Sonoma Vineyard Wrap

This, my latest piece, has been dubbed the "Sonoma Vineyard Wrap" .....I knitted it for my younger brother's wife, Layne, who I made a semi-drunken promise to at my sister Stephanie's wedding this past May.....I thought it would be appropriate since the pattern is actually called the "vineyard" lace pattern and Layne does actually live in Sonoma ....it was knitted with size 4's using Plymouth Buckingham (a super soft fingering weight blend of 80% baby alpaca and 20% silk) ....I got the pattern from the "Lace Knitting * to go" swatch book ...I've mentioned this great book of lace swatches before in previous posts ....you pick your swatch and make your own item around it...the fringe can't be seen in the pics, but I threw some tassels on the ends of this delicate piece for a little added drape and flair....the wrap is about 7 feet in length after blocking ....it was quick (about 15-20 hours) and fun to make, with pattern work on the knitted side only ..... it will drape nicely over Layne's shoulders as she sips her favorite wine at the Swiss ... or, with a few wraps, keep her neck warm when she takes Shep for a walk in the morning ....hope you like it, Layne! ....love ya...Darrell

My Big Blue Summer Sky Shawl

I just finished my latest piece ...I call it my latest piece becuase anything sounds really artsy when you attach the phrase "latest piece" to it ....and technically, if it takes you more than 50 hours to make something, it qualifies as a work of art (regardless of whether or not anyone else actually likes the "latest Piece") ....The shawl is the "Delicate Lace Shawl" in the book "Timeless Lace", by Nazanin Fard ....I'd have to classify the shawl as an intermediate level project due to the fact that there is a fair amount of pattern work on the purl side .....this is a no talking piece ....no talking while you're knitting it!!! ....Although it is semi-masochistic to undertake any project resembling a triangle lace weight shawl, the end result is well worth the extra effort ....I knitted this one with about 1,300 yards of Cascade Baby Alpaca lace (color 1409) you can find some here http://www.thecozyewe.com/cabaalla.html ....I used some Destiny Ebony Wood size 5 circular needles from Lantern Moon, because this shawl deserved nothing but the best...the needles pivot on the cable and have a flawless transition, which is a must have for my lace projects....wrestling with a sizable shawl in your lap is hard enough to do...the last thing you want is to have to wrestle with your circular needles as well...higher end circulars are well worth the extra money ....Addi Turbos, Lantern Moon, and Colonial are some of the best out there ...thats enough rambling for now ...I've got a coffee bean fingering weight lace scarf in the works for my brother's wife that I must attend to...Darrell Bush