Sunday, April 18, 2010

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Blocking My 330 Yards of Taiyo Heaven


I finally got around to blocking my shawl. The yarn I used is Noro Taiyo (cotton/silk/wool blend). I added an extra lace repeat pattern. As the shawl is drying, it measures 57"x31". I'm using Knit Picks blocking wires and T-Pins. Great tools to have. I installed the wires on 3 sides of the shawl including the straight edge.



I love how the shawl ended with a black edge.










I'm looking forward to wearing this in the next day or two.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Taking a Break


For the past few weeks, I've been spending a lot of time getting to know my new Nikon D5000 DSLR camera. I found a fantastic deal on a refurbished body. A deal I couldn't pass up. Instead of knitting, I've been re-learning how to take great pictures. Each camera and each model has different qualities. I've finally figured out how to use the 11-focus points on the new camera. My old favorite D40 had only 3-focus points I had to worry about. With this new camera, I'm learning more about aperture, ISO, AF-S, AF-C, etc. So far, I love the results I am getting. Here's the proof....

I did manage to block the heck out of my Colonnade shawl after the light blocking didn't work so well. I soaked it in J&J Baby Shampoo. Gave it a good rinse and rolled it in a towel several times to remove the excess moisture. I noticed the shawl softened quite a bit and has a beautiful drape. Here's a picture of the shawl, taken with my new camera.



I've received a lot of complements on this shawl. It has a light feel to it, but does keep me warm in my chilly office at work.




For the next few weeks, my knitting time will be sparse. More pictures will be taken. More time will be spent at work. I still have to block my Noro Taiyo shawl. I still have two more shawls that are WIPs.

I'll be back soon. Happy Knitting my fellow friends!