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Monday 25 January 2010

of course...

.. I fell for it! I've never participted in KAL's - usually I knit because I don't want to make/wear patterns everybody else makes/has done! but I do like lace knitting (even though I rarely wear lace - but most of the time there are happy recipients, so no worries about what to do with the finished results:)). and I had planned on following the lacy advent calender on a danish link. but that was shortly before christmas (ergo advent calender!) and I barely manage to make all the planned gifts, never mind a lace shawl as well!
but I stumbled across a link to a ravelry 2010 Lace KALendar - and I just had to sign up. I have no clue yet, which yarn I am going to use - but I am sure there'll be something in my stash. my idea is to use something white, which I could later dye or paint. with this KAL you get a new part of the pattern each month - so whatever yarn might look good for the fir trees in snow, which form the first part, might not be very exciting for hearts etc. in february. if all else fails there's always a huge cone (still more than 3 kg :)) of undyed sock wool - but I think I'd like to take a chunkier yarn, a handspun yarn, half wool, half cotton - which will probably result in me knitting a long, narrow blanket instead of a shawl/stole:)) I could of course use my handspun teeswater in naturally dyed colours, which would go well together and could be chosen according to the pattern. but this would also make a very large, heavy stole - and the teeswater isn't exactly the softest of fibres, definitely not my idea of being ideal for wearing next to the skin! the cotton/wool blend on the other hand is soft enough for a baby - but: how often do I actually wear something like that? hmm, let's see - I've worn my "pretty as a peacock" - exactly once since I finished it:(( that's been on a shelf for some time now - maybe I should change from making a shawl to making a blanket after all? I think I'll start with the chunkier yarn and work with this for 3-4 months - see how it looks and make a second and third separate stripe to sew a blanket out of this in the end?:)) I could always add other patterns or repeat some if it's not large enough....
I also finished my round bag - but that's another story.... with photos this time!

9 comments:

Delighted Hands said...

A KAL will be fun-it is a nice way to participate with a larger number of people and work out the fun and problems together. Be sure and keep the pictures coming so we can see your progress!

Woolly Bits said...

ehm, yes - I totally neglected my urgent sock knitting yesterday and started on the pattern:(( I am not sure I'll keep the full width though, because it looks too wide for a scarf - but too narrow for a shawl? I might have to adapt - what's new?:)) I'll keep you posted!

Janet said...

Looking forward to viewing your progress.
Janet

Guzzisue said...

Hi, I'm in the beginner lace knitter KAL and putting your stitch markers to good use!!!

Janet said...

Hello Bettina - well since you joined I decided to join also and hope we can follow each other's progress. I'm hunting for the 1st clue - where is it, or how do I find it? What yarn are you going to use?
Janet

Woolly Bits said...

I think this is going to be one huge KAL:)) I checked ravelry just now - plenty of new members since I joined.... Sue, to be honest, I took out the 2 stitch markers that are mentioned in pattern 1 - if I only have to mark 3 garter sts left and right I prefer to do this without... we'll see how the others go, right now there's a discussion of "wind" patterns for march:)) I don't want wind in march anymore!! one of the ideas for february looks interesting - but I doubt that they'll choose this pattern - it doesn't look suitable for beginners. I found many links to lovely projects though when reading through the pattern discussions... (now all I need is a few more pairs of hands:))
Janet - I'll pm....

Anonymous said...

Hallo Bettina,
zu ravelry wollte ich nicht, aber du hast mein Interesse an diesem Kalender geweckt. Was ist das für ein Kalender? Bei dem Link komme ich nur bis zur Einschreibseite, nicht weiter.
Viele Grüße
Juliana

india flint said...

i must be really thick and/or way behind the times..just what is a KAL, please?

Woolly Bits said...

sorry for the late reply: a KAL is a knit-along, ie. a group of knitters work on the same pattern, usually with different yarns, and show their progress on their blogs or in a group like ravelry. with this KAL there is a wordplay inside the word kalendar - a KALendar is a knit-along with 12 patterns or themes... why don't you join (it's open to join until 13/02/2010) and see how you like it! there's no pressure involved' if you don't like it, just stop.