Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Icarus, the winner

I don't know how you are with things like these, but many time I am not only drawn to a pattern because it is beautiful, (because this one this pattern is so darn gorgeous), but also because it's name... I do like the English/American way of naming things, like houses, patterns...I have a book of quilt block patterns where using the different blocks one could tell a whole story...
Icarus is like that. You might remember that my father is an aircraft engineer and a pilot. He believes that one of his earlier life's he was a French Air force pilot in WWII, I also believe that he must have been a bird at least once. He could hardly walk when he climbed up a ladder and jumped off with "look mother I am flying". I used to say about him that "he has so wide interests, he is interested in so many things of the world... as long as it has two wings and can fly." Anyway, he also have some artistic talents, he draws, paints pretty well, and in his early thirties he made a sculpture, called "the winning Icarus" with which he even von a few prices.
I have it now. The pic is not too professional, but you get the idea:

It is Icarus, who loved flying, but in his version he did not fall in the sea, but managed to fight of gravitation and fly off with his wings.
So when I saw this pattern I knew I had to make it.
The yarn also made that round around the earth, the cashmere was produced and spun in Mongolia, then went to Alaska where my dear friend Teal dyed it and sent it to me as part of the "yarn therapy". In the card she wrote about this particular yarn: "The cashmere reveals that you are deserving luxury. The color purple represents royalty. You are the queen of your home and life, your shoulders should be draped in luxury"
I love this yarn. I love its softness, its heathery purple, the slight variation of the colors... I did run out of yarn not far from finishing but Teal, once again came to my aid, and dyed up the last skein she had of this yarn... The color did came out different, but since it was for the edging it is now a design element, played up with some beads.

I love beads on clothing items... I used the crochet hook method (with some 0.5 mm hook).While adding the beads into the pattern wasn't too bad, but the bind of... Ouch. I added like eight beads to every ten stitches, and it took me AGES (like five hours or so) to do that one last row.

But I love the result and would (in fact probably will) do it again.

And the reason so many knit lace... the wonders of blocking, just look, before:

Being blocked on my bed:

After blocking:

Me, wearing it today:

Guess what from the extreme heat, the weather turned colder, so I COULD wear it today...

It was worth it, wasn't it? Thank you Teal, it wouldn't happen without you!

ETA: outdoor pictures were shot by Natalia. Thank you, they came out really nice , even without me wearing any make up...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It turned out just GORGEOUS! Even though I'm not a bead fan, those are perfect for it. :) Awesome job, as always, Anett!

Brussels Chronicles said...

Wonderful story, beautiful Icarus ! Stunning !