The Beads & Lace Collection

I'm finally ready to start revealing the Beads & Lace Collection designs. I've been working on this collection since Easter time. Actually one design was cast on in the spring of 2011 but we won't mention that (blush).

The patterns are going through their firs round of tech editing right now and I'm just starting to send the first ones off for the second round of tech editing. Yes I'm being extra thorough with these patterns to really minimise the risk of errors creaping in.

So do you want to see it? Balmoral is first up. 

Balmoral was knitted after my gall bladder operation in March/April and during out Spring Harvest holiday at Easter. It was a great knit as it was fairly easy and didn't take too much concentration. 

This semi-circular shawl has some simple lace patterns on a garter stitch background with a few beads on the edging. It follows the Elizabeth Zimmerman Pi formula. The grey/green version is knitted in Quince & Co Finch which is a great, pure wool yarn and creates a warm, sturdy shawl. It took 2 skeins of the grey and 1 skein of the green.

I named it Balmoral as this is the kind of shawl I'd imagine the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate, wearing during her stays at Balmoral in Scotland to keep warm in the chilly Scottish weather (I'm sure it gets warm in Scotland too but it's always been chilly when I've been there, which is only twice so perhaps i'm not the best judge of Scottish weather).

We did the photoshoot a couple of weekends ago at Lerryn in Cornwall and my oldest daughter, Vanessa, modelled this collection for me.

I had to use the wall across the bridge for some photos too.

I love the lace pattern around the top of the shawl.

Pixie knitted up a version without beads in my own BFL Dream Sock XL (none in the shop right now but there will be more soon) which is 150gr/600m of fingering weight/4ply sock yarn. It only took one skein. The drape in this yarn is much better and the shawl is more likely to keep it's blocked size in the BFL Dream Sock XL than the Quince & Co wool yarn because it has quite a bit of silk in it. I love both versions though.

Not quite sure what went wrong with the colour in the above pic but it's much better below. Isn't the view down the river at Lerryn beautiful?

This pattern has been sent off for the second round of editing and as soon as it comes back and is all ship-shape, I'll be opening up for pre-orders and for those who pre-order this pattern will be available as an immediate download to tide you over until the rest of the collection is ready in October. So watch this space, or even better, sign up to my newsletter for news when each pattern is published. 

Each pattern will be available individually and as part of the collection in either e-book format or print booklet.