Well my first attempt at Or Nue is completed. I am pretty pleased with it, despite the slightly suggestive bulge at top left where I tacked down the thread on the back at an angle rather than across the back of the border threads - just don't think of Mick Jagger in tight trousers and you'll be fine!
It has now been tucked into a small box frame and sits on the good man's mantlepiece in his study where it catches the light coming through the bay windows and reminds him that I love him every day, not just on our anniversary. And yes, I did manage to get it finished for the special day and, yes, I did have enough of the gold thread to finish, so didn't have to investigate the scrambled muddle of "less gold" gold thread.
I really enjoyed stitching this, though I'd probably work any future projects in slightly slower time: all that peering through an illuminated magnifier and stitching for long periods resulted in a migraine and very stiff neck and shoulders once it was done. The combination of simple stitching with attention to the finer detail felt very mindful, and listening to my playlist of medieval music provided a lovely and appropriate background. However, enough stitching for now. I have returned to a knitting project that I started more than two years ago - remember that lovely Noro yarn? I lost confidence when I got to the sleeves; the increases in combination with a lace pattern, not something I've done before, so it got tucked away. But I needed something big for my eyes to focus on so out it has come again and I have promised a friend and fellow knitter that I will finish it in time for our next meeting for tea and cake, whenever Coronavirus allows.
I was right though, the increases on the sleeves are rather tricky, but I won't be beat this time!
Ahhh ((Kat)) you made me laugh about your tacked down thread !!! Hmmmm couching !!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the heart : this shows REAL LOVE very clearly ! Wishing you many more happy years together !
WOW NORO my favorite (but not the price :-( ..) You will surely get the increase ánd the pattern this time, It will be fantastic when it's finished ! I'm not into big knitting-things nowadays (several wip's in the cupboard) but for all the yarn there still is I have to grow at least 125 ... :-) Have fun, Kat
Hi Els, thank you, and I'm glad to have amused. A dear friend told me by email yesterday that she valued my naughtiness!!
DeleteThe Noro was bought at a closing down sale, so (just) affordable, only a small tremor of guilt. It is strange yarn to knit though, so loosely spun in some areas that it almost comes apart as you knit. I've taken to giving those bits a good twist just to be on the safe side! Very variable in width as well, from chunky to super laceweight. Keeps me on my toes :-)
As to yarn, I inherited my mother's several boxfuls of yarn (carefully and inaccessibly stored in her attic!), not to mention my own - I daren't buy any more, as you say, a lifetime's knitting. I'm sure my daughter will find it useful at some stage!!!
I agree about the music - medieval, rennaissance, early baroque, make very good accompaniments for this sort of embroidery! You've done a really good job with this, especially for a first adventure in Or Nue!
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel, thank you, that is high praise coming from you. I will try it again, once I've recovered from this piece! I'd like to see how the flat silk works with this technique, having bought a couple of colours when we had Janet Cronin to talk to us about Japanese embroidery. She brought some examples of her work, which was totally awe inspiring. Must also get back to the Mesopotamia stitching, which is languishing at the moment as I am doing some other projects online with Christine at Studio 11. Hope the crochet is going well?
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