Cotton Cardigan

Before I left the USA, I knit up a lovely cardigan called Summer Lace Cardigan Shrug by Vera Sanon. I used GGH Linova in Knospengrun (cotton/linen blend), which I purchased from Love Knitting. Sometimes there is great cotton yarn and sometimes there is not so great cotton. In this project’s case, I ended up with a scratchy cotton blend that didn’t really soften up until after a few washes.

Despite this, I ended up with a really cute finished project. A lot of my summer dresses are tank tops so this cardigan will make many of my outfits workplace appropriate. The cardigan pattern was easy to follow and included a chart for the lace detail. I really liked that it was made from the top down in one seamless piece.  Since I was traveling, I didn’t want to have keep track of all sorts of sweater parts. The cardigan was intended to have a button at the top, however, I opted not to sew one on. I made the button hole anyway in case I change my mind and/or find one amazing button in the future.

Here I am modeling my new cardigan on top of the Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China. The Canton Tower is the 4th largest freestanding structure in the world. It stand about 604 meters in the air making for an excellent view. Lucky for us we went on a pretty clear afternoon. We got to see most of central downtown and the Pearl River.

I have to say I am glad to add this bright and cheery piece to my warm weather wardrobe. It has been a little lacking in color.

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

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FO: Calais Shawl

My Calais Shawl is complete! Well it was completed about two weeks ago. The issue with posting was the photos. I’ve been having a tough time finding the perfect photo spot in my new apartment. I defiantly need to invest in some white poster board. All of the floors and ledges are tile and the reflection is terrible.Overall, I am quite happy with this shawl. However, the sizing  was a little tricky for me. The pattern stated the blocked sizing should be “48 inches wide by 22 inches deep.” I will admit I didn’t make a swatch and wet block it. MISTAKE! Lace is super deceptive when knitting as it bunches up until blocking time. I knew this, but convinced myself I could skip the prep work. Due to my laziness, the body of my shawl came out shorter then desired. Thankfully, the edging of the shawl allowed me to make up for it. I continued the edging section for a total of 7 inches.This pattern called for a Double Strand Estonian Bind Off. I have never used this technique before. It was simple to execute. The result was a really nice border that reduced the amount of curling at the edge. I most certainly foresee myself using this bind off method in the future. Previously, I had concerns about using a variated yarn with this lace pattern. I am glad I took the risk because I really like the combination I ended up with. The colors did not interfere with the pattern making the piece look too busy.

If you are looking for a lacy shawl pattern, I recommend you consider the Calais Shawl. It is a great way to practice knitting lace patterns.

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Istanbul

While en-route to China we decided to layover in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey has always been one of those places on my “must see” list. The culture has always intrigued me. However, in the last 1.5 years, Turkey has had a lot going on politically. Things appeared calmer than they were this time last year so we worked it into our itinerary. We flew Turkish Airlines, which is a lovely airline, and landed in Istanbul at about 4:00 pm. By the time we made it through customs we had about 6 hours to explore the city. Knowing this time was VERY limited we made the most of it by heading to some of the famous sites and grabbing some yummy food.

Our first stop was Hagia Sophia. This beautiful and very old structure was quite an interesting sight. It began as a church and then was eventually turned into a mosque. Due to this, mosaics of Christ are positioned in roughly the same area as Islamic scriptures.

We decided to not enter the Blue Mosque as it was super crowded, but we did sit in the courtyard and take in the beauty of the architecture.

Our next stop was the waterfront. We followed the sidewalk along the Golden Horn and took in views of the Galata Tower in the distance. We ended up sitting in a square eating a fish sandwich (balık-ekmek) from this really cool looking boat. What great people watching. We then ended up at another restaurant by the water where we got some cold beers and watched the sunset over a local mosque. Talk about picturesque.

I was bummed because I forgot to try some Turkish ice cream (as per a friend’s suggestion). However, I felt I got a good sense of the city. I most certainly hope to go back and have a more comprehensive view of the city and Turkey in general.

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

Life From The 20th Floor

Well, we made it to China in one piece…and with all our luggage! I have to say I am so thankful that our company did such a great job helping us get adjusted. I do not read or speak Chinese at all. Therefore, simple things like turning on the AC have been extremely difficult.

 And take this bottle. What do you think this is?

If you guessed dish detergent you are correct! Why there is a baby on the dish detergent beats me.

It is really quite weird living on the 20th floor. I feel so high up and it is a little scary looking down from our balcony. However, the views are fantastic! I started a pair of toe- up socks last week to keep myself occupied. We have a lot of orientation sessions and bus rides to endure.  I am using my favorite yarn Cascade Heritage Prints in Baltimore. My stripes won’t line up as nicely has my husband’s pair did, but I am not as picky as he is. I am still deciding on the heel method I am going to make as I would like to spice things up and try a heel I haven’t made. Check back to see what I decided on.

Until Next Time,

-Whit-