One of the aspects of lace knitting that most attracts me is the chart. I love me a good chart and everything about it. I love the fact that a chart means instant progress tracking and that you can cross off rows as you go. I love that once you visually master the pattern, you know right away if you've made a mistake. And most of all I love that feeling of triumph that is the 'edging' or final chart. Yes--I'm in the home stretch and can taste victory...
However for this pattern, the 'edging' chart is basically 1/3 of the pattern. Wha??? I was thrown off a bit and even deflated, but then I decided to get over it. I am in love with the results. Kate Gagnon is such a talented designer, I want some sort of 'auto-subscribe' feature to her work.
The Specs:
Pattern: Springtime Bandit by Kate Gagnon
Yarn: Brooks Farm Solo Silk, color unknown.
Needles: size 8
Time: about a week with major breaks for carousing with friends, stressful hockey games, dealing with a Creeping Charlie problem in our garden and having my mind blown by two, new albums (I still call them albums).
I am a huge fan of the Brooks Farm Solo Silk. Sadly I lost the ball band and do not know the name of the colorway. I'm going to call in 'Fruit Punch' because it's graduation garden party season. I bought it at MDS&W and recommend that you keep a look out for it.
I continue to work round robin on a variety of projects but am likely to add one more to the party: The Textured Shawl. I have spent far too many hours perusing this pattern on Ravelry and acknowledge that I am probably powerless when faced with the possibility of not starting it right away. Finishing Springtime Bandit means that I have an opening in my 'knitting that doesn't require serious attention, is portable, can de done while watching a movie yet isn't making me want to fly into a blind rage because of lack of progress (Featherweight, that category is all yours)' category. So, yeah, watch this space for the pattern that is taking Ravelry and Flickr by storm, the Textured Shawl.
30 comments:
This shawl is calling my name. Or at least it was until you linked to the Textured Shawl. Damn. Decisions to be made.
Your bandit is fantastic!
That is an incredibly lovely shawl. I love the peachy color.
Beautiful shawl! I have been sucked into cardigans this year, but the Textured Shawl is calling my name. I've got the yarn for it, but too many projects on the needles means no casting on for me.
Gorgeous! Thanks for the yarn recommendation, too -- I'll be on the lookout for it at Stitches Midwest this summer.
I thought that Tori Amos' Scarlet Walk album was criminally underrated -- I'll have to check out the new one!
Your bandit is awesome. So are your pictures; I think they're actually better than the ones that come with the pattern. I'm inspired!
Beautiful! Love the color!
Fruit Punch is such an apt description! That Textured Shawl is beautiful. I am thinking about casting on for that or the Simple yet Effective shawl ...
I still call them albums too. That's because we are Middle Aged.
Nice bandit.
I also still call them albums. What else would one even say?!
Love your bandit, and can't wait to see the textured shawl!
Love the bandit and love 21st Century Breakdown too! I couldn't stop listening to it the whole first week it was out.
Very nice.
yeah. that is gorgeous. absolutely gorgeous.
and i too love to cross that wonderful row off my chart.
with a highlighter i might add.
LOVE to use my highlighter! :)
I know what you mean about knitting from charts, and I'm almost ashamed to admit that there was a time that I was anti-chart. (That phase didn't last very long; trying to knit lace from written directions cured me of my aversion really quickly.)
Your Bandit is adorable!
It's really beautiful. I get frustrated working from charts, but in the end it's good because I rarely manage to screw up more than one row without realizing it.
So pretty. That may be next, after I finish my Ishbel.
I'm with you about the charts. I have mad love and passion for charts.
sooo pretty! i love kate's stuff too!! great color!
That is absolutely gorgeous! I myself used to be skeered of charts, now I just love 'em.
wow that's nice yarn! and you worked it up so quickly too.(of course, I would not expect laceweight to last on your needles)
Oooooo, I was actually thinking Ishbel, until I saw the Bandit -- sold! Love the flamingo colour!
Wow- if you knit that in a week with that much going on, you totally rock, but then, you already knew that, and if you didn't, well, the rest of us did!
I like Fruit Punch, it works, and kinda make you salivate just a wee bit. Fruit Punch always seems to actually make me thirsty, what's up with that?
Hope your summer is off to a great start,
happy knitting-
ali
That shawl is great and the color is perfect. Now I love lace, but the chart is so overwhelming!!!
That is so pretty!
And your love of charts provides some motivation to tackle a lace project.
This is a gorgeous project/color/pattern! You really whipped this one out!
Just stunning, as always!
Oh, this one is definitely on my short list. Stunning color!
So SO gorgeous.
Also, I somehow managed to miss the Textured Shawl train (even though I saw it on Parikha's blog quite recently) and now of course I want to board that train too (destination: Crazy Town).
Lovely shawl! Now it's in my queue too, but there's no way I can do it in a week. The color is such a nice coral-y shade too. Good for you!
Beautiful shawl and it's going straight into my queue. As is the Textured Shawl.
Love the shawl!!! I too had so much fun knitting it!!! Great job!
Gorgeous! Love the color!
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