Wednesday, April 4, 2012

stopping for lions

it has been a week for practicing patience. while waiting  for the last hank of wool to arrive from montana so i can finish my pi shawl it seemed a good idea to cast on something that would knit up quick and with wool from my stash. (i had forced myself not to cast on anything until the pi was done!) at a much more manageable two hundred and sixty nine stitches, the arcadian shawl was a lovely knit. crossing fingers the pi wool is in my mail box today!








it's very overcast here this morning, the sun did not want to come out for photos  :)

 
the arcadian shawl was made with leftover wool from this sweater

 
 and this ball


 i think they are happy together



arcadian shawl ~ raverly notes here
designed by ~ kristen hanely cardozo
the body was knit with noro-silk garden sock, color s279
and the arcadian edging with madeline tosh- tosh merino light in alabaster

the book i'm reading is 'no stopping for lions' a true account of one couples year long journey around
africa in their land cruiser that they've named 'the troopy'. it was sent to me by my south african
friend janet, back when i told her of our upcoming trip back to africa. and that we'll be self driving.
this is my favorite kind of book, true accounts, adventure, travel. i'm only about half way through so far, and haven't found out why the book is named no stopping for lions. but i can say for sure, we definitely will be.   :)

joining with ginny and all the lovely yarn alongers here


p.s. thank you very much for the very kind comments on my last post!

72 comments:

  1. Your shawl is beautiful. I love the colors and I love how you photographed it. The books sounds fascinating and so does your upcoming adventure to Africa.

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  2. I love the two yarns together! It was like they were made for each other. I hope you get your yarn in the mail today so you can finish the pi shawl :) Have fun dreaming of Africa-you'll be there soon!

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  3. Wow Lori Ann, I want to come and raid your stash! Those yarns are perfect together! You really do inspire me to knit better! Are you getting any sleep or are you too excited about your trip?!!

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  4. soooooo pretty! i wish you could come over and help me pair up some colors for a shawl i have in mind!

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  5. Oh those yarns are made for each other indeed! There is one thing though I really want to do. I want to come and see you knitting. I am very positiv that your hands must be invisible due to speed while knitting... ;-)

    Your book reminds me of one that I have, about a sixty year old lady on a bike, cycling from Kenya to Zimbabwe. Its called "The Ukimwi Road". Its not just a travel adventure though but also faces the HIV and other desasterous problems of Africa. A tough but good read.

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    1. i'll have to look for that book, i do have many like it too, it is so tough to read about. gesche, i'm not fast, it's just that i have no children at home anymore, my baby is 21. i'm not working as much either. i'm amazed myself at the time i have now.

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  6. You are such a wizard in Knitting, Lori. Everything you do looks just perfect, and so handsomely made, and with beautiful colors, and even extras to give it a finish (can`t explain in English). I like the picture where you draped it on the hanger, as if it were your neck.
    And that BOOK! Janet is so sweet and helpful, can you meet her in Jo`burg? I`d love to read the book, too, must see if I can order it. But much rather I`d like to read YOURS!! Keep a diary again, and let us take part in every day of your trip, we`ll all hang on your lips! Much love, Bonnie Lori!

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    1. geli we're hoping to meet in namibia, last time the airport meet up didn't work! don't buy the book, i'll send it to you as soon as i've finished! i've just bought a new journal to take along :)

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  7. what a beauty of a shawl - how you manage just to "run something up" while waiting to finish another project, it's amazing!

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  8. The colors are gorgeous; the pattern is gorgeous. I love it!

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  9. Hi Lori! I simply love your new shawlette! Even you see that I use lots of bright colours, I like so much those warm and natural colours and would definitely prefer them for knitting and cloths! I wish I had more time ...
    x Teje

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  10. A question for you: what do you do with all of those shawls? I love shawls too and I am always happy to knit them but they mostly lay folded under my bed...thus said, I bookmarked this one too because I need to do something with my 2 balls of Kureyon sock.....

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    1. i used to do that too francesca, but now i wear them or give them away. it seems a shame to not make the best use of this beautiful wool we have nowadays, and our precious time. the best way to give away knits is when someone admires what your wearing. i think then you'll know that your handknits will be worn and loved. making someone warm and happy. the best

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    2. Lori, you are one of the world's lovely people, truly. You give people the handknitted shawl, right off your back? I'm in awe. I wish I could do that. My shawls are all under the bed too, and I can't imagine parting with them. Bless you.

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  11. I love the shawl it is so gorgeous! You always put such great colors together!

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  12. Lori, you are amazing!! shawl and photos so beautiful, I agree that the two yarns are happy together!

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  13. Such beautiful work Lori, that shawl is truly stunning.
    You must be so excited about your upcoming trip! Happy stitching and reading, warm wishes x M

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  14. Beautiful shawl. Did that ball of Noro silk do the bulk of the shawl? It doesn't look big enough. The colours look so good together.

