Recently in Shetland Triangle Category
We're off to Maple Canyon in Utah next week, and I've been tracking the temps at Nephi, the closest town to it: mid to high 90s during the day, mid 60s during the evening. I have a feeling we'll be chasing the shade most of the time, not trying our intended projects. About two months ago in Mount Charleston (near Las Vegas, NV) we watched from the base of a crag as this one guy steadily hiked up the hill in the hot sun, backpack on his back, sweating like it was going out of style. He carried something in his cast-off t-shirt, which he unwrapped like it was the Holy Grail. And it was, sort of: a bowling ball-sized cantaloupe. We watched as he sliced the thing open and proceeded to eat half the melon in huge slurping bites. His buddy, who came up 10 minutes later, ate the other half, juice flowing down his chin. Clearly these guys knew their summer weather shit. The cantaloupe smelled *so good* to us with our dried-up sandwiches, grossly doughy Clif bars and plain water mixed with Emergen-C. So here's my (duh) summer hiking/climbing tip: climbing gear be damned, always carry a melon in your pack.
On to knitting. The shawl. My girlfriend? Still preggers. When is Bean coming out?
Pattern: Shetland Triangle from Interweave Knits' Wrap Style
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Lace (100% Baby Alpaca; 50g; 437 yards) in VL9311 Merlot
Needles: US7
Finished Size: 70" wide x 35" long
Let it be said that I *love* working with alpaca! It's soft and has a great halo, not as fluffy as Rowan Kidsilk Haze, but just enough to give it that skin-skimming softness. It's great.
The bold color is something new as well. Usually I knit the earth tones. Or black. That gets boring after a while, and pink and green... Well, other than being my mainstays, they were predictable. And since the pregnant friend is less floofy-girly than me, I thought the rich eggplant color (although you don't see it here as well) would be perfect.
Thanks for writing, those of you who still read this blog! I've been too busy to read and comment lately, and I've gotten unwanted trackbacks, which is why I closed comments in the first place. I've opened this one here, in part because of Julia and the PB cookies.
Sometimes it's good to not have a television. The other day at my mom's house we were watching the news and temps for the beaches were forecast in the 90s. Yikes! No reprieve from the heat. We've been running at at sundown and getting up to go gym climbing an hour before the place officially opens, if only to avoid the sweltering heat, loud music and parties (now that's a combination you want to avoid). Welcome to the *real* summer!
Last week this thing dried up in 4 hours.
By the time I got around to photographing it, the shawl was already dry. So I misted it lightly with some lavender-scented water (fitting for the color) and let it dry again.
I love the way patterns open up under tension! The shetland pattern itself is so simple, so easy to memorize; who would have thought that it would open up into a great looking motif.
Perfect shawl weather, don't you think? Not.
Now that my friend's received her shawl, I can blog more about it. It was finished about a week ago, sent to friend soon after, and she emailed back about how much she *loved* it and the baby sweater. It's the Shetland Triangle, out of Interweave Knits' Wrap Style. I've looked longingly at all the versions out there, and decided I had to make one.
Edited the following. I realized I copied and pasted from what was to have been a previous post. Such an innocent, simple pattern, but boy when you block it the exquisite curves just emerge. Last weekend I: 1) drowned it in warm water and Eucalan; 2) stretched it to its limits on the carpet that is my blocking board; and 3) pinned it down without mercy. He he. And t turned out great. More pictures, soon.
Listening to: The soundtrack to Amélie. I think this may be available on iTunes. Fabulous for setting the mood. Happy Bastille Day to France!
