awww, they waited for me

Posted on Posted in food and garden, lace/shawls, projects

when i went out the back door this morning i saw the fiddleheads still curled up and smiled.
a few had sprung their leaves, but most are at the perfect stage to get some nice photos.

they remind me a little of something else

i finally settled on a finish for the top hem of my star shawl. i thought i had exactly what i wanted—a petite picot to give a clean finish. but nooo-o. what i had planned actually looked awful once i began knitting it.

back to the drawing board i went and tried a few things. then i looked at the thing right in front of my face all this time and tried that . . . and finally, it was something i liked.
i don’t know why, but usually i stay away from using the same edging along the top as i’ve used along the sides. and i’m always happy with this contrast. but this time, none of that worked. sigh, there’s never a formula . . .

anyhow, here is a long view of the piece . . almost done

i canNOT wait to get it off the needles and block it now; i just hope i can tear myself away from it to go to bed at some point. i didn’t get to knit on it much since i had classes and played catch-up at my desk all day (don’t tell anyone, but i’m writing this post instead of packing patterns).

another outdoor surprise was this lime leafed hosta that finally showed its face

i think this is my very favorite hosta . . . i should get more of them with this coloration.
there is a hosta farm not very far from here and i think maybe this year i will drag david out there for an afternoon excursion to pick some nice additions for our garden.

our lilac is also at its peak bloom; it’s really pretty but i don’t dare breath very deeply while i’m this close to it. and the may apple plants have grown a foot or more in the last few days

(excuse our weeds; i’m just terrible about keeping after them).

i only have on other knitting project to show you; i’ve been so faithful about knitting on the shawl that i might even be boring today. but i do have the second spectator sock almost done now

this was taken this morning. i knitted a few more inches during classes today, and i can tell you it’s going to be really REALLY close on the yarn. i’m pretty sure i will be short a few yards.
A FEW YARDS—how desperate does that make me feel?

i didn’t see any of this for swap on ravelry (STR medium weight, haida colorway—just in case, you happen to see some . . . ). but then, i’m not exactly sure i’m searching ravelry the right way to track something like this down . . .

i have to confess, i am something of a ravelry numbskull. in fact, i’m just a little afraid of ravelry because i so don’t know what i’m doing when i’m there. i sort-of just go and bump into things by accident, when i’m not checking my mail or groups. and, while that’s not the worst way to be a tourist, it’s a terrible approach to doing research. or just to search; i’m confident though, that i’ll get better at it it some day. the light bulb is sure to go off at some point, right??

ok, now i have to get back to packing those patterns.

40 thoughts on “awww, they waited for me

  1. those lilacs are beautiful, I am so amazed by fiddleheads, they were a completly foreign concept to me until you and Kim (brilliant woolen rabbit kim) posted pictures. I think they are so neat looking. I sometimes feel the same way about ravelry but I always end up bumping into something new and exciting. I’ve learned about so many different designers, bloggers, and vendors that I never would have if I hadn’t bounced around ravelry or have friends that tell me about what they find. Your star shawl is beautiful it reminds me of a small ocean wave. =)

  2. Aww…I love it when they look like upside down seahorses!

    Glad you made it back safely!

    Oh, and I just started a blog! Check it out if you want to.

  3. Have you tried asking any Haida holders to sell what they have? I counted 16 people with that yarn in their stashes. Perhaps you could post something on a yarn forum? Ooo, or maybe BMFA has a few scraps laying around the warehouse.

    Okay, I’m entirely too obsessed with everyone else’s yarn!

  4. I have no doubt that there are many on Ravelry who would gladly spare you some Haida mediumweight. I have it in lightweight, but that won’t help you. I also have some Rare Gems Raven mediumweight that seems to be basically black, in a pinch, and would gladly share if it would help–
    but the most efficient way to find someone with what you need is to post on the Socks that Rawk group on Ravelry and just ask. There are bound to be several people who have extra Haida mediumweight, and perhaps have already finished socks and have it lying around. I don’t have my stash up and I bet others don’t either, so I’d go that route.
    http://www.ravelry.com/groups/socks-that-rawk

    Wonderful spring-y pictures; your lilacs are a couple weeks ahead of ours, and I’ve never seen May apple!

