The Niebling Quartet

Feast your eyes, folks. It's Niebling time on Two Sticks and Some String !!

These were all dampened and then finger-pressed on my bed. None have been properly blocked (am looking for volunteers!). (kidding ;-)

From top left, they are:

The Ranuncula (aka Carbunkle, as it became known on the Niebling Lace Knitters list). Size 60 white cotton thread on 2.25mm needles, approx 30 cm. tip to tip. Annoying little doily to knit, and am not terribly pleased with how it turned out.

Top right is the Frosted Ferns, knit with approx. Size 60 deep salmon-coloured linen thread on 2.75mm needles. I didn't like the dorky edging and made my own. It's a little too full for the doily, but it'll hang nicely on a round table. It's approx. 80 cm. across. I enjoyed knitting this one, and love the finished item.

Bottom right is the Kometenstern, knit with Size 30 pink cotton thread on 3mm needles. Somewhat tedious to knit, simply because it's a simple doily, but a nice little distraction that didn't take too long.

Bottom left is the legendary Lyra. This was my first Niebling, but I'd knit lots of other challenging pieces before this (including Chatelaine Magazine's Lily of the Valley tablecloth, which I suspect is either an unattributed Niebling, or a knock-off). It's knit in 100% Shetland wool, equivalent to approx. Size 30 thread, on (guessing here) 4mm needles? It is approximately 1.5 metres from side to side. The wool filled out nicely after the piece was finished.

Frosted Ferns, detail.

I loved knitting this piece. It is stunning to look at. Ahhh, belly-button, belly-button, how do I love thee? A closer look at that perfect little belly-button start in the centre. (Don't mind the loose thread underneath ... I didn't tuck in the threads before I took the pics!).


Kometenstern. Lovely symmetry. Perfect little belly-button. Absolutely no humility on my part! And Lyra's perfect little start ... no lumpy centres for my circular projects!



All four pieces on our king-size bed (in the yet-to-be painted and wallpapered bedroom!).

I knit the square version of the Lyra.

After the big family reunion we're having here (yes, here!) on the weekend of July 14/15, I'll (maybe) get serious about properly blocking these and then really showing them off!

Ok, it's movie time in our house! Enjoy the pics, and please, leave comments, questions, and compliments (the gloat continues!).

HELLO LETHBRIDGE!

Greetings from Vancouver Island! Yes, I see I have two or three regular visitors from Lethbridge, and I'd love to know who you are! Drop me a line at my email below, ok? Thanks!

Email me: rosemarie dot buchanan at gmail dot com

West coast life has taken over computer time. The kitchen renovations are done, and now we're spending as much time outside as possible.

Preparations for the July 14th friends/family/colleagues/co-workers reunion (and someone's ... ahem ... 65th birthday party!) are underway. It's going to be a party and a half, we're rebuilding the pond and putting up the pool, we had new concrete poured in the potting shed and outside the potting shed, so we now have a patio; Dorne just finished re-roofing the kitchen/potting shed roof; we have veggies growing in the garden and kiwi, grapes, plums, rhubarb, peaches, nectarines and cherries to pick when they're ready.

I am able to spend a few hours each day with knitting needles firmly in hand, and am completing my fourth Niebling. My son and his fiancee have booked a facility for their wedding in August 2008, and I will be knitting my future daughter-in-law's wedding garter, as well as making the ring-bearer pillow (silk pillow with knitted lace topper, most likely another Niebling!).

Sooooo ... all those posts I promised with pictures will just have to wait. I'm not having migraines, so you can't even be treated to one of my migraine-induced rants. I'll bet that breaks you right up!

Happy Summer!!!!