on wednesday, david made his blocking film and he’s editing it now; it was lots of fun to do and he’s planning to have it ready for the pattern release when i get back from london (pattern is with the test knitters and proofreader now; we should be ready to roll it out a day or so after i return).
in the meantime, i have finished blocking shots to kick off the weekend
i’ll admit now that i was a little worried about whether i would really like luciole, when it was done—i just thought maybe it was a bit too literally buggy, you know?
but i’m relieved to say emphatically that i do love it, because i adored working with the spirit trail merino/silk penelope yarn (colorway, falcon’s eye) and had so much fun knitting and designing it (and talking it over with everyone here, haha). it’d be a shame if i felt ambivalent after it was done.
but i don’t—it’s wonderful and mysterious. the shapes in the hem, a scattering of stars over the body, and movement of the colors across the fabric is fantastic, conveying perfectly the feeling of darkest night, lit up by flashing fireflies
and that open, lacy edging makes a pretty row of wings along the top to complete the picture.
the point is always a bit of a surprise when i block it out—i’m never quite sure what it’s going to look like, with its mitered pattern, and this time, it’s extra special, sort of a conjoined insect form that looks like the queen of all fireflies.
we can slowly pan back on it to take in a little more here
the whole hem is actually quite surprising for me. even though i swatched it several times, imagining the effect of a bunch of them in my mind, there’s no substitute for seeing the real-life aggregation of multiple repeating motifs like this.
it’s actually very dramatic, the sculpted effect amplified by the sheen of bombyx silk to the point where the yarn appears as polished metal in places.
it’s very “dark victorian” in it’s way, don’t you think? sorta sherlock holmesian? definitely very different in a way i am strongly attracted to.
of course, in another colorway, like oranges or pale blues, it will be completely different—all citrus and sunshine or ghostly ethereal. and i like either interpretation very much as well.
so yesterday i unpinned it in the morning and took some nice shots on the mannequin.
my initial reaction was confirmed—i like it even more on the figure.
just look at the way those colors move with the undulations in the patterns, without in any way obscuring the stitches or overpowering the lace.
and lacy it is, too—lovely shafts of light fall through the edgings and around the scallops to show off all the pretty holes and curves.
the details stand out, but they don’t say “I’M A BUG SHAWL”
one note: this was my prototype and i wanted to use the yarn to its very limit, so i added a few rows of garter and eyelet at the far edge. but i took those out when i wrote the pattern to allow for some wiggle room (i like to keep the yardage requirement within 25-50 yards of the skein’s limit).
i’ve been on a bit of an mission this year to explore the very victorian idea of wearing one’s interests on one’s sleeve by incorporating examples of a favorite obssession in one’s clothing and home decor, sometimes in an almost shameless over-the-top scale.
they were very fond of hats covered in fruits, fauna, flowers, feathers, and insects, printed fabrics and wallpaper depicting all manner of plant life, and household objects that followed suit.
i love the idea of pushing the limits of what we can accept as truly and universally pretty, while still keeping it on this side of being limited to a theme.
anyway, i hope you like it as much as i do—an orangey one is underway as well and will be in my travel bag when i leave for london on monday.
i’ll have at least one more post before i go and i’ll “bank another couple for david to put up in my absence (if he adds his own comments, so much the better!). and i’ll try as hard as i can to blog from the road—we finally got my iPad set up for blogging, but i’m not sure yet what sort of internet access i’ll have.
happy weekend—see you next time
54 thoughts on “friday eye candy”
This is beautiful and will be fun to work on. We have fireflies all over after the sun sets this time of year. Thank you and have a great time in England!
This shawl is so beautiful. Can’t wait for the pattern. Have a fabulous time in London. I hope David does add his own comments. I recall a post he did that was just delightful!
That’s a masterly combination of pattern and yarn! I agree with all your observations, Anne. And yes, it would be at home in darkest London in 1888!
I adore this shawl!
I can’t wait for this pattern! Thanks so much for the blocking shots; very instructive.
Oh, yeah, baby. I’ll be knitting *that* shawl! 🙂
Oh, Anne, it is lovely. I liked it while you were knitting it, but now I think I’m in love!
I have five shawls waiting in the blocking pile. You have inspired me!
Quite love the shawl. Motifs, the lace edge and the yarn colors.
What a de-light-ful shawlette, Anne! I agree with Gail and her comments on your masterful use of yarn and pattern. Curiously, my eye wants to follow the pattern lines of the fireflies in two ways…one in which they look svelt and sophisticated and the other in which they look plump and round-bottomed. I quite like the latter! They remind me of Disney’s fairy godmothers Flora, Fauna and Merryweather (sp?). Such an expressive shawlette. This beholder thinks it is a beauty!
This newest pattern is gorgeous. I loved following along with you while you knit it and can’t wait for the pattern to be released. I only wish I could keep up with all your knitting. I just can’t knit as fast or as much as you do but I thoroughly enjoy everyone of your designs. I know this will be a fun knit and one I’ll make multiples of for family and friends.
Fireflies in the Garden by Robert Frost
Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve at times a very star-like start.
Only, of course, they can’t sustain the part.
Congrats on finishing!!! Can’t wait for the pattern.
another great one!
