Swallowtail is finished

Ok - I finished this a wee while ago, and have been wearing it to much acclaim - but behold my finished Swallowtail Shawl.



Statistics:

Pattern - Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits.
Yarn - 116g of Poshyarn Lucia in Hibiscus (I had 6g remaining)
Needles - 4mm knitpicks options
Finished size - 29" by 59" blocked
Modifications - I did an extra 3 repeats of the budding lace (because I could) and the adjusted the numbers for the lily of the valley lace and the border. I just left out some k2togs to increase the number of stitches accordingly.


As you can see - I have replaced the nupps in the pattern with beads - size 6 yellow and pink silver lined beads. The beads were placed using the inside of a bag tie as wire (all I could find in the house) but it worked! It took a while though, but others in the knitalong were cursing the nupps so it's horses for courses.


I like the pointy edge - I added some beads here as well just to make it matchy matchy. Now it has been worn a couple of times it is a little more subtle but I still like it.


Blocking has transformed this scarf - the lucia has a wonderful natural drape and softness that is just sublime. The beads are a cold contrast, but feel fantastic. The size is just perfect for wearing as a scarf at work when the door is open and it is a bit chilly. Mmmmmm - swallowtail love!

X-treme knitting - the kishorn edition

What a totally and utterly fantastic weekend. All I can say is great weather, great hotel, great food, lovely location, and some knitting.

We stayed and ate at the Plockton Inn. Mmmmm - there were at least 3 things for each course that I really really wanted to eat. I had the lighest fluffiest hot smoked salmon pate to start, and then tandoori hake for the main finished off with a fresh raspberry trifle and icecream!

Then a detour to a lovely lovely garden centre just down the road towards Lochcarron. We had a lovely chat to the owner, who has gradually been expanding the area he uses in an old walled garden. It is perfectly sheltered and warm and full of amazing plants. We spent quite a bit of money and our front garden should have some lovely flowers if it all survives.

Then over to Applecross - via the Bealach-na-ba or pass of the cattle, which is a truely mad road that looked stunning with snowy patches all on the top glinting in the sunlight. The london visitors were quite entranced by both the road and the snow. Lunch was had in the Applecross Inn (the best fish and chips I have had for a long time, though Francis says it is rivaled by those he had the evening before) and then we all had a wander round the bay to Applecross House for a look at the deer, the highland cows, the garden and ending in the tea shop!


After all that food, we departed from our London guests, who were heading back to Inverness for another posh meal, and made for Kishorn Boulders. It was fun! I knit, he bouldered, I bouldered, he encouraged, I got daring and fell off onto my bottom in the mud and decided that I should stick to knitting. My swallowtail enjoyed the afternoon in the sun, and I am 54% of the way there according to weight of yarn used!

10 reasons why today is a fantastic day

1) The sun is shining and the weather is fantastically clear and bright and beautiful


2) The flowers in my garden look fantastic. This is the first year we have had flowers in the garden rather than just storing rubble in it. I love cowslips - hopefully in a few years we'll have enough to start making cowslip wine!


3) Yesterday evening we went to the tip several times , so what did look like this:


..... now looks like this and later on I am going to be planting potatoes in it!


4) Posh Yarn is fantastic!!! I have cast on for the Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave, using 515 yards of Lucia in Hibiscus. I love the warm bright pinks and reds and oranges and yellows. This is another knitalong to be found in the Posh Yarn group on Ravelry, and we are all loving it.


5) I have finished the back of my holiday cardigan!


6) The shoulders have been bound off (I could wax lyrical about the wonders of the three needle bind off at this point, but instead just look at how the cables join - even the short row shaping worked !). I have done half the collar and it is going to look fantastic.


7) I HAVE THE DAY OFF WORK!!!! (This makes me really really really happy, especially as it is combined with all the other things like the weather)

8) Later on today my best mate from university is coming to stay for the weekend.

9) We are going to stay the night at the Plockton Inn

10) The only two dilemmas that I have to face is whether to take kayaks, bikes, walking kit, bouldering stuff (or all of it) and which knitting to pack!

Now which of the fun things am I going to do first???