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    1. it did cheryl, it is sock weight, i think 300 yards (it was a pretty large ball), so i still have some left. the shawl is scarf size. the pattern calls for sport weight, and you have the option to make it in small med and large.

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  15. Of course you had to cast something on while waiting for your other yarn to arrive! Sounds like you have the perfect book to read while waiting for your own trip to arrive!

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  16. I do like books like that also! The colors you combined remind me of sun-warmed Africa, I wonder why you chose them???

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  17. Oh Lori -- I love love love it! The colors are so beautiful -- like the best African sunset I can imagine. I know you must be so over the moon excited about your upcoming adventure. My only adventure (if you can call it that) coming up is a long stay in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains this summer -- far away from our awful Texas heat -- can't wait. I love it there!
    Blessings,
    G

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    1. gigi that sounds amazing to me, you'll have a wonderful time i'm sure!

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  18. Love,love your shawl Lori the colors are beautiful- you have such great color sense. Jumping over to Ravalry to see the pattern.
    Where in Montana are you oredring your wool...maybe it's in my neck of the woods :)

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    1. camilla, the wool is from here:

      http://www.beaverslide.com/mm5/merchant.mvc

      their in dupuyer, is that near you? (can't wait to place my first order with you!)

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  19. Just too beautiful for words. I love both the cardi and the shawl, such beautiful colours.

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  20. That shawl is beautiful! I am wanting to knit a shawl for my aunt for her birthday next month and have been looking for the perfect pattern. This might be it!! :)

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  21. The shawl is gorgeous! The colours work together really well. I hope you get the yarn for your Pi Shawl soon :)

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  22. The colors are magnificent---how lucky they were both living in your stash at the same time (and you mated them!!!) So springy looking---yet perfect for those cooler days you said you all were still having! (lucky you!) Will be anxious to hear about the lions in the book! (fingers crossed that the pi yarn arrived!)

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  23. You will be taking that shawl with you I hope when you travel there? It reminds me of the colors of a desert.

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  24. Wow,you have been very busy this week! Your shawl is splendid!The colors are so vibrant. I hope your wool comes in the mail soon!

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  25. Your work and photography is always beautiful! The shawl turned out so pretty and I adore the sweater.

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  26. GORGEOUS! and the bowl? SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!!! That little Fox is so sweet!

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  27. i love the mix of colors and weights. it's lovely

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  28. Love. Times ten. You must knit do fast!!

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  29. My jaw drops each time I see someone knit something like that shawl from a multi-colored yarn. All I can manage to see is the chaos of all those colors, instead of how they play out all by themselves with little direction. I may be brave and take the plunge to buy some Noro yarn after seeing this. You know just how to pair colors to, the alabaster is the perfect hue to draw out from the rest of the shawl.

    Is that bowl a Vikings reference? It looks like it might be... :)

    Chel

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    1. chel, the bowl is from the book one skein. if you haven't tried noro i think you'll love it, it really is brilliant. you don't have to do anything, the colors to just appear as you knit. unless you come across a color you don't want and then you can just cut it out!

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  30. Lori that is the most gorgeous color scheme in that shawl you made and aren't the colors perfect to wear in Africa? I think of it as golden and earthy and vast.
    I can't wait to 'see' it through your eyes
    xx
    julie

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  31. I love these colors together. I would name them native dusk holy

    How do you make those little triangles on the border? You never cut corners. Do you know that? If you think you do, I say you don't

    Lovelove
    kj

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  32. beautiful! What a lovely in between project. I love the bowl too

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  33. Sigh. Beautiful, beautiful. xx

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  34. Oh Lori, your colour sense is just so spot on! (I've never ever used that expression before, but it just popped out). It looks so lovely. I will have to save the pattern for the next shawl I knit, though it will be a while yet as I just finished my own.
    xo Jules

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  35. Oh how very much I am in love with all things Lori! The cardigan, the bowl, the shawl.... Lately I have been longing for yellow, all kinds of yellow. And I've been planning on starting a cardigan for myself, which will of course be a long-term projects (as all of mine are - thankfully I´m not growing like my kids!) and I think the color of your cardigan would be just perfect. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  36. I hope you are going to blog about your trip around Africa! And knit of course!

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  37. So beautiful Lori - what an exciting time for you - not long to go now. Hope the postman was kind to you xxx

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  38. That shawl is just gorgeous Lori, and you knit things up so quickly! I can't wait to see the Pi shawl :D

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  39. Beautiful. I always say beautiful to your knitting, your photos. Always repeating, boring. But only my comments are boring, your projects are amazing. Always feel the sun, the joy in it, even if it´s overcast. Thank you.

