Gazania Zebra - One Side Done

After finishing Raspberry Blaze I picked this project up again.  I finished up one side last night and picked up the stitches to start working the other side.  I decided that because I did not make the center stripe on this shawl as long as the one on my Charivari Zebra that I would turn this shawl into a shrug.  This would also provide me with a way to use up all the leftover yarn.  I had already divided up each skein into two for working the two sides.  I took the leftovers from the first three strips from side one and divided them in half, and then joined them - blue to red to orange.  When I finished up the yellow strip I divided the remianing yarn in half without cutting it from the work.  I joined that yarn to my other remains.  I then started working short rows in garter stitch.  I knit until I was 3 stitches away from the center stitch (I have an odd number of stitches) and then turned and knit back.  I continued knitting back and forth working 10 fewer stitches at the center each time.  When I got to the blue I kept knitting toward the center on the last row to use up as much as possible.

I may join the edges using a weaving technique that I've seen where you pull the loops through each other, working your way up the live stitches, almost in a braid.  If that doesn't work I'll do a three needle bind off using the remains of the self-striping skein.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra by Louise Robert
Yarn:  Bis-sock by Biscotte & Cie
Needle:  US 2.5 (3 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm)

Raspberry Blaze - Done!

After I got back from my business trip last Saturday I focused on completing my July Camp Loopy project.  I finished up the third repeat of the chart on Tuesday - had to switch to 60 inch cables to fit all the stitches - and then started the I-Cord bind off.  The bind off took me until Thursday to complete and I blocked it on Friday.

Blocking presented a bit of a challenge as the last chart repeat increased the stitches to the point where it wouldn't lay flat.  In the end I didn't even pin anything, I just laid it out and let the edge ruffle.  This morning I went back and picked up stitches and worked an I-Cord edging around the neck to give it more stability.

Pattern:  Ocean Blue Collar by Eline Oftedal, modified to be a capelet
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy in Raspberry Blaze
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Gazania Zebra - Three Stripes Almost Done

I had to travel to California this past week for work and took this project along with me.  Before I left I split all of the skeins up so I wouldn't have to worry about running out or weighing anything.  I also realized that between the time that I bought the Charivari Paint Box and the Gazania Paint Box the Traveling Zebra pattern had been changed - the strips were 16 rows in the Gazania Paint Box pattern as opposed to 18 rows in the Charivari Paint Box pattern.  When I was working the Gazania Traveling Zebra it did seem to me that the ruffled section was shorter, but I didn't bother to check until I had finished the red stripe.  I figure that the pattern was shortened to keep folks from running out of yarn, but I prefer the look of the longer ruffled section.  Who would have thought that 2 rows could make that much difference?  So I ripped back to the blue ruffled section and switched to the Charivari Paint Box version of the pattern with 18 rows.  I still have yarn left over after completing the 18 rows, but not nearly as much as I had when I was only working 16 rows.  On this one I didn't make the central panel as long as I did on the Charivari version.  I'm thinking that I will turn it into a shrug and use up the remainder of my yarn doing that.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra by Louise Robert
Yarn:  Bis-sock by Biscotte & Cie
Needle:  US 2.5 (3 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm)

Raspberry Blaze - Two Repeats of the Chart

I've been busy working on my Raspberry Blaze.  The above picture was taken after I had worked part of the second repeat of the chart and had just placed the project on longer cable needles.  I took another picture after I finished the second repeat.

I started out with 108 stitches.  After the first repeat I doubled that to 216 stitches.  The second repeat doubled that again to 432 stitches.  I'm working on the third repeat, which is going to get me to 864 stitches.  Yikes!  I had to join two cables from my Addi clicks to get this far.  I order some longer size 7 needles - 40 and 47 inch cables - as I don't like working something like this on interchangeables because I'm always afraid they'll come undone.  I just transferred the work to the 47 inch cables and realize that I need a longer cable.

The second repeat didn't take as much yarn as I thought it would - only about 100 grams, instead of 120 grams - which gives me more breathing room on my yarn amounts.  I did manage to score another skein from The Loopy Ewe.  I went out to their web site on Saturday to see if they still had some and they had one skein left.  I took a chance and ordered it and I received it today and it is the same dyelot.  Sometimes things just work out.

Pattern:  Ocean Blue Collar by Eline Oftedal, modified to be a capelet
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy in Raspberry Blaze
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Raspberry Blaze

You may recall that I wasn't very happy with my second Camp Loopy project.  I started working the second chart and just wasn't enjoying it so I decided to try and find another project in my queue.