Anne, you’ve done it again!!! Loved seeing all of the pictures and can’t wait for the pattern release.
I hope you have a fun trip across the pond. We’ll miss you.
Another winner, for sure, Anne! The fireflies are completely perfect, and the combination of pattern and yarn exquisite.
So much for you to look forward to in London! I would be giddy with excitement. Bon voyage!
The blocking photos are tremendous Anne! What camera are David and you using these days? I think the colorway of the penelope definitely complements the pattern, it does remind me of fireflies buzzing around just right at that edge between the end of dusk and full night falling!
Have a wonderful time in London!
What a beautiful shawl! I’ve recently become addicted to them and cannot wait for this pattern. I’ve visited your blog before but never commented – thanks for the inspiration!
So beautiful!!
It’s gorgeous – both the colors & the pattern. I love the little lacy edge around the neck. Happy weekend to you too.
That is one very cool shawl. The yarn and fireflies/stars go perfectly together, evoking a mysterious, dark night in Victorian somewhere. In a way it is unsettling to look at, at first, but fascinating, intriguing…. I love it!
Leslie
It is indeed a wonderful pattern that I am SO enjoying! I have always enjoyed the Victorian era…it’s one of my favorites, so it’s no wonder that I love this shawl!
So beautiful!! Eye candy indeedy!!
I love that, very gorgeous. I love those colors a lot.
So pretty! Can’t wait for the pattern!
the shawl is beautiful…stay safe…have fun…and def tell david to add his own take =)
All I can say is “WOW!!”
The design is really quite startling. There is definitely a realism to the border especially when combined with the colouration and the sheen of the fibre. I think there is a little ‘goth’ in your mind, Anne! Amazing job.
That is stunning. I love that it’s in a heavier weight yarn as well. I look forward to buying the pattern when it’s available. You’ve done it again!
Anne, you mentioned something about filming how you block your shawls. Will that be a video we will be able to view? Sort of like a you tube video? I would be so interested to learn good blocking methods and your shawls are blocked so beautifully. Have a wonderful time at knit nation. Cant wait to hear and see pictures of your trip. Safe travels. Alexandra
Another masterpiece! I love that you’re as enthusiastic about your patterns as we are. That’s why your work is so great – you put so much of yourself into them. Thank you. Have a wonderful time in London (one of my favorite places).
I love fireflies (or lightning bugs as they were called where I grew up in Kansas) and the shawl is just beautiful. I adore everything you do, but this really calls to me in a magical way.
I love your characterization of the shawl as dark Victorian – as soon as I read that I started thinking “steam-punk”! I’ve been checking my stash to see what I have that would be suitable. I need to find the right yarn to make one for me, me, me!
The shawl is truly magical–and made even more so by your beautiful description and thoughts about it. Safe travels, Anne.
It’s 104 F degrees outside and I’m looking at WOOL!!! That is indeed a magical design of a shawl, Anne!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Anne – your designs alone could keep me knitting into another lifetime or two. 🙂 Love them.
Wonderful pictures and the shawl is beautiful!
The design is lovely. I love it.
I can’t wait for the pattern. The shawl is just lovely.
this does look gorgeous on the mannequin! i’d been a little skeptical about this one, mostly because of my own dislike of highly variegated colorways (especially in lace), but you’ve really made it work! that hem motif is really lovely. and i like your characterization of it as “dark victorian” — i can see that!
The shawl is absolutely gorgeous!! The colorway is quite perfect for the theme.
I’ve been reading your blog for a while and just got up the courage to comment. I wanted you to know that I really enjoyed seeing you work through this design and I think your exploration of Victorian aesthetics is a wonderful endeavor. It sounds like a lot of fun! I really like that you share so much of your design process with your readers; it is great to hear! I hope I get to hear more about it for years to come…
I love it! I’m not huge on the major lace shawls. But this one… is a great combination of elements for me. A good balance of solid and airy. I really love it.
Absolutely gorgeous! Another amazing design Anne, I love the motif and the ideas behind it. I hope you get to see the textile collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum while you are in London. Really looking forward to your class on Thursday afternoon. Safe journey.
One word – gorgeous!
I love love love this shawl…hope I have the knowledge to knit it. Met my friend from Austrailia last week in Milwaukee and she saw a firefly for the first time. They don’t have them over there.
I can’t wait for this pattern to come out….I am leaving for Paris for 10 days. I can’t wait.
Ooo! I look forward to this pattern! I have the perfect skein of orangey-yellow hand-painted that would look fantastic in this pattern. I also have a thing about fireflies.
Oh stink. Why is it that just as I’m in the throes of one project, you come out with another that makes me want to jump ship and START ANOTHER PROJECT!!
Love that bug shawl! I have that Penelope and cannot wait for the pattern.
Have a great trip anne
Gorgeous! I may have to make myself one of these so we can have fireflies here in the NW (there aren’t any here…weird, huh?!)!
My queue just keeps getting longer, and longer. 🙂 Have a great trip!
an absolutely elegant shawl.
Hmmm…I see bugs, all right, but I don’t see fireflies. I see cicadas. Along the edge at any rate. Now I want to see it knit up in bright green with orange beads strategically placed for eyes.
Or maybe not.
It is a lovely shawl, though.
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