    Enim Sou.

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  40. Lori - the excitement for your African adventure is mounting ... I can feel it. And the colours in your knitting projects are reflecting the brilliant colour that will be Africa. I can't wait for the pics you will take and the posts you will write. xxoo

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  41. That is simply gorgeous! I hope your yarn arrives ASAP so you can finish that other beautiful shawl.

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  42. Your yarn does go beautifully together - what a super shawl!

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  43. Hello Lori

    What a beautiful Shawl with such beautiful yarn~

    Looks like I am going to make one of these...

    Have a great day
    Warm regards
    Suzanne
    X

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  44. Lori,

    Such joy and beauty. That shawl to my ignorant self cries out "Africa" in loud and longing tones.

    Patience... My week has been testing me in that department too ;-)

    Much joy to you and your family. Africa is calling you...

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  45. Beautiful shawl.
    It is so exciting that soon you will be with the lions in the wild. Lucky duck. xoxo

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  46. oh gorgeous shawl lori! love love love it! and it kind of makes me think of africa. i'm excited for you. how wonderful it will be for all of us to live vicariously through you here on your blog when you post from your trip.

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  47. The coloring in the shawl is beautiful. And your trip sounds wonderful. Our trip is fast approaching. We leave next week, but I don't think it will contain such a glorious landscape

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  48. Beautiful! We need to get together and knit. I picked up my sweater last night for the first time since our tea party. : (

    Amy

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  49. You looked so lovely in this shawl today, a beautiful use of that yarn!!

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  50. I love that you have used up left overs from other projects Lori, there is something very noble and creative about that, I love it. What a beautiful shawl, and it goes perfectly with your ray of sunshine cardigan. I visited your blog earlier this week and went on your journey with you in to the outback, (at first I thought you might be in South Africa), I'm guessing you went for Graham's work. I looked at his website, what wonderful photographs, and to get to the places where he could take those photos is extraordinary, I wonder if he works for The National Geographic magazine? Anyway, I visited earlier this week, absorbed your photos, and am only just returning to say hello and leave a comment. The photo of the Poppies has really stuck in my mind, especially as you show the bare earth this year as a contrast, extraordinary. Thank you for taking us on your journey with you Lori, I loved every moment! Vanessa xxx

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    1. vanessa, thank you. chuck and i have been lucky to go to those places, and it is for work, and not. i mean that he is paid for what he loves to do, to write and photograph. he did work once for n.g. but it was filmed and shown on the n.g. channel. the carrizo plains does look like africa, and has been called california's serengeti. it is good practice for taking a safari!

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  51. Stunning! I'd say those two yarns are very happy together, indeed! My fingers are crossed that your pi yarn awaits. :)

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  52. What a beautiful shawl! Love the colors you mixed together! Have a great Easter weekend!

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  53. Dearest Lori.. a gorgeous shawl! The colors are so perfect together.

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  54. Ahh, posted a long (and rambling) comment today and it *disappeared* :( Anyway. succinctly: I love the shawl; I particularly love the use of sock yarn for non-sock projects! Enjoy the Easter weekend sitting on the porch on a warm evening with your shawl around your shoulders eating chocolate :)

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  55. Oh my my my. Sunshine is unnecessary. It has a brilliancy all its own. It's gorgeous! And so delicate looking. The colors go together splendidly, making the shawl look like a beautiful butterfly. You did this in a matter of hours? Oy!

    Have a wonderful Easter weekend! Hope you got your wool! xo

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  56. What a beautiful shawl, Lori! I wish I could buy one from you because I´ve never seen this kind of product here in my town... Maybe it´s not cold enough for us to use it? But still, it´s really gorgeous.Wishing you a Happy Easter with much love. xo

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  57. That shawl is gorgeous, but the sweater calls me.
    Beautiful!
    Also loved your previous post.

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  58. Hi Lori! I gave to you 'Kreativ Blogger Award'! You make always so beautiful things and give inspiration to me! If you like to continue this award, you can pick it from my today's post. If you don't have time, don't worry.
    Have a lovely weekend! x Teje

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  59. The shawl is truly beautiful, Lori....I love the blend of colours, and the lovely subtle contrasting colour you used for the edge. The sweater is gorgeous too...very inspiring!
    Wishing you a Happy Easter weekend.
    Helen x

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  60. Hello ms 70 comments. Your shawl is everybody's favorite. The colors really are the best

    Poor me I am sick again. The couch is boring. I have resorted to watching judge Judy

    I am occupying myself thinking of your upcoming adventure. Oh and breakfast in new York

    Xo

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  61. Love your new shawl! Hope you yarn comes very soon for your PI shawl.
    I am wicked excited for you trip to Africa, is that odd? :)

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xoxo lori