blackbird wingin’ in the dead of night

Posted on annePosted in designing, lace/shawls, projects

it’s true; i cannot put this project down.

i had to make myself go to bed at 3am today but only because i had to get up and teach classes this morning.
really, i thought the edging would be the death of me, but, it turns out, i’m enthralled with it.
i have never loved applied edging so much (or at all, truthfully). this one is fun and keeps me on my toes so the rows are (excuse the expression) flying by. i am more than 30 percent through that last stage.

the edging as taken straight from the book only was written for one direction, so i had to chart the stitches for opposing side, which involves a mirroring of everything and a reversal of RS/WS rows. since the edge has an obvious bias in one direction, it cannot be straight around the whole bottom in (excuse the expression) one fell swoop. i’m working the “new” edge first just to make sure i reversed everything correctly.

i’m in love.

have i mentioned how gorgeous the raven yarn is?? i mean, i know you can see how beautiful the colors are, but the yarn—wow. i’m working with the merino laci, in colorway thraven
it’s very fine, very soft. it has enough twist for great stitch definition

but not so much that it feels stiff.
there is tons of yardage on the skein; no worries about running out or having to weave in ends.
and the weight . . . well it’s weightless actually.
i’m really getting close to being done with the shawl and i’ve only used about 4.5 ounces of yarn. i’m thinking the final weight will be somewhere around 5 ounces. how amazing is that?

i know a lot of you are waiting with bated breath for a final tot on the yardage, but i won’t have an answer for you til the power lady sings. it’s in the ballpark of 1200 yards.

meanwhile, the pattern testing is going swimmingly—vanessa, nan, and vicki have only had a very few corrections, and those were mostly to the wording of the instructions. sexay, right?
and the length is looking good.
the last thing on the punchlist is figuring out the name. and i’ll admit it, i’m stuck. nothing has really jumped out to grip my shoulders and shake me, saying “I’M the one!”
(i’m still wa-a-ay open to suggestions, especially those of a celtic flavor, so have at it)

next it’s on to swatching and patterning the rectangle version, which will be worked up in a different raven clan fiber and color. can’t wait!

one more look before i move on? (pleeease?)

addiction has been hard on my other knitting. during class times i have worked on some socks and mitts, and today i finished off this snow on cedars mitt in off-white handspun.

the fine romney fiber is from my friend beckie’s flock and i spun the yarn last fall in rhinebeck. mmm, nice memories in this one. it needs a nice soak and a bit of blocking to finish it off.
i am desperate to start some more mitts soon . . . my hands are already almost constantly cold. i need everyday ones. it’s hard for me to use the lacy ones for everyday . . i dunno why (upbringing, maybe?)
ahem. as soon as the raven leaves the nest.

i HAVE been playing around (a little) with this beautiful yarn from deb at fearless fibers

this is her wool/mohair blend in the inspiration colorway.
it’s a scarf underway, and soon we shall see more of it.

meanwhile i have finalized the pattern for another one of her beautiful yarns

and all seems well with it. the heel flap and turn worked out beautifully, after some minor correcting (thanks angeluna!), and i think we have a done pattern here. look for its release on the 23rd.
until then, deb is offering kits with yarn in the greed colorway shown below in the sneak-peek photo.

kits can be pre-ordered by contacting deb in her shop.

well, i better go do some swatching, or i won’t be able to get back to my edging til way later.

89 thoughts on “blackbird wingin’ in the dead of night”

  3. This is one of the most beautiful designs I have seen and I love you way you captured the raven theme. The winged edge effect is gorgeous! I can’t wait for the rectangular version to see what you do next.

  7. If you want to go with Raven and Celtic…Fiach means raven in Gaelic (also can be used as Fiacha which I think is just a femininized version but I’m not sure on that one I read it somewhere, and Fiachu who is a legendary ancient king in Ireland).

  8. The Raven is looking gorgeous. Stop tempting me. A stole too! Names I am no good at, I will leave it to someone else. You do so much! It amazes me. I have trouble enough knitting one project. It is all looking great. Pretend you are royalty, then you can wear lace mitts. They don’t care what they wear. They don’t keep things for ‘good’.

