Shawls...I love shawls...

I added another shawl to my collection recently...

 This is Stephen West's Daybreak pattern....

I was inspired to make it after perusing my stash one day and coming upon the yarn leftover from the scarf I made for my mother-in-law last year, which you can see here. It's Three Irish Girls Kells Sport Merino, club colorways Lagoon and Arboretum.

I knew when I started that I wouldn't have enough of Color B to do the border section as written in the pattern, and I was right. I only got about 2/5 of the way through it before I was almost out. So I did a couple rows of garter stitch instead and then bound off. Or tried to. I'd overestimated how much I had left for binding off and had to tink back a good 300 stitches. Started the bind off again. STILL not enough! Ahhh! I set about cannibalizing all of the tails I could find, including those buried in my yarn scraps bag from the scarf last year...and I knew it just wasn't going to happen. Tink, tink, tink, another 300+ stitch row. Sigh.

Oddly, after blocking, the shawl was shaped like a half circle instead of the crescent shape it should have been. I imagine that has to do with row gauge differences between sport (which I used) and fingering (which the pattern called for. Not that it matters. I'm very happy with it, and it used stash yarn, so, win!

Another recently finished project was this Lowell Cowl, from a recent Classic Elite e-newsletter...

It is a very pretty, very versatile cowl (check out the other pics on my Rav project page to see other ways to wear it). However, the pattern called for knitting it from two strands of laceweight held together. I opted instead to use Sublime Angora Merino and Kid Mohair Blend yarns instead, held single, and not overlapped in the second section. Dude...soft? Yes. Sheddy? OHMYGOSHYES! I cannot wear this thing without getting bunny in my mouth or eyes, up my nose, sticking to everything...argh. After doing a bit of reading, I've come to the conclusion that the angora used in this yarn was probably clipped, not plucked, which affects the staple length of the fiber and makes it more prone to shedding. Not much you can do about it. I have no idea what I'll do with it. But it's pretty. And, yeay! More stash gone!

In other news, I tried my hand at dyeing up some self-striping sock yarn...

This was the first time I'd dyed yarn at all, and I have to say it is a little more fun than dyeing roving. Don't get me wrong...I love dyeing roving. But yarn...it's different. It's got a different character. I'm looking forward to doing more of it, roving too. It's all part of my master plan...ahem...yes, I have a master plan. I'll let you in on it as things unfold... ;)

90% Knitting - Episode 5

Show Notes:

ON THE NEEDLES:

• Feb. YOSS plain vanilla sock; Fleece Artist Somoko, Sun colorway
• Haruni, pattern by Emily Ross; Loopy Ewe Solids Series, white
• Swiftly Turning Afghan, garter stitch afghan; multiple yarns

FINISHED OBJECTS:

• Lowell Cowl, pattern by Antonia Shankland; Sublime Angora Merino & Sublime Kid Mohair Blend
• Daybreak Shawl, pattern by Stephen West; Three Irish Girls Kells Sport Merino, Lagoon & Arboretum

ON THE WHEEL/IN THE DYE:

• Finished the Rambouillet-Soy Silk, 124 yards 2-ply worsted/heavy worsted
• Dyed some (hopefully) four-stripe self-striping sock yarn and some Targhee-Mohair fiber

OOPS:

• Overestimating the yardage I had to work with for the Daybreak shawl, necessitating much tinking in order to bind off!

RESOURCES/RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Keegan Lane Yarns (where I got my Shamrockin' sock yarn)
• BeaGin Designs (for the awesomest stitch markers)
• KnitMeter.com
• More new videocasts (some new-new, some only new to me) -
  
  • I Swear I'm Knitting
  • Dramatic Knits
  • The Wandering Knitter
  • Pink & Barbara
  • Knit Views

10%:

• Join us for the Quickie KAL that is starting this week on the 90% Knitting Ravelry group. This week's Quickie KAL pattern will be the Slouchy Copy Cat Hat by Terra Jamieson.
• AnnualCreditReport.com
• MORE weekly update e-mail, which I talked about the Author Blogs and Books that Inspired Writers features from this week's edition.
• Also, Google Analytics for the win in letting me get in touch with my inner stat geek & learn how many countries are visiting my blog!

Pattern: Twisted & Twining

My Twisted & Twining Cowl pattern is now available for purchase!

Twisted & Twining is made from 130 yards of sportweight yarn (sadly, an often overlooked weight of yarn). This sample was made from one skein of Frog Tree Alpaca Sportweight.

The cowl is quite versatile, with wearing options to keep neck, face and ears warm. The cables and twisted stitch motifs provide a close but comfortable, stretchy fit. The pattern is sized for 13", 14 1/2" and 16" necks, and it includes instructions for traditional cabling technique as well as the steps for doing the cables without a cable needle.

It's only February, and despite what the groundhog said, the 7" of snow that appeared in my  yard overnight tells me that winter isn't quite finished. That means there is plenty of time to get some use from a cowl! Why not spruce up your winter wardrobe with this quick knit?

$3.00

90% Knitting - Episode 4

This week the 90% Knitting Ravelry group topped 100 members! Thanks! Please feel free to start your own threads on the board...you don't have to wait for me!

The videocast also appeared on the "New and Noteworthy" page on iTunes in the Hobbies category for podcasts! Check it out! :) Thanks to those who are leaving star ratings and reviews!

