Coming down the home stretch on the Sheltie drawing. I just have to tweak some things--colors, shadows, etc.--before I call it done. To know when it's done, I do any or all of these things: let it sit for a while and marinate so the wrong things become more obvious; take a photograph and look at the drawing that way, because very often things stand out in a photo that don't in real life; and ask my husband, who's good at seeing things that aren't right when I've grown blind to them myself. Particularly in the end stages when I'm so eager to have it done, the eye will ignore mistakes.
Knitting-wise, I've got my hands (and needles) full. I'm about to seam my vintage sweater and determine once and for all if it's an ugh! or okay. And I'm almost to the halfway mark on this easy poncho:
It's the City Style poncho from Handknit Style, a book by Lindy Ward and Beryl Hiatt of Tricoter in Seattle. It's knit out of Stacy Charles Cosmos, which is kind of a slinky yarn but it knits up into something bearable, er, wearable:
Here's the pattern up close:
I'm using 7 instead of 9 balls because that's what was on sale when I bought this yarn ages ago. It will come out a little shorter, which is fine with me.
But the thing that is using all my brain power at the moment is trying to figure out what to do with this yarn:
It's a dull grey alpaca and wool blend that will probably be quite springy and nice knitted up, but perhaps a little boring. I had the idea to mix it with Cascade Kid Seta in a silver color for this robust fabric below in my swatch. It sure is different that way. The gauge that most suits it is 16 x 24 sts to 4" on size US 9s.
Too scratchy for next to the skin, I ruled out pullovers. At that gauge, I could knit Katarina from CocoKnits, which would involve finding 2 more balls of Kid Seta.
But by itself, I could knit myself another Maggie, and then use the Kid Seta to make a really nice shawl.
I like the challenge to find the right project for the yarn. I've had this yarn for a long time and want to turn it into something. So more swatching and thinking for now.
2 comments:
If there is anything wrong with that drawing, I certainly can't see it. Amazing!!
Wish my knitting was working up as well as yours seems to be. I am having to really concentrate to finish up a pair of cabled socks that I've had to frog portions of twice and can't move on to something else, guilt free, until I do (they are a gift)-- at least one sock is completed though.
As for your drawing--it's stunning. You can almost feel how soft the nose is! Sometimes looking at a painting/drawing in the mirror helps, too, but I don't think you will find much, if anything, to tweak.
Melody
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