  10. Cerridwen – goddess of the moon and femininity. Known for her cauldron which holds a magic potion granting wisdom, knowledge, and inspiration…

  11. Great link to some great raven mythology…(scroll down for all kinds of great names!)
    http://druidry.org/obod/lore/animal/raven.html

    Charles de Lint has recurring characters in his novels called “the Crow Girls”…Zia and Maida. Very much the Raven/crow/trickster/protector/healers, with an edge. Since his writing very much crosses worlds between our world and Celtic and Native mythology, I thought I’d throw Zia and Maida in the ring!

  13. Names … Amontillado (check spelling, as in “cask of …”)? Nevermore? Gilead? Tamerlane? Grotesque and Arabesque? Elmira? Cairnes? Berenice? Ligeia? Rue Morgue? Annabel Lee? Ulalume?

  14. I love it! I also love Elizabeth’s idea for the name. I has to resonate with you. Wow. You are amazing. Oh, and one of my favorite songs:

    Blackbird singing in the dead of night
    Take these broken wings and learn to fly
    All your life
    You were only waiting for this moment to arise
    Blackbird singing in the dead of night
    Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
    All your life
    You were only waiting for this moment to be free

    Thraven is waiting to be free. . . !

  15. I am simply looking forward to the pattern going live for us mere mortals to make.

    Stunning as usual.

    You really inspire me to want to be a better knitter so my skills will do your designs justice.

  16. If I had any confidence in my lace skills at all I’d be all over that shawl. I’ll just drool over the photos instead!

    Names… whenever you say “Blackbird” I think “Four and Twenty” – as in “four and twenty blackbirds baked into a pie” and “Morrigan” – explainations here: http://inanna.virtualave.net/celtic.html

  17. OMGoodness! It truly is lovely! I am starting Bee tonight, I have Aspen and a stunning pattern and yarn from Chris, but here I am contemplating putting another shawl on my winter plate, as this one may just bee too much to pass up!

    Beautiful work as always!

  18. I like Elizabeth’s name too! I also like “Nevermore”, there’s always “Lenore” isn’t that the woman’s name in the poem?

    I looked a few things up in my Latin dictionary in case you are interested: Raven: Corvus; Winged: Alatus; feathery: Plumeus; Feathered: Pennatus. Or you could take any of those words and tweak them to your will… I won’t tell!

    It’s a truly beautiful piece. I can’t wait to see it all blocked out. Goodness! My heart is going pit-a-pat.

  19. Congratulations on a gorgeous design!
    How about “Nepenthe” for a name?

    Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
    Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
    `Wretch,’ I cried, `thy God hath lent thee – by these angels he has sent thee
    Respite – respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
    Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!’
    Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.’

    http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nepenthe

  20. Well, I’ve been waiting for the edging, and it’s lovely beyond all expectations. This shawl, I think, should have a fairly simple, easy-to-pronounce, easy-to-remember name, like “Bee Fields” or “Wing ‘o the Moth”, because it’s another design that is probably destined for greatness. (Unfortunately, my creative juices are not flowing right now, as I’m working on deadline.)

  21. Anne, it is so beautiful, one of the most beautiful shawls I’ve ever seen.

    Groan, I already have three of your shawl patterns in my queue. This one may have to go to the head of the list. You are always several steps ahead of me.

  23. Stunningly beautiful! Of all the Raven colors I like this one the best. Can’t wait to see the unfolding!

  24. I don’t know if you’ve read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke but she has a King/wizard character called the Raven King of John Uskglass. Also, Odin had two ravens Hugin and Munnin (thought and memory) that sat on his shoulders. Apparently, the raven is a creator spirit in many of the creation stories of the Northwest Indians. One of the names for Raven is Kol’ kol.

    Your shawl is beautiful. Thanks for sharing the process of your art!

  26. that edging is absolutely lovely. i can’t believe how winglike the shawl actually looks. the raven colors are perfect for it of course. i can’t actually decide which one i like best, but thraven is one of my favorites.

    it may be dangerous to say this…but keep those wonderfully tempting pictures coming!

  27. Gorgeousness all around, as usual!! That is going to be one beautiful shawl! I love applied edgings. Did it first on the Print O’The Wave Shawl. Can’t wait to do it on this one!

    And I love those socks!

  29. Elizabeth, I came across “fiach” as well, but then when I looked it up in online Celtic dictionaries it seemed to mean “debt” (???).

    How about Eyrie, the nest way up in the crags from which your gorgeous design will hatch?

