Baba Yaga and Lace Knitting

Finally getting to the Baba Yaga in my Baba Yaga painting. I put her in a full peasant skirt and apron. It's modeled after an old picture of a Shetland knitter. Our hard-working Baba Yaga has a basket on her back, and it's yet to be filled!

I have some cotton yarn that I thought I'd knit into a some lace. This is "old shale" pattern. This yarn is really ropy and cylindrical. I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. I plan to use it as a dresser topper.

Embroidered Choker Neclace

An embroidered choker necklace in blue and plum. I hand crocheted the cotton lace edging and sewed it on, also by hand. I am a bit stuck as to what to use for a closure. I tried a hook and loop, but it is hard to do at the back of your neck. I might try velcro. I think that would give a more personal fit, too.

Embroidered Choker

I'm trying something new. I've taken this little band of cotton and I'm going to embroider it and turn it into a choker/ necklace sort of thing. I might crochet lace to sew around the outside. I'm not sure about the closure. Hook and eye? Velcro? We'll see.

Orange Sweater and Teal Shawl

On the needles today- an orange sweater requested by my five year old. And a teal shawl knit in the round from a cotton and wool blend fingering weight yarn. I've never knit a shawl in the round before, and I'm a little annoyed that I can't straighten it out and see how it looks. I guess we'll all be surprised when it comes off the needles.

Teal Shawl

I'm working on a cotton and wool blend teal shawl, and I'm knitting for the first time from the center out. The update is a little lackluster, I think. It just looks like a big sack! I guess it will be more beguiling off the needles.

Shetland Leaves Shawl

I decided I didn't like the way the dress was turning out, so I took it apart. I am going to make a shawl, maybe several shawls out of the pretty suede colored yarn I bought. I will have enough to take a couple of lace patterns for a whirl. This one is a garter stitch variety of Shetland Leaves. I like to keep it simple. I am not a knitting virtuoso or anything. This is just something I like to do while I'm watching TV, so I don't want the patterns to be too hard.

Testing, One, Two, Lace

A swatch of my new gunmetal silk and merino wool fingering weight yarn in a shale pattern. I want a lace pattern that's not too hard. I think this one will be okay. It has ten rows to the pattern, but it's very easy to remember. Plus, I find lace is very fudge-able. No one will ever see a little mistake or two.

Finished That Lace Scarf, Too.

I haven't posted a knitting update in a while, but here is that lace scarf I finished. It's available from my etsy store. I didn't make any mistakes this time!

String of Black Pearls

So I started another shawl. Hopefully, I won't screw it up this time. The pattern is called "string of pearls" and I'm knitting with lace weight yarn that is a blend of alpaca and silk. I think they are size one circular needles. The needles are aluminum and the yarn is so silky, I know I'm going to slip stitches and get mad!

Ugh, More Bad News.

I finished my shawl, but you can see at the left side, I've made a mistake. I didn't see it until I was finished. I added or left out a row towards the left side and now it is, commercially, not viable. I guess it's my shawl now.
Oh well, it doesn't really show when I wear it. And when people ask me where I got it, I can give them my business card. It will be a good little bit of advertising, so long as they don't notice the flub!

I've turned the corner....

... but I'm STILL knitting the lace on the edge of this *%@$#! shawl!

Ruby Lace Shawl Laceweight Alpaca

I am knitting on the border. I've never done that before. It makes a nice elastic edge. I find that I can't remember the pattern at all, so my head is constantly turning to read the pattern. I hate that. I don't know if I'm going to knit any borders on in the future, but I'm glad I tried it.

Red Velvet Cat's Paw Shawl

That's my tentative name for this piece I'm making from some very fine baby alpaca yarn I bought last year. I finally decided I should try to make something out of it. It's been so long since I worked with such skinny yarn, I feel like my fingers are too fat to knit it.

Snowdrop Shawl- Wedding Ring Shawl

I have spent many long hours on this handknit baby alpaca lace shawl. It is 30" x 70", very light and fluffy and surprisingly warm. It is a traditional snowdrop pattern with a garter stitch border. This shawl is so fine and light it can be pulled through a woman's wedding ring. As these pictures demonstrate.
You can find the details and purchasing information about this piece at my etsy store. My Good Babushka

Bye Baby Bunting

This is the last of my nursery rhyme inspired pieces. It is 8" x 10" acrylic on paper. Bye Baby Bunting. It is sort of Alice in Wonderland-y, victorian lacy- with an absinthy green background.

I am thinking of going back to oil paints, and perhaps oil paint on wood panels. I would like to try forest themes and narratives for my next series, but when I'll be able to begin is anybody's guess! I hope it won't be too long.