Missing Blue
Have you missed the blue skies on my blog? It has forever since our sky has been clear blue. On Saturday I hoped the wind would blow away the clouds and clear the sky, but it never did...it blew in a storm. There have been 13 weekends in 2006 so far and 11 of them have been stormy. The week days haven't been much better, fewer storms but, still partly to mostly cloudy. It isn't that the sky isn't interesting but, I miss the blue sky...I miss showing it to you. Sadly, this weekend looks no better. This picture shows more of the mountain from my place, and the horse pasture next door, because on Saturday the high winds blew down part of the fence. At times like this I'm very happy to live in a condo, as someone else has to deal with the problem. Here horsey, horsey...let's go for a ride!
To assuage my yearning for blue, I turned to the Douceur et Soie I chose for Susan's Mountain Stream Scarf. The color is a balm to my blue missing soul and the undulations of the pattern do a nice job of mimicking a mountain stream, with a bit of sky reflected in its waters.
As you've heard me say before, knitting lace is fairly new to me. Most of the shawls, or wraps, I've knit are simple, short pattern repeats. The bottom border of MS went quickly and smoothly, until time to pick up stitches and start the body of the pattern. One must be very careful and make sure to count correctly, which I, apparently, did not. It took 4 (maybe 5) tries and then frogging to start the main section...again, before I was back on track. This has nothing to do with the complexity of the pattern, it isn't hard, and it is great for a fairly novice lace knitter, a knitter who takes the time to count carefully. Susan has written a very easy to follow pattern, one that is interesting to knit and very pretty, too. After ending the third repeat I held up the scarf to admire my work....oh so...! No! What's that? A boulder was in the stream and had taken the water off course, AND it was on row 3 of the third repeat! The process includes ALL that is knitting. The stream met the frog pond is now, a day later, back on course.
Last weekend on the yarn shop hop I found a lovely shade of Silky Wool for Susan's Branching Out Scarf. It's sad but true, I haven't knit this pattern, as yet. My friend, Jean in Grand Junction, will love the color and it will be a nice gift for her birthday in July. I might hold off and knit this during June for Project Spectrum.
Another reason to share that I'm 'Knitting the Blues' is that TeresaC is apparently too busy to blog. Hey grrlfriend...where are you?
Beautiful photo! I just cast on Braching Out the other night -- it's my first lace project and, even after one repeat, I can see some pattern.
Posted by: Kathy | March 30, 2006 at 04:01 AM
I bought the Mountain Stream pattern after I saw it mentioned here and I am looking forward to starting it. I read through the pattern, and this shows what a neophyte I am, but I did not imagine it knitting up as your picture suggests it does. I'm even more intrigued! Yours is beautiful and I love that color.
Posted by: Laura | March 30, 2006 at 04:28 AM
What a beautiful picture!
Posted by: Helen | March 30, 2006 at 04:29 AM
That's funny... I just finished my blue square and was thinking about how much I like blue, even though it's not my official favorite color. (My favorite colors are deep reds and purples. Can't have purple without blue.)
Your lace that I've seen doesn't look all that simple.
Posted by: Lucia | March 30, 2006 at 04:55 AM
Teresa blogged today. I love that blue you're using for Susan's scarf - it's so happy looking!
Posted by: Cara | March 30, 2006 at 05:45 AM
Even on a cloudy day, the scenery in your back yard is so pretty!
I have some red Douceur et Soie, I hadn't thought of Susan's pattern for it, but seeing yours, it works up lovely!
Posted by: Kim | March 30, 2006 at 05:57 AM
Love that blue yarn! Hopefully it will help bring back the blue skies!
Posted by: amanda | March 30, 2006 at 06:29 AM
It's been a little grey here too, but so far I don't mind it. I always enjoy your blue skies and hope they come back soon! For now, we'll just all have to enjoy your blue knitting!
Posted by: Kim | March 30, 2006 at 06:34 AM
Looks like I'll be pulling out the magnetic board and magnet strips for sure on Mountain Stream. (Don't tell Susan, but I haven't knit Branching Out yet, either. I'll get there....)
Posted by: stitchnsnitch | March 30, 2006 at 06:40 AM
oooohhh loving that scarf, the blue yarn is Peeeeeeeeeeerfect!
Posted by: Kelly | March 30, 2006 at 06:52 AM
Hmmm... I've been craving the color blue. Is that weird? Now it makes me wonder if it's because of the weather we've been having. It has been windy and gray here for quite a while now. I've been thinking "why isn't blue for April?!" I'm getting out the blue now anyway but have some great blue knitting planned for April too!
Posted by: Laura | March 30, 2006 at 07:24 AM
I meant "great blue knitting planned for June!" :)
Posted by: Laura | March 30, 2006 at 07:25 AM
Still love that blue.
I gotta break out of my green rut!
Posted by: Sarah HB | March 30, 2006 at 07:27 AM
Your photos are still beautiful, even without blue skies. I have bright turquoise Silky Wool for my Branching Out, which I feel unmotivated to knit, as the temperature is in the 70s, approaching 80.
Posted by: Paula | March 30, 2006 at 07:51 AM
Wish I could send you some blue sky! You will love knitting Branching Out! The difference in the views of your mountains and mine is that there is a plateau of grass land at the base and mine is tall, tall trees. Will get a blog and a photo of my mountains soon!
Posted by: Peg | March 30, 2006 at 07:51 AM
Oh, Margene, quitcher bitchin'. ;-) Look at that beautiful mountain with the brooding sky!! It doesn't have to be blue to be beautiful. Although I must admit I've been DAMN ENJOYING my beautiful weather the past couple of days. But it's soon to end and I will be moaning. We're all dreading a weird summer again, like it's been for the past several years. It's one or another variation of ICK all the time lately.
What was I saying about quitcher bitchin'??????
Posted by: Norma | March 30, 2006 at 07:53 AM
Such a gorgeous color you picked for your scarf! For both of them, actually. Between your influence and Lene's, I feel like I can't maintain my sick-of-blue stance for long.
I love how you described your difficulties--"a boulder in the stream". Even in adversity you are still creative and good-humored. Must be all the Zen. ;-)
Posted by: Beth S. | March 30, 2006 at 08:03 AM
The lace is lovely...........sorry about the "no blue" sky. We've had an abundance of great skys lately..........I'll send some your way.............can you hear me blowing?
Posted by: christine | March 30, 2006 at 08:16 AM
It's nice to see such gorgeous blues in the midst of Project Spectrum pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows...
Posted by: Chris | March 30, 2006 at 08:22 AM
I've put that lovely yarn on my list of pretty things I need to acquire eventually. Such a gorgeous sky blue!
My son was saying "tut-tut, looks like rain," a la Winnie the Pooh this morning. I guess we need the moisture, but I was hoping for nicer weather!
Posted by: Snow | March 30, 2006 at 08:25 AM
You are going to love the Silky Wool. And that an awesome color. My favorite in fact. :)
Posted by: stephanie | March 30, 2006 at 08:27 AM
Very nice. You'll pick up the rhythm of the lace soon and you'll be done before you know it.
Posted by: Stephanie | March 30, 2006 at 08:32 AM
Hey! The sky is blue today! WooHoo!
Posted by: susan | March 30, 2006 at 08:34 AM
The scarf looks gorgeous!
Posted by: Martha | March 30, 2006 at 09:01 AM
The scarf is beautiful. Now that I am home from Utah (hey, the skies were bluer than Seattle in winter and we saw 3 moose, that's good enough for me) I will finally be casting on my Mountain Stream scarf today.
I was worried that one skein of Douceur et Soie would not be enough, since it is 5 yards shorter than the KidSilk Susan recommends --- and she says that you use the whole thing. Keep us posted.
My Branching Out Scarf is now in Park City with my very impressed non-knitting friend. It was a great pattern for learning lace.
Posted by: Dorothy | March 30, 2006 at 09:06 AM
I'm still on the fence about the Mountain Stream scarf(I love the pattern and Susan does beautiful work, but I'm not really a scarf person). Yours looks just stunning--the color is perfect for spring: a robin's egg/blue sky color.
Sorry your blue sky has been absent in Utah this year--I remember that last spring was kind of cloudy as well(at least cloudier than the previous 4 springs I had spent there). Hopefully things will clear up as the weather gets warmer :)
Posted by: Kim | March 30, 2006 at 09:25 AM
The scarf looks so pretty.
I, too, chose Silky Wool for Branching Out. I never got started on the project but I still like thinking about knitting it. ;-)
Posted by: Kris | March 30, 2006 at 09:29 AM
I love your mountain and countryside pics. Even without a blue sky. We've had boatloads of beautiful blue skies here over the last month - not today however - but, the suburban/urban landscape in the flat middle of the country is just not inspiring.
Wanted to let you know that I laughed out loud when reading Kim's post today. You and several others rated a "good gravy!" statement.
Have fun with the lace knitting - it is beautiful.
Posted by: Marji | March 30, 2006 at 09:35 AM
Tell me about the rain. We've had grand plans to ride Antelope Island every weekend this month (except last weekend when I was away), and have been rained out each one of them. Sigh......
Posted by: Anne | March 30, 2006 at 09:37 AM
Hooray for Blue! And Terry, because she's back. Branching Out is a great gift knit and quite simple.