The first project I considered was the Cabled High-Neck Tank by Kathy Zimmerman.  It looked like a fun knit, so I went searching for yarn on The Loopy Ewe.  The yarn called for in the pattern (Cascade Yarns Sierra - 80/20 Cotton/Merino) is no longer available, so I found a substitute - Universal Yarn Cotton Supreme in Orange Creme.  Same weight, but 100% cotton.

This is a lovely yarn, but as I started working the swatch I quickly realized that it was not going to work for this pattern.  I guess that 20% wool really matters for this pattern.  I went searching for other patterns that I could use this yarn for and did find one, the Planche Vest, which at least made me feel better about adding to my already extensive stash, but didn't help me solve the problem of what to knit for my second Camp Loopy project.  So, the search continued.

The next project that I considered was the Leaves of Grass Capelet by Sydney Crabaugh.  So I went back to The Loopy Ewe and looked for yarn and decided on Dream in Color Classy in Raspberry Blaze.

As I was waiting for my yarn to arrive I bought the pattern and started to look it over.  The first thing I found was that the Leaves of Grass pattern that adorns the front was not charted.  Ugh.  So I started to chart it.  I also looked at the construction and wasn't crazy about the shaping.  Not looking good for a successful project.

So, back to my queue I went and found the Ocean Blue Collar by Eline Oftedal.  There were a few challenges, the yardage was one, and the original pattern calls for a heavier weight yarn.  I did the math on the gauge and decided that I could cast on the same number of stitches that the pattern called for and I would still be okay.  The pattern has a gauge of 14 stitches per 4 inches, and has you cast on 108 stitches, which gives you a collar opening of 30 inches.  That seemed a bit large to me.  Classy has a gauge of 4.5 stitches per inch, which gives an opening of 24 inches.  I pulled out my tape measure and determined that it was enough.  The only other challenges were the fact that the chart did not use standard lace symbols and I needed to determine how to repeat the chart to expand the collar into a capelet.

Re-charting was easy, and the nice thing about my charting software is that it tells me how many stitches I have in the repeat for each row.  The first row of the motif that I wanted to repeat has 14 stitches, so I know that I want 28 stitches in my last pattern row to set myself up for repeating the motif.

The last row as given is:  k1, yo, ktbl, yo, k1, yo, CDD, yo, k3, yo, CDD, yo, k3, yo, CDD, yo, k3, yo, CDD, yo

I replaced that last row with:  k1, yo, ktbl, yo, k4, yo, CDD, yo, k4, yo, ktbl, yo, k4, yo, CDD, yo, k3
This is essentially a repeat of row 3 of the pattern, and the only thing I needed to do to set myself up for working row 5 was shift my end of round marker 3 stitches to the right.  So far I've done one repeat of the chart, which took about 60 grams.  The second repeat should take about 120 grams and a third repeat would take about 240 grams, which is more yarn than I have.  Unless I can get another skein of the same dyelot I'll have to figure out a way to finish off the capelet by modifying the lace pattern.  But I'll worry about that when I get there, right now I'm just enjoying the knitting, which really is the whole point, isn't it?

Pattern:  Ocean Blue Collar by Eline Oftedal, modified to be a capelet
Yarn:  Dream in Color Classy in Raspberry Blaze
Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Gazania Zebra - Dark Blue Strip on Side 1 Done

There are some days when I am no good at counting.  Well, actually, I can count just fine, I just forgot that when you start working the strips you don't count that very first row after the initial pick up.  I didn't need to frog those rows after all.  Because I stopped knitting the central panel after using a little over 50 grams, I didn't run short of the dark blue as I did on the black on my Charivari Zebra.  Now I just need to figure out what, if anything, I want to do with my leftovers.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra by Louise Robert
Yarn:  Bis-sock by Biscotte & Cie
Needle:  US 2.5 (3 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm)

I Am No Mermaid - Eight Repeats of Chart A

I finished up eight repeats of Chart A this past week and then stalled out on this project.  I'm not sure why but it just isn't pulling me in.  I even went back to my queue and found another potential Camp Loopy project and ordered yarn for it, just in case I don't get my mojo back on this one.  Maybe I'm just bored with repeating the same 4 rows.  I'm going to give Chart B a go and see if that helps me get back into the groove.

Pattern:  Percy Shawl by Sanne Kalkman
Yarn:  Fibernymph Dye Works Elegance in I Am No Mermaid
Needles:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Gazania Zebra - Center Panel Done

I finished my Coral Snake, also known as the central panel, this past Thursday and picked up the stitches with the dark blue to begin the first edge.  I got a little too enthusiastic last night and knit 6 rows instead of stopping at 4 so this morning I had to rip back.  I am now ready to start row 5, where the stitches are doubled by knitting into the front and back of each stitch.  I took this project with me to one of my safety review board meetings and worked on it during the lunch break and also during the caucus.  I was still working on it when the program came back in to the room for the results.

I didn't use up all of the Gazania skein on the center panel as the skein weighed 57.8 grams.  I stopped with 7.1 grams remaining and tried to make the two ends match color-wise.  I cast off so that the tail would be on the opposite side as my cast on tail, thinking to use them to join the yarn for the pick, but the tails are on the wrong sides for that.  Instead, when I got to the end of the row where the tail was I joined the tail to my working yarn be sewing the tail through my working yarn in a running stitch.  Then, when I got back to my starting point where the tail for the blue yarn pick up was, I did the same thing.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra by Louise Robert
Yarn:  Bis-sock by Biscotte & Cie
Needle:  US 2.5 (3 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm)

MagicWaves Triangle - Beauty Shots

And here is the shawl off of the blocking wires.  I really like the contrast edging and will definitely use this technique again.

Pattern:  MagicWaves Triangle by Kieran Foley & Nim Teasdale
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Luxe in Snow Glint
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

I Am No Mermaid - Cast On

I cast on my July Camp Loopy project this morning and made it through the setup chart.  The pattern is the Percy Shawl, which has been in my queue since March 6, 2011.  The challenge was to knit something that had been in your queue for over a year and must use at least 600 yards.  I'm using Fibernymph Dye Works Elegance in the colorway I Am No Mermaid - hence the name of the project.  The yarn is an 80/20 SW Merino/Silk and feels very good to work with.

I have more than enough yarn to meet the yardage requirements.  In fact a single skein would do it, but I wanted some room to play.  The fun thing about this pattern is that you can adjust the size by repeating the charts.  I also added a wedge to the shawl to turn it from a triangular shawl into a 3/4 square shawl.  I have also tweaked the lace pattern just slightly.  There are double decreases and I'm working them as sssk in the first wedge, cdd in the middle wedge, and k3tog in the third wedge.

Pattern:  Percy Shawl by Sanne Kalkman
Yarn:  Fibernymph Dye Works Elegance in I Am No Mermaid
Needles:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

MagicWaves Triangle - Done!

I finished this shawl up last night and blocked it this morning.  I had to use flash to get this picture, it is overcast here this morning.  You can see the yellow that I used to bind off.

The yarn I used is the yellow in the bottom left hand corner.  I think it is leftover from the Field Day Crochet Blocks, in which case the color is Honeycomb.  I worked through row 16 with the sixth skein, ending that row with less than 2 grams, which I knew was not enough to complete another row (I had been weighing after each row once I started getting close to the end).  The pattern has you bind off on any wrong side row so I knew that I had to work one more right side row before I bound off.  I joined the yellow and worked row 17 and then bound off on row 18.  I almost made it.  I ran out of the yellow about 2 inches from the end so I used some of the remains of skein 6 to finish.

Pattern:  MagicWaves Triangle by Kieran Foley & Nim Teasdale
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Luxe in Snow Glint
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

MagicWaves Triangle - Five Repeats of Chart 2

I finished up the fifth repeat of Chart 2 this morning, and this time I did not forget the increase on the center stitch.  Last weekend when I finished up the fourth repeat I did forget that increase and didn't realize it until I was working the first row of the fifth repeat.  At that point I did not feel like frogging back so I did the increase two rows late, but had second thoughts after finishing that row.  In the end I did tink back and fix that last row of the fourth repeat.  I switched to skein 5 on row 10 of the fifth repeat, and finished this repeat with only 3.5 grams left of skein 5, so I will definitely run out of yarn part way through the sixth repeat.

Here is my yarn usage per chart:
Chart 1:  4.9 g
Chart 2, repeat 1:  11.7 g
Chart 2, repeat 2:  18.8 g
Chart 2, repeat 3:  26.8 g
Chart 2, repeat 4:  33.5 g
Chart 2, repeat 5:  41.1 g

The yarn usage is essentially linear, as this chart shows.

I pulled out my stash of leftover Luxe yarn as I am thinking of binding off in a contrasting color.  I really like contrast bind offs, and it would allow me to use up my last skein without worrying about keeping enough in reserve for the bind off.  Here are the colors I have to choose from.

Pattern:  MagicWaves Triangle by Kieran Foley & Nim Teasdale
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Luxe in Snow Glint
Needles:  US 4 (3.5 mm)