The search for the perfect green...

I have been looking for the perfect green for a project for about 4 months. Here are some of the contenders:

The Knitting Goddess 100% 4ply Silk - the top skein is a lovely soft green and one of Joy's base yarns rather than one of her dyed yarns. Sadly this green seems to be sold out but I did get two skeins, one of which became Pergola


Laughing Yaffle semi-solid sock in Lark Ascending




Wool blend laceweight dyed with Kool Aid by TessVintageKnits on Ravelry


Old Maiden Aunt Superwash Merino in Eat Your Greens


YarnAddict Yarns Fantasy Sock in Parade


An unknown merino blend laceweight from a street market in Aveiro, Portugal. This was quite a find and cost a whole E2.50 and there's loads of it


Whilst only the top one made the cut for Pergola, the others are all lovely yarns and will be perfect for other projects. Until then they can sit about looking pretty (and being squished from time to time)

The latest FO

This is Pergola, a lace stole in Knitting Goddess 100% 4ply Silk in an undyed green. It's a gift for my next to youngest older sister and is a day late (stupid blocking). There was a certain amount of frantic knitting, and trying to knit lace on the train - mainly because I started knitting a gift with plenty of time and then lost a week to changing my mind.

Pergola is the second of my patterns using an adaptation of a Fern Lace stitch (also the border in Garden Pond). For some reason I really like this stitch, maybe because it's very easy and intuitive but looks quite impressive, and I'm planning another stole using a further and more complex adaptation of this stitch. I have two versions in my head so we'll see what actually makes it to yarn.

Whilst those thoughts are brewing I have other things to finish:

• cabled shawlette recipe (OTN since June - lots left on this)
• my husband's socks (OTN since March, only 7 rows and one toe)
• my winter stripy jumper in Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran (OTN since December I think and only lacking half a sleeve and a neckline)

And I have just been given some Claudia's Silk Lace which wants to be a lace cowl but I can't find one I like so I'll wait until inspiration strikes...

ETA - I finished the socks, photos to follow.

Garden Pond

The second of my shawl patterns was released yesterday on Ravelry and when I last checked had been downloaded 41 times - 41!

I am really pleased with the response I'm getting to my designs and have a few more in the pipeline.

Garden Pond is a semi-circular shawl with lace bands and a simple lace border. It's a good shawl for beginner lace knitters as it's all fairly intuitive and there's areas of stocking stitch where you can mentally catch your breath (although it's more of a gentle walk than anything energetic)

Here's a picture of the initial version I knit as a present for my youngest older sister. The published pattern is slightly different with more lace on the border

A new endeavour

As this is a first blog post I feel I ought to say something profound (or at least interesting) but it's been a long day so that's not likely to happen.

I plan on using this blog as a place to celebrate in some of the things that keep me calm so you can expect to see some (lots) of knitting, some knitting design work, some baking, and books both good ones and those that are pure mind candy.

As a taste of things to come this is Summer Fool, my second published pattern (available for free on Ravelry)