Monday, June 8, 2015

Yup, it's knitting!

I finished my Unicorn Parallelograms shawl by Stephen West.  It needs a good blocking, but it's done.


I'll take a better pic once it's blocked.  The pattern uses Madelinetosh unicorn tails.  So much fun!

I've started plotting a new project using unicorn tails and other mini skeins.  This is my stash for the project so far.


I ended up scrounging around the other day and discovered various knitted items in the house.  For one thing, I was gobsmacked to discover (after first thinking that my sister had knitted the sweater) that I'd knitted a gansey style sweater once upon a time.  lol!


Don't ask me what pattern this is, cause I have no clue.  But I knitted it as my first real knitted thing, and if I do say so myself, it came out just fine!  I thought of it as a lace work sweater because of the trees having yarn overs.  Now all these years later, I look at it and think of it more as a gansey.  Maybe?  :D

Here is the sweater my sister knitted me way back when -- before I knitted the blue sweater above.


The colors are off in both pictures.  This is much more of a dark green than the picture shows.  Pretty, right?

And finally, I found the little knitted set my mother knitted for my sister (I think) when she was a toddler.


The color is much prettier in real life -- much less pink and more coral.  I love this outfit, don't you?

My mother taught both my sister and I to knit when we were young.  It didn't catch on with either of us.  Both of us re-taught ourselves as adults.  My sister gave up knitting years ago, which is sad.  I wish she would knit again.

Finally, since we're on a nostalgia kick, here is a pic of my sister and me (she's the older one on the left) when we were little.  This pic is part of a series of pictures my father took of us, each one with us wearing different hats -- cowboy hats, baseball hats, etc.


I still remember those dresses.  My mother would dress us in matching outfits.  Which meant I got to wear the same thing twice as long since I inherited my sister's clothes.  Sigh.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!


24 comments:

Samplings from Spring Creek said...

Your knitting is beautiful! Being surrounded with beautiful yarns would be dangerous for my budget.

Thow back photos are adorable--

Miss Mia--wonderful as always

Vera said...

Love, love, love your new shawl...and your stash...so envious - lol. I'm still knitting (slowly) my lace shawl and not doing any stitching. I think I OD'd on the SL samplers! Cute pic of you and your sister and love those sweaters. Little Mia peeking out - too cute.

Vickie said...

You are a fabulous knitter my friend!
I loved the picture of you and your sister. Too cute!

Melissa said...

Miss Margaret, your knitting amazes me! To think your first knitted thing was, to me, such a complex design. Me? I just want a simple cardi, no fancy stitches needed and that itself terrifies me! lol.

What a cute photo of you and your sister!

Ann at Beadlework. said...

Great knitting Margaret, I learned to knit when I was around five and have knitted on and off since. At the moment I'm so into knitting toys. I loved seeing the photo of you and your sister and Mia too, of course.

cucki said...

I love your knitting so much dear...looking great..
Love the picture of you and your sister..
Big hugs and love xx

The Inspired Stitcher said...

Such cuteness! Love that pic of you and your sister. Cutie pies! Have a good week.

Linda said...

All of the knitted garments are lovely Margaret. Love the pic of you and your sister.

Linda

Anonymous said...

I ADORE that blue sweater. It is amazing especially since it was one of your first projects. Love the shawl and can't wait to see the full photo (unicorn tails????...hummmm interesting) SMILE....what oh what will you do with the rest of them? I really like old photos...the one of you and your sister is super sweet.

woolwoman said...

what a delightful post Margaret - the photo of you and your sis is adorable - what cute children and those fancy red shoes ! I think that Gansey you knit is awesome - what a super job you did. Can't wait to see what those uni tails are going to become. Your Westknits shawl looks great - you flew thru that one. I bet you could still join Camp Loopy and still finish before the 6/30 deadline - you rock! Have a great week ! Mel

Mary said...

What a fun post, Margaret!! I don't know what I enjoyed more, the picture of your fist blue sweater - I'd say Gansey too! - or the one of you and your sister sporting the same dresses. Funny, my sister is the big knitter in our family, while I'm sort of her knitting fan-girl. So glad you're having fun with it!

Evelyne said...

Lovely picture of you sister and you!

Have a great week.
Evelyne

Cari said...

Oh Margaret…I love, love, love your knitting project. Current ones and especially the older ones that you, your sister and Mom knit. So much fun to fine these amazing treasures. Hugs to you and sweet Mia.

Wanda said...

Hi Margaret, Thanks so much for sharing these pictures! What a great picture of you and your sister - I remember well being dressed the same, lol. Your scarf made out of the unicorn tails is beautiful and fun! I can't wait to see what you are doing with that beautiful pile of yarn. What a magnificent knitter you are. Mia looks so adorable and comfy!

Rugs and Pugs said...

Margaret ~
Your family must have a knitting gene. Such lovely work. My sister has that gene, but not me...sigh. Maybe some day :)
That pic of you and your sister is TOO SWEET!!! Mia's, too.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Annie said...

Amazing work on the shawl. You fingers must really fly when you knit. Love that explosion of color.

So much fun to discover those hidden treasures in your home. Those sweaters would be great in the winter. I would revive them for next year.

You haven't changed a bit since you were made to pose in a pretty dress and a baseball cap. I think I have a similar photo of myself like that somewhere, possibly even holding a catcher's mitt as well. I like the way you say "got to wear them twice as long" as though it was a great privilege!

Lana said...

Beautiful finish!! And thankyou for sharing the history of knitting in your family!! You are so talented!!

Beth said...

Love your new knitting project stash...colors! Adorable photo of you and your sister. Nice that you share a creative gene with your Mom - it makes for a nice connection.

Jackie's Stitches said...

I take it you didn't enjoy wearing things twice?! Haha! Or was it more matching your sister? I know I never wanted to wear anything my sister liked for sure.

Awesome sweater! I can't believe that was your first knit.

Anonymous said...

beautiful knitting, love the new stash

Brigitte said...

Posting every other week seems to work with you. Great for you and for us readers.
Lovely shawl, and all the new yarn makes me very curious. Looking forward to seeing what you will be doing with it.
These old sweaters are beautiful. And so lovely to see your old family pictures.

Melody said...

Such a cute picture of you and your sister! You are an accomplished knitter! Beautiful work.

Louise said...

Great knitting as usual, Margaret. As for your blue sweater, it's called the Tree of Life Gansey by Debbie Bliss. I knit it too and recognized it right away.

As for being dressed alike, we were (and still are) three sister and my mother used to dress us the same for special occasions.

Kaisievic said...

Love to see your old knitting projects and that photo of your sister and you is so precious. I used to get my sister's hand me downs, too, but she was six years older than me so as a teenager by the time I was big enough to wear them they were way out of fashion! Good times, hey?