The Wedding Shawl!

This was the Big Secrete Project!

From the moment I saw the dress at the first fitting I Knew she needed a shawl to go with it and "I" was just the person to knit it! The dress is called "Mermaid" style but I am old enough to think "Mae West." Those women always had some type of stole  to remind them to keep the shoulders up and elbows back.

Then I got to thinking about what I wanted it to mean, and what I really wanted to give her. The wedding dress she would never wear again, but I wanted to be something she could wear again and still have special meaning. I choose a segment of pattern stitch from the "Simurgh" pattern because the shaped of the scallops went perfectly with the lace on the dress.  It's a start in the center and work to the end pattern. As I worked I thought about adding beads to the edges "of Course".
I had boxes of  Antique beads from her Grandmother and Great Grandmothers who use to knit fine beaded purses in the 1920's.      We ended up with a stole that was a gift from her generations past with new crystals added by me.There was Old, New, and a Borrowed Blue bead from another project hidden in one corner. It is something she will always be able to wear.

I gave it to her the morning of her wedding BEFORE makeup! She was so surprised and happy.

Beaded Blue Simurgh Pictures FINALLY!

There Here!!! Pictures of the "BBS"!!!!!

Big Blue Simurgh

Beaded Blue Simurgh

Beautiful Blue Simurgh

(etc.)

The subtle color changes and the different colors of the beads are not showing very well in the pictures.It's not easy to get the right light on a grey winter day.  But I think on a sunny day it will look like Sparkling Troplical Waves.There are Emerald Green, Sapphire Blue, Capri Blue and Crystal/Silver 8/0 seed beads through out the pattern. I tried to arrange them in a way that would look like waves. Along the edge which does not show in these pictures, there are points. At the tip of each point is an Azure Blue, Megatoma bead. .

As I said befor this pattern was origionally designed to look like Black Raven Feathers. Since this is a present for a Tall Fair Blond I needed to make some adjustments. The yarn is Geisha by Blue Moon Fiber Arts, the color way is Saphire. The yarn is a Blend of Kidmo and Silk, 2 skeins for the larger size. The Pattern is available on Ravelry.

Hopefully I will be able to finish it soon!

So We Start!

   I thought it woud nice to start with "Sarah's Scarf"  since it was my favorite New piece. I had taken on the challange of learning to knit Lace AND work from a Chart, not a Written Pattern. I joined a KAL and learned an amazing amount. (more about that later). But not enough to realize what I was getting myself into when I dreamed up this Scarf!

   "The Plan" was to take a section of the Stole learned on the KAL and use it to make the whole scarf. It would be 2 skeins of yarn, Malabrgo Lace, and knit in one direction until the ball was gone. Then remove the temporary cast on and knit in the other direction until the other ball of yarn was gone. It sounds so simple dosen't it? It always starts out that way. As the scarf progressed I had conversations with my other daughter about scarves with beads. I had never used beads in knitting before, "Why not add a few to this scarf? it shouldn't be that hard."


   So I ran myself right out to JoAnns Fabrics to find beads the next day. The beads all looked So Big!  "I like these shinny little 11/0 seed beads and they won't overwhelm the knitting!" I didn't realize they would be so hard to put on, or see!  So I went home and dug out the #16 Steel Crochet Hook that was passed down to me and went to work. Where to place them? How Long it took to place them......... One Friggin Bead at a time really slows down the Whole Process! So in my new found wisdome I chose to place them every other section in random patterns. You could only see them as a small flash in the right light anyway.

  Then I ordered 8/0 seed beads in 2 other colors. As light weight as the lace material was turning out to be I wanted to add some weight at the ends. I get so carried away I don't ever do things the easy way.  I was able to use a larger crochet hook but it did not take any less time. I beaded a section in the lighter color, skipped a section, and then beaded in the darker color. Whew! I was finally getting close to the end of the ball of yarn! Then what do I do at the end? I did not have an edging in mind. "Oh I will do a beaded edging!" I am so Brilliant, not. The heavily beaded piece you see in the picture is the edging. I was so relieved to be done with it. It was so Tedious. "Thank God It's Done!"

   Then I remembered I had the Other Half to do!! Did I mention this was a Chrismas Present and I only had a coulpe of weeks to finish almost 4 feet of Lace and Beading so it could be washed, blocked, dried, and shipped  in time to get to California? Oh and to work the Christmas rush  too........  When I was finished there was 16 in. by over 8 ft. of Beaded Lace Beauty! I hope she loves it because I will never do that again.  LOLOLOL so I said then. I am such a Glutton for punishment.


WEDNESDAY 1/13/10
Full Circle..............Family


  When my son was young he had "Severe Chronic Asthma". Which means he had severe Allergic Reactions to many things made worse by emotion (getting scared because you can't breath). He would turn Blue at the drop of a hat. We became very close he and I, spending all that time in emergency rooms and learning how to deal with it together. We put together a "Mini Emergency Room" in our bathroom with a Stethoscope, Peak Flow Meter, Ultrasonic Nebulizer, and Epi Pens. Not to mention all the drugs he had to take and the side effects.

  He survived, grew up, went to college, earned two degrees, got married, and has a 7 month old baby of his own now. My son takes very few Asthma Medications these days, all preventative and has a good quality of life. He still keeps the Nebulizer in the house, because when he dose gets sick, it settles in his lungs. The little shit.  Ahem........Young Man, even smokes cigarettes now and still breaths. Harmones are an amazing thing. Puberty made all the difference in the world.ON To The Point!

  My Grandson Max was very sick yesterday and so was his mother. My Son took the baby to the Doctor. Max has a virus that setteled into his lungs, and two ear infections. My son sent me a picture from his iPhone showing Max chewing on the mouth piece of the Nubulizer. I can't tell you what it did to my heart. I was glad he was teething and wanted chew on the mouth piece. It is So Hard to Nebulize a baby! (inhailed medication vapor) He did get a great deal of relief and I am so glad they have the Nebulizer in the house. Being able to use it at home will keep him so much more comfortable."Full Circle."

  So the only thing to do was to make a big batch of his Grandmothers Chicken Soup."Jewish Penicillin." I talked him through the process and he made extra carrots to put in a blender with Chicken, Matzo Ball (soft dumpling) and Broth to make a meal for Max."Full Circle".It makes me wonder How Many Circles? My mother in law went through same thing with my husband. I now know how "She" felt when it was "My Son" and "Her Grandson".........and she taught me how to make "Jewish Penicillin."

Labels: family