Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Testing From Live Writer

I just downloaded Window’s Live Writer which gives me a new way to post to my blog. So this is a test to see how well it works! So far it feels quite different to type in it so I hope it won’t take long for me to figure out how all the features work. Right off the top, it looks just like it would after posting so it’s much more wysiwyg anyhow. (Even has spell checking!)

So without further ado, I give you my FO:

Bead-Dazzled Lace Scarf

BDShawl

Begun: February 27, 2009
Completed: March 16, 2009

Yarn: Handspun silk/cotton, 2-ply very fine, 25 g. = 440 yds, dyed in brazilwood.
Beads: 6/0 Czech seed beads, gold-washed transparent rose, 3+ strands from the hank.
Needles: Addi Lace circular, 2.75mm
Hook: .6 mm steel

Pattern: Estonian Lace Scarf (Ravelry link) by Nancy Bush, Interweave Knits, Fall 2001.

Mods: Used beads instead of nupps. Centre section was repeated 24 times instead of 16. Picked up 292 sts on each long edge instead of 302. Used Evelyn A. Clark’s beaded cast-off from “Knitting Lace Triangles” p.50, row 8C and doubled yarn.

Comments: My handspun yarn surprised me by being silk and cotton instead of silk/wool so the dye didn’t take nearly as dark as I wanted. It dried many shades lighter and is still very susceptible to pH changes because of the brazilwood. It even went a bit pinker when I blocked it!

I made one boo-boo in the centre section and left out 2 rows of the diamond but luckily it barely shows – or I would have seen it in time to fix it! I knit the centre pattern 24 times and it still is a wee bit shorter than I would have preferred. I couldn’t pick up enough stitches on the edging so decided that it was easier to pick up 4 less than try to find 6 more. Lots of counting! Otherwise the knitting went ok, if somewhat fiddly due to the thinness of the yarn.

The cast-off was done slightly differently than either Nancy Bush or Evelyn Clark’s instructions. Besides doubling the yarn, I put the beads in as I did the cast-off row (instead of the row before that). It was much easier: slip the bead on the stitch, knit it then knit the same stitch together with the previous one through their back loops. The latter motion is like working an SSK. It makes a lovely edge with substance. I put 3 beads on each point:

BDShawl_det After blocking it still is very prone to scrunching up and curling because the yarn is so soft. I will wear it anyway. The final size is 9” wide by 53.5” long.

OK, I’m convinced. This Live Writer is pretty cool! I have a lot more tools and can see better what it’s going to look like right away. The only thing I haven’t yet figured out is how to add a label. Here goes with the final test: posting it!

Results: Fabulous! Except that I have to edit in Blogger to get the label on. Nothing is perfect, eh?

EDITED TO ADD: I did figure out how to add the labels from Live Writer finally. It’s perfectly obvious when you look! I am now a Very Big Fan of WLW.

6 comments:

Silk said...

Louisa, they are not called boo boos, they are called spirit lines..thats my story and i'm sticking to it...

magnusmog said...

It's beautiful!

Sharon in Surrey said...

Blog looks fine & the print is actually easier to read with tired eyes - trust me, I appreciate good print these days!!! Lovely scarf!

Anonymous said...

Swoon! Adopt me and make me handknits. ;)

Louisa said...

Thanks for your kind comments, All! This scarf was like a naughty child and gave me several headaches, but I hope it will serve its purpose.

Sharon, hon', the font is the same and the blog is the same. The only thing that changed is the interface in which I type my posts and publish them. Maybe your eyes weren't as tired as you thought? ;) Hang in there - tax season will be over soon!

Anonymous said...

A wise person once told me that there are no boo boos in handcrafted items. They are signitures that let everyone know that the item has built in love. It also distinguishes your creation from the machine made 'handmade looking' items.
Debra in Aleza Lake