i’m finally working on the snow shawl edging and it’s coming along so prettily.
there are many, many rows to do (compounded by the fact that my own shawl has more stitches at the edge than the one i patterned!) but they go quickly; i’ve completed one side so far today and am advancing along the second side now.
i have come to love doing a knitted-on edging. i used to dread it as a monotonous task fraught with tedium, coming as it does at the end of the project, just when i get anxious to see the finished piece. but i’ve discovered that if i choose the right edging, it is a real pleasure to work, and the revelation of seeing the shawl come off the needles as i go is a thrill.
plus, it has the added bonus of very short rows which go so quickly after the looong expanse of the final shawl rounds.
this edging is so pretty . . . it is very three-dimensional and that quality seems to be maintained after blocking, as evidenced by the washed and stretched samples i did ages ago
it kind of reminds me of this, in way . . .
vanessa, of course, is way ahead of me, but that’s fine; i’m hoping to have mine done soon and by then hers may arrive in the mail so i can block them at the same time, or back-to-back and do a double photoshoot. and i know nan is not far behind either; she emailed me the other day with a question about the last section so she is hot on our heels.
hopefully, i will also get to see amanda’s triangle shawl sometime this week (the one in that scrumptious cranapple color, yum!), and will have some photos of that to show you too (whoa—i just took a look at amanda’s blog and she has some awesome photos of it herself).
and finally, i have decided on names for these shawls. the square one will be named snowflakes in cedarwoods, and the triangle will be named whispering pines. david picked the second name from a list i came up with and i’m a bit tickled because it is the name of a small golf course around the corner from where i grew up.
i don’t know if i mentioned this before, but part of the inspiration for this shawl comes from the beautiful upstate new york landscape where i grew up and where pine trees abound, whether they are in small clumps or in deeply-wooded tracts. something about pine trees speaks to me; i love their hooded shapes and the still aura that seems to surround them wherever they are. it’s hard to put into words, but they hold a mysterious attraction for me—to the point where, after working that tree border, i know i am not done with them.
i thought i was quite alone in this but then while i was speaking with vanessa over the last few days, the subject came up several times, and we both agree that pine trees need to be explored further. and i have some ideas . . . hehe. i know.
let’s get this one out the door before we start another, eh?
i’m also getting ready to send off another small project that i had a LOT of help getting together.
four squares for the hope lodge afghan project, knit by my lovely friends. as you can see, i chose the pavé design for the squares since it has been the runaway favorite of the season here at knitspot.
HUGE thanks go out to Beckie, Debby, Susie, and Kris (all blogless, but great knitters, every one). each of them gave of their time for this contribution and were more than happy to make it happen—thanks SO very much!
29 thoughts on “in which we feel edgy all day”
That edging is a perfect finishing touch! The whole shawl seems so peaceful – I understand what you mean about the pine trees. I’m looking forward to pictures of the finished shawl!
Oh, that edging is just beautiful! I stopped reading and just studied it for a few minutes — captivated. Thanks for sharing your spectacular work with the rest of us. It’s truly inspirational.
The edging is the perfect finish. I need to find more time to knit. I’d be willing to quit working but the how would I buy the yarn????
Beautiful edging and the red triangle is amazing.
If pine trees attract you, you must come with me to Israel once, it is the most abundant tree there!
I love the colours of those squares.
Now I understand part of the reason why I love your designs so much. I have been surrounded and calmed by stately pines which grow in abundance here in Michigan as well. In my last home (in Clarkston Pines), I could look out my kitchen doorwall and see tons of cardinals sitting on the snow-draped branches. Truly breathtaking. Thanks for sharing your artistry with us. I will enjoy knitting every stitch on my Snowflakes in Cedars.
This edging is beautiful, and I really like its three-dimensional quality.
I, too, love pines. Your shawl is looking wonderful. The frothy edging is perfect!
I love the semi-circle bit under the trees–snowdrifts! Perfect.
My mom always calls pine trees freshly laden with snow “grandfather trees” and loves them just as much as you do. The generous 20 acres my parents live on Upstate was a tree farm at one point called Evergreen Acres. Whispering Pines is a much better name for a shawl, though. -_^
The edging is a perfect ending to that shawl….so lovely!
I live in Pine Tree land for sure, here in the Mt. Washington Valley…I would love to see you come up with something featuring them 🙂
The snow shawl is gorgeous-it really does reflect a beautiful winter snow scene. Peaceful. Love the edging!
What an exquisitely lovely, delicate, icy-lacy edging! I’m with you on the beauty of New York state.
Ooh! I’m getting so excited to see it blocking and soon after I’ll be able to start! The edging is gorgeous, I hope I’ll be able to do it justice. Everything about this pattern reminds me of growing up in the snow and trees in Calgary. While I’m happy not having to live in it anymore, I do miss seeing it. It’s so pretty when the sun sparkles on the snow…
I always enjoy seeing how you’ve taken inspiration from Nature for your design work.
Beautiful! I love the curvy bit right below the trees. A very nice organic contrast to the more sharp, geometric lines of the pines.
I am so ready for winter to be done but this makes me miss the quiet, peaceful, beautiful feeling of fresh-fallen snowdrifts among the trees. (not that that lasts very long here in Boston, but still… it’s pretty for a little bit).
What a lovely snow shawl! The pattern is so beautiful and your knitting is enviable. I can hardly wait to see the FO. Congrats!
I like the title of this post, btw. 🙂 Almost as much as I like that edging.
ooohhh…i can’t wait to get to the edging! unfortunately, that’s a little bit away…silly work, getting in the way.
Oh my, that edging is breath-taking … exquisite.
I know what you mean about pine trees—I feel that, too. We used to have quite a few in our garden but sadly lost about a third of them after a very dry summer (shallow root systems and drought don’t mix).
The shawl is breathtaking and I also love the title of this post!
Anne- The edging is perfect. When you think about it, trees are such a wonderful part of life-
I mat go and hug one today.
Snowflakes in cedarwoods is stunning.
I didn’t know you’re from Upstate New York ! I spent a great deal of my life there too – and my family still has a summer home on Lake Keuka.
Anne,
I have always loved the song “Whispering Pines” by Johnny Horton. When I was a kid I had it on cassette. You will have to check out the lyrics or give it a listen. Google Johnny Horton and you will find it. The shawl is exquisite.
A comment about pine trees that I’ve always found fascinating.
In college, I studied Japanese. Which is comes from a totally different language base than English.
In English, Pine the noun is the tree. The verb is to wait for something with longing.
In Japanese, Matsu, the noun, is the pine tree. The verb (Matsu) means to wait. A lot of Japanese poetry uses the play on words of waiting pine trees.
I agree with your assessment of how stately and impressive pine trees are, as does another culture on the other side of the planet. I found it fascinating that two different cultures, different languages just happened to pick similar sounds for similar meanings.
oh, and pretty knitting, too.
Ooh. I do love that edging. I think the edges are my favorite parts of shawls. Weird…
I just love that snowy shawl, gf. The border is fabulous.
Pines do seem more evocative than other trees. My all-time favorite street name, which can be found not too far from where I live, is “Piney Meetinghouse Road.” Was the road “piney,” or the meetinghouse, or both? No matter! Your first piney product is so beautiful, I can’t wait to see the next. Thanks!
Gorgeous! Will the Triangle have the same edging?
LOVE IT!
(((hugs)))
How absolutely stunning! I cannot venture to say what it is about an edging that pulls the whole thing together–I think it is just one of those metaphysical “more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts” things.
The shawl is beautiful – it looks as dainty and fragile as the frost on the window.
And what is that lovely, bright orangey yarn in the squares?
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