Summer is here July 2, 2009
Welcome to all who are here for the Sweet Summer blog tour, hosted by Karen and her Cotton Spice blog.
Yes, it’s really been a week since I last posted. Honestly, I can’t believe how quickly a week goes by these days. I think I’m starting to get the real gist of Grandma’s complaint about how fast a year disappeared when she was in her mid 80s. Between drafting new patterns, tweaking those that have come back from test knitting, sending everything off to be printed, and buying supplies for more blocking wires, I’ve been swamped!
Last weekend we suddenly found ourselves out of the annual fog and early morning drizzle otherwise known as June Gloom, and fully into summer. One day the high was maybe in the mid 70s, and the next it was in the mid to upper 90s across the Los Angeles basin. The temps have settled down a bit since then, thankfully, but the skies are clear and the days are warm. Yup. It’s summer now. 
The current shawl project
Though I’ve been too busy to post, I have not been too busy to knit. In fact, just yesterday I finished knitting the center panel of the (so far nameless) shawl I’m making with the fabulous Kami Bison yarn. As you can see, I have made a good start on the border as well.
The border is so easy to knit that I’ve memorized it already, making the knitting of it extremely quick. The other thing that’s fast about this border is that there are at most only 18 stitches to it, and you have to work up to that number row-by-row from the starting ten stitches. I’m hoping to get this pattern off to Dixie, my test knitter, later today. Keep your fingers crossed. Dixie and her husband recently moved from southern California to Dublin, Ireland. Dixie’s recent blog posts are filled with the ins and outs of setting up her new home there in Dublin.
Naming poll
I don’t have a clue yet what to call this shawl. That makes me think it’s time for another naming poll. I’ll give you all through the weekend to come up with a list of suggested names for it. This time I’m looking for names on a theme of far away or exotic lands, historic times—but names that haven’t already been used much or at all. I’ll put my favorites up in a poll to be voted on on Monday, July 6, then you can vote for your favorite. The person who suggests the winning name will get a free copy of the pattern when it’s done. Leave your suggestions in the comments to this post.
A sweater pattern from Berroco
For the first time in ages Berroco has come out with a pattern that I think is worth the cyberspace it fills up. Ditto is a short-sleeved sweater that’s just in time for summer. It looks quick to knit, while having a little going on so you won’t be bored to death while knitting it. Personally, I’d stay away from the yarn they used for the model… I don’t know about you, but I don’t need those horizontal stripes to make me look even wider than I already am—besides, if it were knit in a solid color, then vertical lines in the yoke would stand out more. All good.
Miss Ricki in the sun
I’ll close today with a picture of my sweet kitty, Miss Ricki. She’s been lapping up the sunshine, moving a bit now and then to keep out of the shadows as the sun moves across the sky, barely managing to lift her furry little head to acknowledge my presence—I’m sure it was mostly in complaint as I was blocking some of her sun.
Karen Austin July 2
How about Candles in the Wind? It reminds me of them.
Nice blog for the tour!
Karen Austin
Shelda July 2
How about Pangea as it has the apearance of vast undisturbed forest, where all the exotic an mytical creatures could be .
kelly July 2
Prairie Fields! The main panel looks like wheat or grass to me.
Jim July 2
Mmm. Moysleet comes to mind (though I could not tell you why!), which is a location in County Cavan in Ireland. There are a great many stone circles and barrows and the like to be found in the area :)
Denise~ July 2
White Buffalo Calf Woman comes instantly to mind, she was a Lakota Goddess. Well, that works as well…Lakota Goddess.
Beautiful work by the way!
Helen July 2
for some reason, bison reminds me of yak, reminds me of Tibet.
Altyn Tagh is one of the mountain ranges there, and it sounds so pretty!
Also, Nyingtri is region in which they grow tea — and the pattern reminds me of leaves — could be tea leaves….
Birgit July 2
How about Midnight Sun or Nightless night? It looks like the fells in Lapland and this time of year the sun doesn´t go down at all.
Denise July 3
I like the name Sevilla, such a beautiful city… where wearing lace shawls has always been very much in fashion. I love how the pattern of the lace echos the moorish influences of southern Spain.
- Denise (dlotter on ravelry)
Shanda July 3
How about the pacific island of “Kiribati”. The yarn and pattern remind me of waves!!
Kiribati was first settled between 200 and 500 AD. Today Kiribati is an independent republic and comprises the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line groups of islands. There are some 30 low lying coral islands with a total land area of over 800 square kilometres. The capital is Tarawa and the population of 65,000 is mainly Micronesian. English is the official language, but Gilbertese and Kiribati are the main local languages. The country become a republic in 1979.
Dixie July 3
Thanks for the shout-out! :) I’d have more knitting content on the blog if I could get better pictures, but since I won’t be seeing my camera charger for a very long time, it’ll be a while.
It’s tempting to come up with an Irish name for the stole, but since that’s not technically “far away” for me, I cast about for something else.
Anahita is a Persian goddess associated with water, fertility, and sometimes weather (particularly rain or snow). The Sassanid dynasty, the period between ~200-650 AD, saw the rise and flourishing of Persian art and culture and began with a ruler who claimed descent from a line of Anahitan priests. Her tradition lives on in the modern Zoroastrian religion as reverence for water which gives life. The lace pattern could resemble waves, or it could resemble those woman-shaped fertility charms. It reminds me of the art seen in ancient Persian artifacts which has the clean lines of classical Greek art but with a subtle elegance that the blocky Greek style lacks.
If you pick this name, though, you should choose someone else to win the free pattern. ;)
Elaine July 3
I would like to suggest the name PAVLOVA because of the grace and drape of your lovely design
Jean July 4
Some of the most beautiful & ancient places I’ve seen are the Shinto shrines in Japan. Beautiful & serene in their simplicity.
While there are many, many Shinto deities under the umbrella name of “Kami” - the queen of all is “Amaterasu”, She Who Illuminates the Heavens. She is also credited with inventing loom weaving and teaching people how to cultivate the silkworm - the first crafter one might say.
For your beautiful & serene design I offer “Amaterasu” - gentle, beautiful and of one spirit with us.
S July 5
I’d name it Casa. When I turned it one way it looked like a school of fish. When I turned it another it looked like owls. Another way and it
resembled houses or trees. I got to thinking far away is relative. What is
far for you may be near for me. However, for most of us, it’s always
good to be home. And what a beautiful thing to display in one’s home!
Janet Martin July 5
This lovely design reminded me of arrowheads–Clovis was the first name that came to mind, but Clovis points are quite rounded. The arrowheads most like this lace are called Thebes, so perhaps you could name the pattern something like Theban Dream.
There’s a picture of a Theban point about halfway down this page http://www.relicshack.com/Arrowheads.aspx
As for the Egyptian connection with this name, that wouldn’t be out of place either.
Lynda Lagodney July 10
Barchester as in Barchester Towers.
I happen to be knitting that same edge on a baby blanket right now and you are right about how easy it is to memorize and so the knitting goes fast. It had better be fast as the baby is due in a couple of weeks!