Bon Voyage!
Wow, I can hardly believe that tomorrow starts the first ever KnitWitz knitting cruise! I hope we have enough fun to repeat the experience next year – because a LOT of you have said you’d like to be stowaways. The shawl is finally done, the pattern is written, the Della Q bags are stuffed with cones of Zephyr, Addi Lace needles, markers and charts, and all we have to do is board our FUN SHIP! Here is Per Terras, a Celtic Knot inspired lace shawl, with Scotch Thistle and Heather borders. The name Per Terras is from the Scots MacDonald Clan (to which I trace a couple of family tree roots) motto: “Per Mare, Per Terras!” “Over sea and land” is apropos for a shawl started on a cruise ship at sea to be worn on land.
It’s a big shawl, rectangular - is probably a good seven ounces of silk/wool Zephyr. It is my original pattern (no consultation of stitchionaries, thank you!), taken from knots I’ve drawn on graph paper since I was in grade school.
I’m really happy with how my first lace desigining went – lots of support from lots of folks – and hope our sailors like it, too. It was fun to imagine, draw, translate my pencil sketches into the movement of a lace fabric (thank you, Randi!), and see it come to life. Testing your own pattern has to be a little like attempting Everest. But it is exactly how I imagined it – how often does THAT happen? (Not too, in case you’re wondering.) If you’re interested in learning more about this pattern, or knitting lace, be sure to contact us at KnitWitz. I’ll be scheduling a class for everyone who expressed interest!
We brought in a few new yarns this month – among them Corntastic from Kollage. This yarn feels like butter! So soft, in summery colors. And I have the Kollage SQUARE needles. The cord on these circulars has to be seen and felt to be believed. Yesterday in Sock Clinic, our two-at-a-time-Magic-Loopers were very happy with them. Also new is Blue Ridge Yarns silk and boucle mohair laceweight (shown in the photos below). C’mon by as soon as you can! KnitWitz will have regular hours next week, except Wednesday and Friday the shop will be closing at 5 pm. That means no Knit-Ins next week. But drop in to say HI! and see these…
