There I was. A knitter with two works in progress: socks and a sweater. And muscle spasms in the back.
On Friday I was standing around, waiting for the naproxen to kick in (in these situations, sitting is not an option). My swift and ballwinder were already set up, and two skeins of Artyarns Silk Rhapsody just happened to be lying around.
Before I knew it, they were wound into balls. Before I knew it, I had something that looked like this.
It’s not my fault, honest. Muscle relaxants can make you do crazy things. I swear.
This is Evelyn A. Clark’s Leaf Lace Shawl. The yarn, Artyarns Silk Rhapsody, is a handpainted yarn made up of two strands. One strand is 70% kid mohair and 30% silk. The other strand is 100% silk. I’m using color #105.
Knitting with this yarn is like eating a hot fudge sundae — it’s pure indulgence!
Barbados Sheep!
This is a photo my dad (Happy Birthday, Dad!) sent me of some Barbados sheep — they look like goats, don’t they? I was intrigued, so I did a Google search and discovered that they are Barbados Blackbelly Sheep. Go figure!
Happy Mother’s Day. Now let me sleep.
That yarn color and pattern are both beautiful!
I KNEW you’d have some lace on the needles pretty pronto. Sorry about the back pain; does the Naproxen make you drowsy? And lastly, where did you buy that yarn; I LOVE that colorway!!
Beautiful! I too was thinking it was about time to see some lace again. I hope your back feels better soon.
I ready your book last week – what a joy! It reminded me of when I read your blog for the very first time and how it kindled my knitting passion even more.
It also got me thinking about expanding my needle stock beyond beloved Addi Turbos and into the “Realm of Rosewood.” With Holz & Stein nearly impossible to find here, have you tried Colonial circulars?
Around here, some folks use Barbados sheep to train their herding dogs. Barbados are “light” sheep — a little flighty, and tend to run easily. A pushy dog will scatter them all over the pasture, so the dog has to learn control.
Also, since they’re hair sheep, there’s no shearing and no coat maintenance to speak of.
Lovely! Absolutely beautiful color and I love Evelyn Clark patterns!
Sheep, goats, or pandimensional beings from the other side of our galaxy, those Barbados critters are awfully cute!
Prednisone can make you start multiple projects too. Ask me how I know!!
Ohhhhh…your shawl is sooo beautiful. The color is amazing.
Hope you are feeling better. I was on Naproxen today too, but it was for a headache. I stuck to making the stash orderly and knitting “big” stuff. Little needles + a headache = ugly knitting.
Beautiful lace work as is the yarn. Hope your back feels better from another who knows what you are going through.
My grandfather’s birthday is also on mother’s day. The shawl looks great! How long did it take you to get an actual piece of cloth? You knit really quickly!
Sorry to hear about your back but it sure led you to a yummy new project! That yarn is dee-lish and the Leaf Lace Shawl is one of my favorite patterns!
Cool sheep!
Can’t you get Lucy to do some kneading on that back for ya?
Happy Mother’s Day Lucy’s Mom!
I hope your back is feeling all better now. That Artyarns looks like it is really yummilicious!
The shawl is gorgeous. but Naproxen is a pain killer (like a stronger version of ibuprofen) not a muscle relaxant.
I’m looking at the fuzzy halo from the kid mohair. Do you find that, when spun up with the silk, it’s as itchy as plain mohair is? I was drooling over Artyarns’ new collection recently (specifically the Handpaint Stripes) and I saw the Silk Rhapsody and thought it looked insanely too itchy to use and likely to pill. There really needs to be a way to feel the texture of yarns via the internet before you buy them. ;D
For the first time in my life I got back spasm yesterday! I can sympathize . .. and I’m not enjoying this!!
Lucy . . . that cannot be comfortable!
I see Debra has already made a correction about Naproxene, which is a non steroid anti inflammatory. A very useful one at that!
I do hope it relieved you fast enough. And seing what you knit afterwards, I guess it did!
That shawl is beautiful!
The pattern and the yarn are beautiful. I’ve never tried Art Yarns before and I’m curious to hear the answers to the earlier questions about itchiness.
This only further proves that you are, without a doubt, the FASTER KNITTER EVEEEEEEEEEEEEER!
Your dad is so cool. He sends you the neatest stuff. Like that time he went to the yoghurt festival in eastern Europe somewhere and sent you that picture of some yogurt-makin’, spindle-spinnin’, sweater-knittin’, apron-wearin’ lady there… (insert big grin here).
Sorry about your back…I can relate (only mine is my shoulder this time).
Something I learned at Shepherd’s Harvest (the Minnesota version of MSWF): Goat tails go up, sheep tails go down.
I petted some of each and some angora bunnies (nearly came home with one!).
Judy
Beautiful! do you have a photo to post of what the finished product will look like?
Sheep with no wool? What a freak of nature. I cannot imagine what the purpose is for his life. I know- sheep dog trials and mutton. None of that matters in light of their lack of yarn production.
Your poor back. I hope it feels better soon. I get spasms like that. Old car accident injury. Advil works better for me than naproxin, though. Is this an old escalator injury?
Maybe the Naproxen not only relaxed your back but your mind so you could be open to knitting. hmmm…a new knitting drug and I thought knitting was a drug.
Those Artyarns Silk Rhapsody are knitting up beautifully!
There’s something incredibly endearing about a kitty all wadded up like that with nose tucked under paw, isn’t there?
Hooray for lace shawls! It’s a bit like chocolate, isn’t it? You can quit for a while, but sometimes you just have to have a little lace knitting.
So sorry to hear about your back. I started doing gentle yoga years ago when my back gave me serious problems and it really helped.
Your shawl is so beautiful – good to know about Evelyn Clark’s pattern.
Love to Lucy and all the Best to You.
An easy way to tell sheep from goats is by looking at their tails. Sheep tails hang down. Goats, which are related to deer, have tails that stick up.
Great pictures Wendy! Lucy is cute as always. How great are those sheep!
Hope your back is feeling better!