Like many rural communities many decades ago a school was built in Lost City, OK. There isn’t much else that claims the name of Lost City other than a small cemetery next to the school, and a long winding road that runs from a four way stop to the next small but larger town. The…
The Percy Shawl was named for Percy Shelley, one of the finest English Romantic poets and a favorite of the designer, Sanne Kalkman. In this incredibly lovely shawl I too see romance and poetry in the arch of the stitches, the punctuation of the nupps in the border and the delicacy of the overall effect.…
A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, Volume I, Chapter 10 – Lace Herringbone Faggoting Half Herringbone Faggot Herringbone Faggot Reverse Herringbone Faggot Double Herringbone Faggot Herringbone stitches are designed to resemble the center spine of the herring fish. Imagine some clever knitter gaining inspiration for her knitting from the remains of dinner – or maybe breakfast. …
Tonight I will be binding boundoff my Percy Shawl. While I’m excited to see how it blocks, my mind is already moving ahead to the next shawl – the next two shawls actually. Swallowtail is next, then Baltic Blossoms. Yes – nupps galore! The next Swatching Walker post should be up this weekend – Monday at…
This morning I left a sleeping man in the bed and walked wearing only my cotton robe and my wellies to open the greenhouse. The breeze whipped up the fabric – worn thin from twelve years of washing and secured only with a sash – as if it were nothing. Fresh chilled air surrounded my…
There is a saying “May you live in interesting times”. I think if you narrow that down you’ll find that “May you meet interesting people” can be even better. While at a party during the summer of 2009 two of our friends, Clara and Carissa, announced that they were joining a roller derby team. Chris…
A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, Volume I, Chapter 10 – Lace Basic Faggoting Stitch Turkish Stitch Purse Stitch Feather Faggot Ms Walker starts the Lace chapter by introducing us to Faggoting, which I’ve generally seen used for separating patterns or as an edging stitch. Sometimes it’s a main feature. The Basic Info: I’ve used a…
My sister has jonquils blooming. Jan over at Hungry Holler has daffies up. It’s spring! As soon as it gets dark here on the farm all three dogs go batshit crazy. Barking and howling lasts for hours. It’s spring. The wild pigs are back. eta: a gazillion baby mosquitoes hatched today. commence slathering. Mvar…
Like many knitters, when I choose a lace project it’s often a response to admiring a stitch pattern in the design or seeing a finished shawl or scarf. Call it a response to the “ooh pretty – must make” impulse. Sometimes I get part of the way through a project and realize that I’m either…
This past week Chris and I were busy stepping up 1600 small lavender plants into four-inch pots that will be sold at the spring herb festivals and the farmers market. It’s dirty work and while potting the first half of the plants we managed to stay snug and warm inside the greenhouse, which is your…