  5. Ravelry is very overwhelming, mostly since I don’t devote very much time there. It has the potential to be a huge vacuum swallowing great chunks of time. Still, such a wealth of information there.

  6. You want to laugh at me? OK I will confess,,, I don’t like those fiddleheads of yours, they bring up some childish fear of mine of things that grow out of control,,, weird me! But I do love your lilac, it’s a pity you can breath near it and the edging looks great! I may have found you a source for Haida in Ravelry, will email you link!

  7. I have never seen fiddleheads like this before. I love how they are screaming to burst, and how sculptural they are.

    We love hostas here, too. I hear there is a farm but have not found it. Gardeners don’t always love web pages. I want a huge, elephant-ear blue-dusty 1900-style hosta for a corner nook near the porch. We have curly ones and striped ones, but mostly the same size.

    I don’t know what I’d do without Ravelry. i don’t wander much, but I use it for connecting with people about my work. I sold a lot of patterns when my ZigBagZ first came out, thanks to Ravelry.

    Not everyone is comfy with everything. And you knit so many hours in the day, I don’t know how you type a blog.

  8. That’s the *perfect* top edge for that shawl. Perfect. The fiddleheads are fabulous. Love it when they’re unfurling. And the lilacs. One of my all-time favorite flowers. Naturally DH is horribly allergic. Not that it matters for the time being, since they.don’t.grow.here. Sigh. I’d ask you to give them a good, strong whiff for me, but don’t want to put you through the after affects. Drat.

  9. The Lilac brings back sweet memories of holidays spent with my gandmother. She had a huge tree in her garden where we used to sit under. I can still smell it…. 🙂
    The edging at the shawllooks perfect to me,hope you will find the STR yarn soon !

  10. On Ravelry, when in search of a specific yarn you’re desperate for, go to the ISO group (In Search Of) or the De-stashing group. They’re usually the best sources for last gasps or discontinued yarns. I haven’t checked but I would think there would be a Blue Moon Fibers related group there, too. To find any type of group, click on the “Groups” tab on the left side at the top of the page and stick either the group name or a tag, such as “in search of yarn” in the search engine thingie. That should bring up a list of relevant groups. It also tends to lead to even more time checking out exactly what all those hits contain but, hey, that’s Casey and Jess’ fault for making up such a great dream site. 🙂
    You can also just post on Remnants if you fail to find the other groups. Some kind person or persons will post links for you to ISO or De-stashing. (which is how I found out about them).
    Moi, I think I spend a bit way too much time sucked into the Ravelry time vacuum.
    Love the fiddleheads and the shawl. Must update the queue to include yet more of your kits. Will I ever get them from queue status to project? Only if I stop reading the forums! 🙂

  11. Go on to the socks that Rock group and post that you need a little of that yarn colorway and weight and someone will come through for you. I have seen it happen several times since joining it.

  12. This post has produced a lot of useful information. I’m glad to learn about the Ravelry feature. Great! I hope you find your yarn. I really love that pattern for the sock. The shawl is gorgeous. Fiddleheads in Ohio? These aren’t the edible kind, are they? Our Fiddleheads are not quite here, yet. Love those lilacs! We won’t have lilacs in bloom until June!

  13. I had no idea there was a hosta farm nearby. We could really use some more. I’ve been curious about what local nurseries you go to, also. We are sprucing up the yard this year come hell or high water (or both).

  14. Don’t you just love Fiddlehead? Perfect in their uniqueness.

    I find Ravelry to be a bit overwhelming as well and pretty much do exactly what you do…bump into things by pure accident. It’s amazing what a large and powerful community it is.

    Your new shawl is lovely!

  15. I hope you find your yarn, too! It’s so frustrating to be to the toe and run out of yarn!

    LOVE, LOVE the shawl! The edging you picked is perfect, as always!

  16. Will the shawl pattern be offered as a kit with the navy blue yarn? It is just lovely and I feel a need to add it to my Knitspot queue!

  17. I am utterly charmed with the fiddleheads! and ooooh, those lilacs, I still want to cry re: yours and David’s allergies.
    You never, ever bore me.
    Hee… I’m the same way with Ravelry, and to be honest, right now that’s alright, I don’t HAVE tons of time to be sucked…. the day will come :^)

  18. Oh, I can’t wait for the blocking shots on the star shawl!

    The ferns were so kind to wait for you. Great pictures. 🙂

  19. Beautiful garden pictures! I love the fiddleheads and the lilacs are gorgeous! I can’t wait to see the shawl all blocked out.

