The Picot Won

I like it, but I do consider picot edges, most nupps, beads optional - heck, when have I ever stuck to a pattern!

This pinned out really easily - just pinned the three picots around the main point and any picots that wanted to curl, and the neck edge. I don't block aggressively.

They are supposed to look like butterflies ... or moths

and the smaller one reminded me of the outstretched wings of a scarab.

Zealana Kiwi Laceweight in purple (Majesty?). A heavy lace weight yarn. (632 mts total)
Better photos when I have more time and the better camera.

Picot?

The cast off ...
To picot ... or not to picot ... that is the question.

I'm thinking ... to picot, maybe.

New-ness

New things!
New season, new growth and best of all, a new design!

I just love muscari (Grape Hyacinth). One of the first bulbs up at the end of winter (or very early spring, whichever you choose to call this season). I often accidentally dig these up in summer whenever I am weeding, and so I poke them in anywhere, as I walk around the garden, spreading their simple blue beauty.
Plants are early this year (but aren't they always?)

I only just got this rose pruned in time.
I love these Winter Rose beauties too, pity they flop their heads over when picked.

It's a howling Southerly today, but the Nor'Wester will be here soon enough to trick us all into summer.
And emerging from winter's tangle ...

and ... new knitting! How I love new knitting!

Minarets and Lace

Is finally ready and available for download from Ravelry.

A top-down crescent shaped shawl knit in lace weight yarn and a celebration of my favourite Estonian stitches. (no, I can't stay away from them!) The stitch motifs include nupps, lace flowers, gathered stitches and the very pretty Lily of the Valley motif. The combination of motifs results in the emergence of unexpected shapes - archways and minarets - and ends with a dramatic nupp encrusted lace edging. Knitting this shawl is pure Estonian lace knitting joy, but in a modern crescent shape.
A number of projects have already been finished and posted on Ravelry, you should check out the beauties my testers produced!

Shortest Day

21 st June - the shortest day! Hooray! only 6 weeks to go until the beginning of August and Very Early Spring!

Very Early Spring is a fifth season I made up with the specific purpose of reducing winter to two months instead of three. Yes the weather in Very Early Spring can be much the same as winter, but I have observed, over many winters, that some plants (and weeds) in the garden very definitely wake up and start growing long before the official first day of spring - September the 1st. So there - I'd rather side with the plants on this one, rather than linger in the gloom of winter for another 4 weeks. The Magnolia Stellata outside our house is already flowering and surprisingly some narcissus have already started blooming - the earliest ones are usually blooming in August but these Early Cheer are already going for it. I have never seen them out this early. Maybe the wet and gloomy March tricked them. That green splot on the lower right hand petal is an aphid  - somehow it has survived the frosts!

Big Flower,

little flower

I had an idea involving tendrils drifting over a stocking stitch background merging into a stranded flower motif and a little bit of lace. How I love stocking stitch!
And in the making ...

Almost

Almost ready!