensive -- but can be found for half price on ebay. And I really do need a winter jacket.

So it is ordered. And I have made the commitment to try and have it finished by October 1. (A couple of family birthdays in September will require some of my knitting time. but I can still try . . .)

This week I am getting my resume together and beginning a job search. Something to help support a tiny little knitting habit, and a nascent spinning jones. My ideal job: One in which I get paid to write, travel, knit, spin, and supply half-baked opinions. Yeah, right. I just hope I don't end up in a funny hat asking "Do you want fries with that?"