I'm not stalking you, I swear

Having stats on my blog is quite nifty. I get to see whether anyone's actually reading my ramblings, for one thing. And if someone used a search engine to find me, I can see what search terms they used.

Yesterday, two people used search engines to find me, and I'd like to try and help them out, if I can. I realise the odds of them actually coming back and reading my attempts to help are slim, but just in case, here we go.

"Eleanor of Toledo Gown"

My blog came up for this search because I'm knitting Eleanor of Toledo stockings. Sorry about that. I know my blog wasn't what you were looking for. But I do have an interest in historical costuming (yes, I'm in the SCA) and I think I know exactly the gown you mean. It's pictured in a portrait by Agnolo Bronzino. It's quite spectacular. In fact, she was buried in it. If you're still looking for information about it, the following links may be helpful:

• Portrait of Eleanor of Toledo (you'll have to scroll down). This link has a bit of info about her and graphics of the portrait with her wearing the dress.
• Buy a 56x71cm poster of the portrait
• Gown inspired by the dress
• Another gown inspired by the dress
• Yet another gown inspired by the dress

I recommend checking out Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion: The cut and construction of clothes for men and women c1500-1620 book - I believe it's in there.

"if the pattern calls for worsted weight and i want to use astra is it possible"

Patons Astra is a sportweight yarn. In fact, I am looking at an Astra label as I write this, and it says very clearly that the gauge is 24sts = 10cm/4" on 3.75mm needles. Classic sportweight gauge. Sportweight is a lighter weight than a worsted, which means that it is very unlikely you will get the gauge which the pattern requires. On the other hand, if you knit loosely, who knows, it could work. Another possibility is to use larger needles than the pattern calls for. I highly recommend swatching. I know, swatching is a total pain in the heinie, but unless you know exactly what your gauge is with a particular yarn on a particular needle size, better safe than sorry, always.

Hope that helps!

And now for something completely different

If you've been here before, you have likely noticed something a bit different - namely, the entire look-and-feel of the blog. Yep, I changed the template. Wrote it all meself. The old one looked tidy and handsome enough, but also pretty darn boring. The colour scheme of the new look is based on the Fleece Artist yarn I'm using for my A Very Harlot Poncho project. The colourway is one of the most gorgeous things I've ever seen, so I stole it. :) There are still a few changes I want to make here and there, and I still have to apply the look to all my individual project pages, but I think it's a pretty good start. I hope you like it.

Vigdis tunic for moi

This has restored my faith in myself as a knitter:

That is one whole foot of 19"-wide knitting completed after about five hours of work. This relieves me. I was worried that all the depressing lack of progress I was making on my other projects was due to the fact that I sucked. Turns out that no, once I really get going with a non-miniscule yarn on non-miniscule needles, I am fine. Phew!

Cape Cod sweater for MIL

Took this with me to my mom's house for the family Easter luncheon, and got a little bit done. My relatives were suitably admiring of the project, especially my grandma (a knitter), who shuddered when she saw it in the manner of one who would never attempt such fiddly work. :) Naturally I will not be bringing it along to tomorrow's family Easter luncheon, since we're going to my MIL's house. But at the moment, it looks like this: