Friday, August 10, 2012

Back to Knitting

While on my trip I did manage a bit of knitting and crochet.  I decided to finish my last Cardi Shrug, yes I know I have been a bit obsessed with this pattern, but that is the way I am.  Using the beautiful yarn I bought on my trip to North Carolina at the yarn store Silver Threads and Golden Needles, this Cardi Shrug was a delight to make.  The yarn is 70/30 Alpaca Silk and was a luxury for my hands.  It is smooth and beautiful, I would buy it again in a heart beat. 
 In usual Meredith fashion I decided to tweak the pattern a bit and add some crochet shells at the bottom for interest.  What do you think?  I like it a lot.
 A bit of a closer view.
 After I finished Cardi Shrug number 4, I decided I felt a little bit bad for number 2.  Number 1 is made with beautiful hand dyed variegated yarn, Number 3 has cute little crochet grannies right in the middle of it, but number 2 is a bit boring.
 I had a tiny bit of yarn left so I decided to crochet a picot edge on the bottom of the shrug.  Much better I think.
 Now I don't feel quite so bad for it.  Now Cardi Shrug number 2 can stand proud with the rest of them.  I am really finding it interesting to combine my two loves, crochet and knitting into one project.  I hope to do more of this in the future.
Now I leave you with the lovely rocks I collected at the beach where we stayed. I swear I could have picked up every rock at the beach.  Each rock is so smooth, and beautiful in its own way.  As I am a fan of gray, the gray rocks were such a beautiful color.  There were brown rocks with pink polka dots  and the black rock to the right we think is fossilized coal, it is very light weight.  There was beautiful drift wood all over the beach, I found the little piece to the left and had to bring it home.  Lovely treasures to remember a beautiful time away from home.

And a very big thank you for all of Max's birthday wishes, he was quite touched by all the attention.

29 comments:

Lillie and Moss said...

Love the new touches you put on the shrugs..especially number 2, I liked it just the way it was but now I like it even more!! Love your collection of rocks..I also like to hunt for things on the beach, you never know what you might find!!

Crystal Rose Cottage said...

Good morning Meredith,

I love the picot trim and I think it really was just the right finish for it! That is so true what you said about yarn that is so soft. It is such a pleasure to work with!~Hugs, Patti

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

So pretty; how about modelling them for us?

S
xo

Vera said...

Love your shell addition! I need to learn (re-learn) crochet so that I, too, can add trims to different items. Love your rock collection. I have one in a basket on my desk at work...more at home...all from different locations.

mynestofyarnandbuttons said...

Meredith, I do love your shrugs so much! Now number 2 is proud to be number 2!!!!
Lovely treasures too. I'm a fan of beach treasures too, mostly sea glass
xoRobin❤

Kris said...

Hi Meredith. I love your shrugs! And especially so with the crochet edgings! It is the perfect touch!!
I hope to become better with my knitting this year, and branch out a bit and try some new things.
I also pick up rocks when we travel. Sometimes they are so big and so heavy, my husband won't let me take them!!!
: )
Kris

Pammy Sue said...

Love both of these little cardies, but the gray is my favorite. The edging just makes them!

JCDiTaranto said...

Yeah, I think the crochet touches are just perfect, too!

Sentimentally Me said...

Are all the cardi shrugs happy now?? :) hahahaha! Love them all, and yes, I think #2 needed a little something too! Beautiful work!

kathy b said...

Meredith

YOu enhanced the perfect shrug!! I love the crochet bottom.....I may have to......

Unknown said...

Love, love, love the crochet shells! Gorgeous color too. Well done :)

Christina

Babajeza said...

The grey cardigan looks very elegant. Nice!

Gracie Saylor said...

Beautiful work, Meredith!!! Glad Max had a Happy B'day!!
Thanks for sharing the beautiful wedding location, too!
Gracie xxx

Anonymous said...

Adding your own special bit to each cardi is such a great idea. They all look lovely, especially now that you've embellished number 2!

~Lacey

Anonymous said...

The cardis all look great.

I have a fabric bowl just like your rock bowl. A friend made mine for me.

I was wondering if that black rock was coal. It looked like it to me.

Rose said...

I love the crocheted edge, so pretty and sweet! I totally understand the rock collecting. I have shells all over my house in all kinds of containers!

MaryMargaret said...

The shrugs are beautiful- and I know that #2 is much hapier with her little picot adornments. Happy belated birthday to Max!

Liz said...

Meredith,

I love seeing your knitting. I wish that I could knit as well as you. I love your knit/ crochet combo:)
I know what you mean about getting stuck on certain patterns...If you love something, you can't make just one.
Have a nice weekend,
Liz

Susanne Tyree said...

I like what you did to your shrugs. I love the gray one too. There are a lot of colors that go with gray. So neat, all those different colors in the rocks. Isn't nature awesome!
Susanne :)

Cari said...

Love, love, love all of your Cardi Shrugs. You have such a perfect touch to personalize your work. Hugs

Jane said...

ooh Meredith, these are so gorgeous! You know I love this pattern too, and I'll definitely make more too. Your yarn choices are so beautiful, and the crochet finishing just sets it all off, and makes them unique. Lovely :)
xx

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

My hairdresser knits and asked me to teach her to crochet because she wanted to be able to put edges and borders on her knitted projects. Each time you tweak the pattern, you make your cardis just a bit different and unique. They are all lovely. And that basket of rocks is very pretty. Glad to hear you had a nice time. Best wishes, Tammy

Annie Cholewa said...

They are all gorgeous. I so wish I could crochet, combining the two skills is very effective.

Annaboo's House said...

LOVE your shrugs and the crochet edging is really fabulous- it just finishes it off nicely!
Happy weekend to you!
X

Toni said...

The edging really looks great--definitely a good choice!

Vicki Boster said...

Meredith-- the little shrugs are beautiful-- each and every one of them. It's your special attention to the finishing details that make them so lovely. Your yarn choices are gorgeous!

We love rocks too-- and pick them up everywhere we go. You have a beautiful display there-- I love the gray tones too--
Vicki

Stitchy Mc Floss said...

I love your Cardi Shrug! The crochet edging is really pretty and I think it sets it off nicely.

The rock are very pretty...

Hugs to you and Max, too. :)

Rose Red said...

The edgings on your cardis are fabulous. I especially love the grey one (I am very drawn to grey right now).

Have you seen the crocheted stones on the Purl Bee website? (well, the stones are real, like yours, with thread crochet around them - they are gorgeous!)

Mrs. Micawber said...

Love the crochet trim! Knitting and crochet each have their strengths - I think quick and beautiful trims like these are one of the great advantages of crochet.

I'm a rock fan too - had to make myself stop collecting them. Otherwise they'd take over the house. Yours are beautiful - the pink spotted one is stunning.