Posted by: Carole | March 30, 2006 at 09:56 AM
Even without a clear blue sky your view is beautiful. Your blue Mountain Stream Scarf is going to be gorgeous! That was a great yarn/color choice for it.
Posted by: Kristi aka Fiber Fool | March 30, 2006 at 09:59 AM
I'm takin' the lack of blue skies all over the place to be the High Sign from the Knitting Goddess that we should stay inside a little longer, grab a cuppa and KNIT. :)
That blue is de-Light-ful!
Posted by: Bonne Marie | March 30, 2006 at 10:01 AM
Nice picture, really nice scarf, and I love the blues!
Posted by: Judy | March 30, 2006 at 10:05 AM
pretty lace....and oh so blue!
Your mountains are gorgeous, and the sky looks nearly blue. Of course just about the time it is really blue, we'll be stuck with afternoon thunderstorms.
We have bright blue and bright white skies today....looks like the forecast was wrong yet again.
Posted by: lisa Co. Springs | March 30, 2006 at 10:42 AM
The skies look gorgeous to me, even if they're gray. Keep knitting in blue and maybe you won't notice!
Posted by: Shannon | March 30, 2006 at 10:44 AM
I really love that blue in the Mountain Stream Scarf. Really. I ordered some purple (I think?) for the purpose of either this scarf or some other lacy little thing, and now I am wishing maybe I had ordered blue. Oh well, hopefully when I get the purple, it will be so beautiful I forget all about the blue (until you show pictures of it again).
I, too, have missed the blue sky. I was thinking that just yesterday afternoon in the drizzle, but then I realized that the more drizzle there is, the less I need to water my flowers. Last year's long, wet spring made my little plants very happy, and that's a really great silver lining for me!
Posted by: Katherine | March 30, 2006 at 10:53 AM
I love the colour of your lace scarf ... does the yarn stand well to frogging? I am knitting lace these days too ... and I can tell you it's addictive. I think it's very zen too ... you become totally absorbed into the pattern and the counting of the stitches ... and soon you get into a rhythm ... and completely forget the troubles and worries or even happiness the self is having outside the knitting, may it be only for 10 minutes ... but it feels good. ;)
Posted by: Agnes | March 30, 2006 at 10:56 AM
Mmmm...blues. Much more to my usual taste than the pink that's been creeping in.
Your scarf is looking lovely, even if it did take a bit of coaxing to get there.
Posted by: Imbrium | March 30, 2006 at 10:57 AM
Love seeing these blues, Margene! I have so many blue projects planned for June - no way I will do them all in one month! May as well start now ;)
The lace is working up very nicely.
Have a good day~
Posted by: Lolly | March 30, 2006 at 11:53 AM
what a pretty sky and the Mountain stream is looking pretty impressive too. (yes I am missing your blue sky with open spaces.. looking at Utah from your eyes always makes me a bit envious
Posted by: atu | March 30, 2006 at 02:48 PM
I miss your beautiful blue views too! As Florida is flatter than flat, I love "living in the mountains" thru you!
Posted by: Debi | March 30, 2006 at 04:09 PM
LOVELY blues. Silky wool...calling our names. I miss Knitting the Blues also.
Posted by: Laurie | March 30, 2006 at 04:50 PM
Aah ... I am missing blue too. More rain and snow again this afternoon, and evening, and it is probably headed your way. I haven't made much progress on either Mt. Lace project yet; plan to start the scarf this weekend and get further along on the shawl (I haven't gotten to the easy part yet :)
Posted by: Birdsong | March 30, 2006 at 08:32 PM
Awwww. You care about me! And as you can see I am barely reading blogs either. I caught some on Wedensday, but yesterday all I did was read more ghost stories over at Cara's. I'm trying to be back, and I'm happy to help you out with the blues! We have plenty here, and it is warm. Come on out.
Posted by: Teresa C | March 31, 2006 at 01:22 PM
I'm sorry you don't have the gorgeous blue skies we've been having here lately. Hopefully they are on the way to you guys out in UT. The weather has been strangely warm here. Very nice advent of spring, although on the first day of spring, it snowed here! Never a dull moment with the weather.
Posted by: Wanda | March 31, 2006 at 04:21 PM
The scarf is looking wonderful! I think, sometimes, the effort makes us love the product even more!!
Posted by: Jackie | April 01, 2006 at 05:45 AM
Your mountain pictures are like balm to my soul. Thanks for that!
I am knitting that scarf too but it's not going well. Why do I keep forgetting that I suck at knitting lace?
xo
Posted by: sandy | April 02, 2006 at 09:32 AM