  20. that shawl is going to be stunning.
    Apple plants? as in they give you real apples?? hmmm.
    And I had to chuckle about the Ravelry part – I too, just sort of bump around on it. It’s a fabulous site, yet for the technically challenged among us, it can be a bit “huge” (grins)

  21. Wow, your may apples are pretty far along. Ours don’t even have buds yet! I can’t wait until they bloom–so pretty. I also noticed over the weekend that we have fiddleheads coming up in our driveway. Hmm, I guess we need to put some more gravel down. But around them! I love ferns.

    I do like those socks. I think I’ll go add them to my queue…

  22. lol – count me in the (small) group that’s a little weirded out by fiddleheads. I like ferns once they’ve opened up, but all curled up like that they give me the willies! Can’t explain it.

  23. Your garden is so pretty. Up here in Alaska, the snow is still melting and the rivers are starting to break up. We’re a long way away from gardens. Your lovely green shoots and pretty flowers are my spring fix; at least until our 2 weeks of spring starts.

  24. I’m so glad the fiddleheads waited for you. I’m taking a trip next week out to Seattle (never been west before) and am hoping that my roses wait for me, too. I’m a tidge envious of your wonderful knitting friends. But sorry, too that they are so far away. Thank you for sharing your trip with us.

  25. Man I just wanna mash my nose up against the screen when that lilacs photo is up. I love them enough to give them another go this year I think. When we redo the garden this year I’m gonna find a space for one. But this time I think I’ll see about asking experts where the right spot is. I’ve e-mailed about options for hunting down Haida.

  26. I so look forward to seeing my hostas come up each year! I was happy to see that my lilac tree is almost ready to pop with loads of blooms this year, too. My hubby inadvertantly gave it a big haircut 2 years ago and the poor thing has been struggling to grow back. Your’s looks gorgeous! And man, does that blue shawl ever look stunning … the colour and the pattern work so well together.

  27. Your garden looks lovely! I’m so glad that the ferns waited for you 🙂 (I feel the same way when I leave just as the jacaranda are coming into bloom…) I’m loving that edging on the shawl — I can’t wait to get there! (soon, precious, soon….)

  28. Your lilacs are stunning! Mine haven’t popped yet, but soon. 🙂 And I wish I could give you some of my hostas… we have Too Many!

    It’s always reassuring when you tell us about some project detail that didn’t work out. There’s hope for the rest of us if it still happens to you now and then! 😉

  29. Anne- People up here eat something called “fiddlehead greens”- I’m not sure if it’s the same thing as the ferns.

    I don’t like the smell of lilac- they’re too sickly sweet.

  30. oh, i love your lilacs – so pretty! it’s too bad they cause you problems. the shawls looking pretty in blue – it’ll be exciting to see it blocked.

  31. Thanks for showing us the beauty in the “little” things. I find peace in nature and you have successfully transmitted that peace into your designs! We’re so lucky!!!

  32. I’ve always loved lilacs. We had some in a few of the places we’ve lived, but not currently. The shawl is such a pretty shade of blue. Knitting is never predictable, that’s for sure.

    As for ravelry, I love it! But I will say that I end up spending too much time there if I’m not careful. I specifically search out patterns mostly, talk to people and get advice, and look through my groups. I think we all use ravelry to our own benefits. There is no wrong or right way to use this great knitting/crochet tool IMO.

  33. ummmm. Not wanting to be impatient, but I am waiting for that little unfurled scarf! The fiddleheads reminded me. Our lilacs are wild too – I just love that aroma!

  34. Thanks again for linking lace to natural forms.

    And thanks for being someone who can somehow go through the design process of trying one thing and then another and somehow knowing when it’s the right thing. That’s a unique gift.

  35. The shawl is looking beautiful!

    As for the hostas: have you seen the adorable ones called “Mouse ears”? They are the teeniest hostas I have ever seen. I LOVE them! But they are SO expensive… anyway, I wonder if your farm has those…

    Lovely lovely garden as usual! 🙂

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