Legends of the Shetland Seas

Well - it's true I'm a lace tart and my drug of choice is ColourMart Cashmere - which would make me a tart and a fiber snob...

TwinToes came to me exactly one month ago and asked for something fabulous for an auction to benefit Breast Cancer Research at St. Alban's Country Club - stress the fabulous. They were looking for something light and girly and Richard was nice enough to help out by throwing this up on his website...so from the runways of Milan to the shop in the UK to a pattern stop in Wisconsin to the event in Missouri here's what I knitted....

And for the technical stuff -ColourMart 2/28 cashmere -75 grams or approximately 1120 yards
US size 3 needle; Pattern by Hazel Carter - Legends of the Shetland Seas and it took about 3 weeks of work (on and off). Finished dimensions 26 inches by 72 inches blocked. And in case you're interested here are a couple of pictures I took while working.

And just a note - Hazel Carter is really one of my favorite designers! I've had the pleasure of attending a couple of her classes, and what a wicked sense of humor. I will only say that I have seen her in a hand knit Carmen Miranda outfit complete with knitted fruit head dress! Everytime I use one of her patterns I smile from beginning to end! I must say that I always get homesick - because Blackberry Ridge was my LYS...but now it's one of several really great ones here in St. Louis...but there's something about Blackberry Ridge that will remain forever special in my heart.

last photo of the lerwick

So Brooke and Suzi over at the Knittery let me use their dress form to take this picture! Final note to self - when wet blocking something this big call for reinforcements - my back ached for 3 days after this one! Still torn about having substituted the "leg" thing - I think I should have added another half tree to fill up the "hole". Still really digging on the 2/28 cashmere - so much that I went and ordered some of the 2/36 cash silk in lilac, and opal, and meadowlark...Sometimes I really hate Richard! Now if I only had somewhere to wear this really extravagant shawl....the hubby suggests the beastchild's hockey game on Saturday -such a class act!!!

LERWICK DONE!!!!!

I have finally finished my Lerwick by Sharon Miller - YEAH - Happy Dance - Yikers it's big....


So it weighs in at 165 grams - I used ColourMart 2/28 Cashmere - and a size 3 needle. Finished dimensions are 67 inches square - I blocked using a king size bed - and it probably could have been a bit bigger but I was afraid of running out of bed! The color is hard to photograph - but it's actually a dark chocolate brown!

Used the washing technique described on the ColourMart Yahoo List - Washed the first time using Dawn - the water looked pretty Yucky - so I did it again - looked better but not clear yet so then used Pantene and the water finally rinsed clear! Wrapped it in a towel (or three) and stomped the final rinse water out of it and threw it in the dryer (I know I can't believe I did it either) and left it on high for 3 minutes. Loved the results! It's so soft - and the cashmere really bloomed! It's a great pattern - wonderful yarn and a totally fun knit!