Gails Yarns, Hooks & Needles

Here is the color named XEOC, knitted into the first bit of stole pattern. From right to left is Field of Flowers, Spiderlings, and Rosebud.

Here is the color XEC, knitted into that same pattern on the same size needles, but not quite as far along.

I am either getting used to lace again or the Rosebud pattern is much easier than the Field of Flowers. Isn’t it cool how Spiderlings is entirely black on one stole? When I get a few repeats of Rosebud into the stoles, I will attempt more true lace for Cobwebs and Spiderlings, a combination stitch pattern. Should be awesome.

The Spiderlings lace pattern continues to kick my butt. I have resolved to work on it during the day instead of late at night or when I’m otherwise tired.

Here’s the pattern as I am using it – all the single decreases are k2tog. The triangles are double decreases: slip 1, k2tog, psso. The O’s are yarn overs, and the blanks are knit stitches.

The point of this exercise is the color changes in the yarn as I knit. The pattern so far used and photographed is Field of Flowers from Heirloom Knitting by Sharon Miller. Here is the graph I made and used:

My photos are not done from the same background, but here they are so far. On the left, XEOC photo taken on a white background; on the right, XEC photo taken on a gray background.

The sample sizes are similar.               

The color changes are clearly different. XEOC on the left changes more quickly.

I am reminded, as I pay my June advertising invoice, of the many ways people support Ravelry.

Lots of us are supportive by making use of this wonderful resource, and by reading and following the Ravelry Community Guidelines. Lots of people serve as moderators on the forums. Many people answer questions in the help forums, or edit the yarn database. You can also give money to the site, or buy something from the store. Probably everyone has invited other people to join, or at least look at the site.

I also advertise my store on Ravelry.  Two ways anybody fibery can advertise are the Market Listing, and the Yarn Links. I sign up for both, and sometimes I sign up for a Notebook spot. It makes sense to support Ravelry while getting my store’s name [Gails' Yarns, Hooks, and Needles] seen in public.

edited to add: Another word to add here is reverie, which isn’t part of the name “Ravelry” but still fits.

Now we are halfway through June, and I have nothing to tell you about new patterns for lace projects. Sorry. Still hoping: a website for a new store takes _ a lot_ of time.

In the meantime, I am trying to decide on a pattern to show the differences between the two black and white lace yarns I have in the store. It’s hard to choose, plus do I have the patience to actually knit two of anything? I think so, but I may have to invent a sampler.

Also, I am out of rainbow lace weight. I will wait a bit to reorder, as I hope to get more of several things.

The month of June has traditionally been a good one for yarn sales. Perhaps it’s the summer looming before us, and we’re happy to get a new project all ready to go.

Keep an eye on the new black and white lace yarns, XEC and XEOC, as I’m expecting some new patterns for them, on a new website.

These two yarns are very similar (one of them changes color faster than the other). So similar that I want to make something from each to prove they are different, I just can’t settle on a pattern. I’ll look at Knitty and see what is to be found.