Plans of knits to be!

The purpose of this post is to fill in the details of subjects and projects I've briefly mentioned in past posts - delicious knitted items I plan to knit up as soon as I can get my hands on the supplies!

Firstly, I mentioned earlier that my huggable Mum is sponsoring my the yarn for a jumper as my birthday giftie this year - extremely exciting! I have wanted to knit the Central Park Hoodie ever since Michelle and Yin were debating whether they should knit the CPH or the Arwen hoodie. I loved both but at the time wasn't in the mind space to consider another project, so put them in the back of my mind as possible future endeavours. Then I picked up the 'Fall 2006 KnitScene' and found the CPH was in it! Then the next Interweave Knits I picked up had Arwen! I decided then and there that I preferred the Central Park, and would definitely knit it up.

I trolled the net looking at yarns, thinking I'd knit it in black to match most things, then when I talked about it with Mum we reassessed and decided it would be much nicer in green - it would stand out more, be a bit more special and different - and in my fave colour to boot!! Further to that, and after a bit more trolling on the net, we found that the we really liked the chosen yarn in the pattern more than anything else we could find!! It's in Tahki Donegal Tweed - which I adore for it's multicoloured flecks, and the gorgeous shade of green - adore adore ADORE! Only problem is no matter how hard I search the net, I can't find anywhere that can ship to Oz with enough balls of it! And how bizarre is this, the actual main distributing company, Tahki Stacy Charles only ship to the US!!! ?!?! Gah!! So we've decided we'll ask our rellies in the US if they can order it and post it on to us and we'll reimburse them. Must have delicious yarn.. must knit hoodie... mmmmm... *talks like zombie* I'm so so very keen to get cracking on my first 'real' garment! Plus, made with yarn from my Mama, I'll think of her while I knit it, and every time I snuggle up into it! :)

So in the meantime, I've been eyeing off the Knitty Cleaves pattern - as I posted about previously.. but something exciting has happened recently to perhaps delay the Cleaves knitting for a while. Something really exciting :)

I've been planning since before Christmas to knit a clapotis for my paternal Gran in Handmaiden SeaSilk - knowing that her skin is sensitive and irritated by most wools. I really want to knit something beautiful for both my Grans as a special sign of my love, respect and bond with them, especially as I still am lucky enough to have both my Grans (and Granpas!) with me! And when I first saw SeaSilk I was SO excited as it meant the means to knit a glorious stole for my (paternal) Gran! But before Christmas it simply wasn't financially viable to purchase the Seasilk, so plans were put on hold. I did however decide on the Nova Scotia colourway as the most suitable and gorgeous for my Gran - all blues, greens and turquoise - simply lovely :)

Christmas and New Year flew by, and before I knew it I jolted with the realisation - "I can justify putting the money aside for that yarn now!!" By this time I was beginning to hesitate about Clapotis.. I'm super keen to knit one, but it didn't seem special enough to knit for Gran. That was when I found the perfect project.

The Peacock Feathers Shawl from fiddlesticks

It is completely divine and even more fitting as Gran has always been a huge fan of birds - so how perfect to hand knit her a stunning silk peacock tail shawl!

So I wasted no time in ordering the pattern, and begun my SeaSilk search of the net, with help from my lovely uber-knitterly SnB friend Helen, for an Aussie or non-Aussie stockists that would ship internationally. I'd seen on the pattern info for Peacock Feathers that 1260 yards of Zephyr was required, and as SeaSilk is lace weight also I figured I'd need the same amount of metre-age. Three skeins of SeaSilk would make it - just. But I didn't want to risk running out and having to chase up another skein from the dyelot, or wait for shipping or any other number of disastrous potential outcomes from only ordering "just enough". So I decided on 4 skeins. If I ended up with left over I'll make myself a little something luxurious too :) The problem was that I couldn't find anywhere with enough skeins in stock to ensure I would get all I needed from the same dyelot! Poohh!! So each day I'd troll about a bit and search website for Seasilk, and go through Handmaiden's list of web-based stockists. Finally I discovered Colorsongyarn has 12 skeins in stock! TWELVE!! Surely I could get 4 of the same dye lot amongst that 12!! SO I sent through my order, with special instructions for all skeins from same dyelot etc.. and it's on it's way! As easy as that!! I am SO SO excited and can't wait to get cracking! Peacock Feathers is listed as an Advanced Intermediate pattern, however, and as I've not ever tried lace before I'm thinking I had perhaps better start with a slightly simpler lace pattern to start with. Helen has been so supportive and helpful, guiding me to multiple yarn tutorials and hot tips! Amongst these I've seen the Flowerbasket Shawl and the SwallowTail Shawl.. and another idea has sprung into my mind!

These are gorgeous and perfect for my (maternal) Gran! So my idea is this... I could get cracking now on the Swallowtail(or Flowerbasket - but have just seen online that pattern is no longer available!) shawl for Gran while I'm waiting for the pattern and yarn to arrive for the Peacock Feathers Gran shawl!! How perfect is that?!?! I would get some experience on a not-so-difficult pattern, and knit a shawl for each Gran!! Might be a little optimistic.. particularly as the super friendly Nancy from Colorsong told me it would only be 7 days for my SeaSilk order to arrive! But it's definitely worth a shot and definitely worth investing my time, effort, money and love for two such amazing, inspiring and loving women :)