ON THE NEEDLES:

• Plain Vanilla Sock for Feb. YOSS; first sock finished, second one started. Fleece Artist Somoko yarn, Sun colorway.
• Calvados - still there, no progress.
• Lowell Cowl - pattern by Antonia Shankland; Sublime Angora Merino & Sublime Kid Mohair Blend

FOs:

• My quickie "Hungry Hands" fingerless mitts to match my Starving Artist hat from last week; Zitron Unikat yarn.
• Swap shawl is finished! Yeay! Details and pictures on my Rav project page.

ON THE WHEEL:

• Still slogging through the neppy Rambouillet-Soy Silk

DESIGN PROJECTS:

• Twisting & Twining has been released and is for sale here. :)
• Crescent shawl - edging ideas are still percolating in my brain

OOPS:

• No oopsies this week other than the angora yarn of death, which really isn't my fault!

BOOKS/RESOURCES:

• Piddleloop Bags are complete awesomesauce! Check out Jennifer's Etsy site!
• Lots and lots of new knitting videocasts out there, and I'm enjoying them. I think I talked a little about all of the ones I've gotten to watch so far, and I'm keeping a running list of the ones I've been watching over there ------>  in the sidebar. Check 'em out!

10%:

• Son's dance picture and Daughter's Lolita dress pictures are in this post.
• Enjoyed Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival despite walking around in the fog of a killer headache. :P (And when I rolled my eyes as I mentioned Bloomin' Yarns, it was not at all a reflection on them! It was just an ill-timed eye roll based on the fact that I was thinking about how crappy I felt at PK&C at that point due to my headache! The Bloomin' Yarns people were extremely lovely!!)
• Big, big thank you to my Shawl Swap partner, Lisa33, for the beautiful Seaside Shawlette and other goodies!

I love when the pretty things are for ME! :)

Can ya believe it? Someone knit this lovely shawl just for me! That someone -- also named Lisa -- was a wonderful partner to have in the Shawl Swap on The Knit Girllls Rav group, and knit up this Seaside Shawlette (pattern by Wendy Johnson) out of DIC Knitosophy yarn, Strength colorway. It is beautiful. I've been wrapping it around myself ever since it arrived yesterday.

And last week, this all came in the mail...just for me!

This was my swap package from Meesh from The Loopy Ewe Swap #7 on Rav. Among all these goodies were those beautiful socks you see there. Someone knit socks! For me! (Inferno pattern, DIC Smooshy in Lipstick Lava.)

These are the first swaps I have ever been in that knitting for the other person was a requirement. While I obsessed and agonized over what to knit for both of my partners in these swaps, I realized when I got my packages that I cannot imagine being disappointed with anything I might receive because really? Only a knitter knows what it means to knit for someone else, and as such, only another knitter can truly appreciate being knit for. And I am deeply appreciating these beautiful objects that were made especially for me. These ladies rock!

Dress and dressed up...

So, I finally finished the Lolita dress (well, jumper) that I was making for my daughter. She wore it to her meet-up last Saturday, and I have to say, she looked so freakin' cute! Front view...

Back view...

And check out her cute shoes, too! Kitties! And you can see the kitty tails on the backs of the shoes. Love them!

Same day as the Lolita meet up was a semi-formal dance my son was invited to...the boy cleans up well, doesn't he? LOL

And his girl friend (I have such a hard time saying that...my wittle boy had a girl friend?? LOL Yeah, ok, he's 16 and not so little, but still! :}) looked lovely too! Ah...kids...they grow up so fast!

90% Knitting - Episode 3

Welcome to Episode 3!

90% Knitting is now available through iTunes. Hopefully, I've solved the iPod/iTouch issue with this week's episode, but if someone could let me know for sure, I'd appreciate it! Also, there is a 90% Knitting group on Ravelry now. C'mon over!

And again I failed to mention the knitted object I was wearing. It was my A Little Jazz scarf that was made from the pattern (by Samantha Roshak) and yarn (Fiesta Baby Boom) from the March 2010 Loopy Sock Club shipment.

I think I rolled my eyes less in this videocast, but they're still looking shifty. What's up with that??

ON THE NEEDLES:

• Calvados, Thea Colman, Cascade 220.
• February YOSS sock, plain vanilla sock, Fleece Artist Somoko yarn, "Sun" colorway.
• Swap shawl revealed, even though it is still secret. Check it out on the videocast if you want to know more about it. ;)

FOs:

• Starving Artist, pattern by Laura Linneman, yarn is Zitron Unikat.
• I-Love-Stockinette Baby Bibs, pattern by Laura Treadway, yarn is Elsebeth Lavold Cable Cotton.

ON THE WHEEL:

• Finished spinning and plyed the Targhee wool & mohair fiber from last week. Got 285 yards of a worsted weight.
• Handpainted some Rambouillet-Soy Silk fiber. Check out this blog post for more info on this project.

DESIGNING:

• Working on finalizing Twisting & Twining.

OOPS!:

• Calvados Oops Redux...don't just re-read your pattern if you've taken a long break in the middle of a pattern. Go back to your Ravelry project page and see if you've left yourself any helpful notes! Duh.

BOOKS:

• No books this week, but Yarndex is a very helpful resource if you're looking for info on most commercial yarns.

10%:

• Steelers lost the Superbowl...there's always next year. ;)
• Got my TLE Swap package last week, and it was WONDERFUL! Thanks again, Meesh! The book was Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting. The socks were the Inferno pattern made from DIC Smooshy, Lipstick Lava colorway.
• This weekend: My daughter's Lolita meet (here are the cat shoes I mentioned...cute!), my 16 year old son's first official dance (eep!) and Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival.