Shawls

Hello,
well we are slipping gently back into the school and work routine. Uniforms, lunches and out the door. Blogging time is again at a premium. But I cant let a year go by without mentioning the Exchange! For those of you who don't know one of the highlights of my year is the RowanTree Exchange. This year the theme was "Fit for a queen" My exchange gifts for the RowanTree exchange have arrived in the sunny Netherlands. So I thought I would share.
This was a mystery shawl from Through the loops, I really struggled with this one as it really didn't want to behave on the blocking. I think this might of been because it should of been lace weight and I bought to dye for 4ply in Bloody Valentine ( what a great name hey? I bought it on the strength of that alone). Anyway I invested in some wires and was ruthless and that seemed to work. I also made this.

Nessie a shawl that my exchangee specifically asked for. It was pretty perfect for the bus rows, upon rows of garter stitch. It was a little bit mind numbing but I actually really liked it when it was finished the way the ends twirl is very flattering.
Then I realised that there are quite a few shawls from the past few months that haven't been shown.
Many of them were done on the bus last term. I have a little shawl addiction going on all because of BooKnits her shawls are lovely!! This was my first, Cloud Illusions
the perfect medium for a lovely skein dream in colour starry that I was gifted as part of the RownTree Exchange last year.
I keep buying her little booklets and seeing more and more that I want to own. This one is called Sweet Dreams ( they all have lovely names)

The yarn is madelainetosh light and I was lucky enough to get in on a ravelry destash from none other than Booknits herself.
I am still knitting the mystery shawl as I think I mentioned last post, it is called out of the darkness. It is a bit of an experiment I am dyeing my yarn every six rows or so, covering the whole shawl with the dye and then when I am ready to dye again filling the bottle back up to the top with water so the colour dilutes. To me it looks like summer skies I love it. Just need a few more hours to finish.
Speaking of dyeing, I have finished Lillian!!! Watch this space for a grand reveal.

Till next time
Arianwen

The Last Day of Summer

Hello,
well that is it. The last day of the summer holidays is drawing to a close. We have spent it biking on the rec and then playing in the sunshine at the local park. I have to say we are very lucky as it has just been restored and even if it hadn't just look at those views.

We have a wonderful summer and I have had a very industrious last week of freedom. There has been knitting! Lillian is again on the needles.
A mystery booknits shawl has be cast on. The title of it is out of the darkness and I have again put my dyeing hat on.

Dyeing it slowing with a paintbrush at every stage. The first colour change is a little more stripey than I wanted but, I will hopefully be able to change that later. I do love the way the beads sparkle on the newly dyed yarn.
The other knitting has been this
The RowanTree Forum on Rav are designing our own blanket. This is my first block that I have designed for it I hope to have another up my sleeve plus of course all the other blocks that my friends have designed.

I hope you enjoy your first week back at school and I will see you next week.

Arianwen xx