  30. Oh, boy. It is SO gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it all blocked out — it’s going to be breathtaking. It’s hard to imagine the perfect name for this one… Hmmm… And the acorn socks are perfect! I’m in love with the little bitty acorn hanging out there on the heel flap. It makes me very happy 🙂

  31. Hey Anne! I love this new project! It must be mine! So, when you finish it will it be offered as a kit or are we on our own? If it’s going to be a kit I will wait, but if we’re on our own then I will buy my yarn now (along with some STR: Red Clover Honey for my bee shawl….

    What say you? 🙂

    Elizabeth R

  33. Anne, your shawl is amazing! I was on the fence about all of the hubbub surrounding the Raven Clan colorways, but your shawl is truly gorgeous. I love how the little flashes of color bring it alive.

    As far as naming her, how about Morrigan, the Celtic Raven Goddess? (http://www.novareinna.com/guard/morrigan.html) She was a very strong and powerful female figure in ancient Celtic folklore.

  34. This is so exciting!!! While my bloglines was down, I ordered some Laci in Rook-y in preparation of the big release day! Yippee!!!! And oh so pretty!

  35. This shawl is awesome looking. And really, I love the title of this post as the name. I think it’s very poetic and so in-line with the pattern and the yarn.
    The question we all want answers to… How will we be able to get our hands on the pattern?
    I know I’m going to have to have this in my stash. In fact, I wonder if some projects in the queue will just have to move aside for this one. Love it.

  37. Uhmm… Magnificent? Awesome? Stupendous? I can’t find the right word to convey how awestruck I am at the design.

    Is it wrong that I want you to stop doing everything else, including sleeping, to get it done????

  38. As wonderful as something Celtic would be, I’m struck with “Nevermore” myself. What “quoth the (Th))Raven?”

    Anne, it’s exquisite!
    (((hugs)))

  39. So pretty. It is just amazing. How about Bran’s Flight (Bran is the celtic word for Raven) or Ubran’s Flight (Ubran is the Welsh word for Raven. Or just Bran or Ubran?

  40. Fabulous. Simply. Fabulous. My yarn is ordered and hopefully on its way already.

    Will the stole version also work with the Laci weight yarn?

  41. You could go a little out of the box and name it Tayran, which is Arabic for flight, or Irtfa’a, which is Arabic for to soar.

    I’m so excited for the final pattern, whatever you call it. The edging just adds to the sinful beauty of it all.

  42. That is so gorgeous. I love the way the motifs change down the side of the shawl, too.

    What about Morrigu, the Celtic raven goddess?

  43. An t-éan (un tayun)is Irish Gaelic for The Bird. Then it would be appropriate for any color.

    I cannot wait for the pattern to be released for sale. It is stunning.

  45. You are amazing! All are beautiful and inspiring. I love the little anole (or is it a newt) in the sock photo. And now I’m singin’ that song!

  46. I like Blackbird, Morrigu, and An t-ean (problems with accent marks) for their meanings abd their sounds. The full Latin name for ravens is Corvus corax. Corax is kind of interesting as a stand-alone word. Quigok is one of the Native American names for the sacred Raven. Gagee is the Navaho and Apachee word for ravens and crows. Or how about something as simple as Night Wings… or Queen of the Night (reminiscent of Mozart).

    On a whole other level the darkness and the imagery in the shawl make me think of writings about the sacred feminine self at the heart of the universe: maybe Gaia? Whatever resonates with you will be wonderful.

  47. If ever you didn’t find anything Celtic that fits your shawl and pleases you, here are a few ideas:
    in French: corbeau “raven”
    in Persian: kalâgh “raven”, or Simurgh, which is the name of a mythical bird in the Shâhnâmeh, the Persian Book of Kings by Ferdowsi (an interesting detail: according to Wikipedia, this mythical creature is “inherently benevolent and unambiguously female”)
    Anyways, these were just a few ideas; I could look up other words if you’d like.

  48. I have loved reading all the name suggestions — many are intriguing. I’ll just add my continuing praise for your abilities. I’m going to abandon all other knitting the moment this design is available.

    Although it has nothing to do with Celtic lore or black birds, the colors remind me of my favorite form of pottery — raku.

  49. mebbe “The Flight of the Raven”…..I am lousy at this sort of stuff. Can you guess?? =)

    It is just lovely!

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