Designs, Dogs, and Drape

I have been playing around with colors added to white. I am in the mode for spring and hope most of you are looking that way also. I have been asked to put some sparkle into yarns, so the above is a kid mohair/Merino/Frirestar/Angelina combination. I decided that I would not run the colors through a second time - it turned the yarn into a pink instead of a red and white. Gorgeous anyhow and I have some solid whites that will go with it.

Last Tuesday at the Barnes and Nobles' knitting group, we were fascinated by some of the fashion magazines. The bored and painted expressions on the models were a turnoff, but the outfits were either gorgeous or outrageous. The batt above was based on an outfit that I saw in a Spanish magazine called Moda - Autumn and Winter edition page 51. I got it thinking I would brush up on my Italian and then realized just now, as I was typing this in, that it is in Spanish. Not that it matters - I am fluent in reading Spanish also.

The puppies are growing. Herd and I went to obedience school yesterday. She did not like the linoleum floors - too slippery - but she did not embarrass herself. She always pays close attention. It was interesting to take her off the ranch. We have only been walking the dogs here at home and on the road. They do very well on a leash and stay fairly close when we go up the washes. They do know their names!

All of the Shetlands and their crosses are in the arena now. The two groups have finally assimilated. I will pull the ram out next week. Right now to avoid having to watch my backside, I am walking on the outside of the arena with the dogs up to the Rambouillet rams to feed them.

My latest design is a layered collar. Here is is laid out with all of the pieces placed as they were later knitted together.

Here the finished collar is on a small dress form. It can be worn several different ways. This is actually what I consider to be the back based on my original plans.

This is what I think ought to be the front, but I have had five people look at it and they are all seeing something different. The layer can also be flipped over and it will look primarily shades of reddish purple.

This is supposed to be a medium sized mannequin, but it is really a size large. The layers fall differently depending on the size of the person wearing it. It was an interesting lesson in draping to see how wider shoulders with the same sized garment totally change the look.

This shows more of the yarn details. Basically, you can pick any piece as your center point and arrange it as you please. I am currently drafting the pattern and will have it available tomorrow.