Nature's Gem Celadon - Skeins 6 & 5 Done

I spent most of yesterday knitting and reading.  This shawl pattern goes pretty fast, although it isn't quite perfect reading knitting and I did make a couple of mistakes (typically working a kfb when I wasn't supposed to), but I counted my stitches on a fairly regular basis so was able to catch and correct them.  I have enough left overs of the mini-skeins that I might work a couple of rows of each color in the reverse order after I finish with skein 1, just cause.

Pattern:  Celadon by Ambah O'Brien
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep  Kiri
 Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Tea Party Celadon - Done!

I also finished up my Tea Party Celadon before Christmas, but never got around to posting.  Getting a good picture was a bit of a challenge - the shawl is 8 feet long.

Pattern:  Celadon by Ambah O'Brien
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep  Rare Breed and Sparkle
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Gazania Shrug - Three Stripes Done (Almost)

For the trip back I pulled my Gazania Shrug out of my "backup" knitting and almost finished two stripes.  I had knit the dark blue stripe on Christmas Eve, but never posted about it.  I have a couple more rows to go on that wonderful orange.  I didn't get quite as much knitting time on the trip back, less traffic slowing us down, and Bruce let me drive for a few hours.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-sock
Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Nature's Gem Celadon - Skeins 8 & 7 Done

For the second day of visiting in Florida I pulled this project out of my "backup" project bag.  I was having second thoughts on the other projects that I had started using the Unique Sheep Advent Calendar yarn so put those aside.  This is why I bring plenty of knitting with me.  When I ran the numbers on the quantity of yarn in the contrast skeins I determined that I should make the switch at row 89 of the Second increase section.  This would give me roughly equal amounts of the speckled yarn at both ends of the shawl.  But as I was working the pattern I noticed that the second increase section only goes to 104 rows, which isn't very far when you're working garter stitch, so I decided to wait and start the contrast skeins with the decrease, as the pattern actually calls for.  I am also working the skeins from 8 to 1 instead of from 1 to 8.  This is my first time using Kiri in any quantity and I really love it.  It has a great feel.

Pattern:  Celadon by Ambah O'Brien
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep  Kiri
 Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Bright & Bold Shawl - Body Done

We have just returned from our annual trip to Florida to visit Bruce's Mom.  The trip lasts 4 days, two of which are driving down and back.  I always make sure that I have plenty of knitting to get me through the trip.  My step-daughter and sister-in-law also knit, so for much of the visit we have our knitting out.  I worked on this shawl on the trip down and finished up the body on our first day of visiting.  The trip down went late into the night (we always end up getting a late start on the trip down and usually don't make it to our hotel until close to midnight).  I used my Beam 'n Read lamp to keep knitting until we got there.  It worked quite well and didn't bother Bruce.  Now I have to get yarn for the knit on border.  I have an email in to Kelly of the Unique Sheep with some ideas, so we'll see what she comes back with.

Pattern:  Over the Moon by Vicki Mikulak
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar 2017
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Ombre Orpiment - Cast On

Well, that could have worked out better.  I abandoned the Starburst Shawl because it curled like an ancient Roman scroll, so I went back to my pattern search and picked another pattern - Orpiment.  It is worked in garter stitch, even the lace.  I'm not especially fond of garter stitch lace, but it will get me in practice for my next test knit.  This is a very simple pattern and it will be easy to use up all of my yarn, although based on the pattern name my yarn really should be shades of yellow-orange.  According to Wikipedia:  Orpiment is a deep orange-yellow colored arsenic sulfide mineral.

Pattern - Orpiment by Heather Zoppetti
Yarn - The Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar 2017
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Adventurous Wrap Option B - Cast On

The third project that I cast on is another Adventurous Wrap, but this time Option B.  I'm also going to make three triangles, which should use up most of the yarn.  I'm using gray as the CC1.  I'll have a triangle using the speckled yarn, a triangle using the solid yarn and a triangle using some of each.  I'll figure out the third triangle after I knit the other two.

Pattern:  Adventurous Wrap - Option B - by Ambah O'Brien
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar 2017
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Bright & Bold Shawl - Cast On

The second project I cast on is a simple crescent shawl for the Bright & Bold gradiance set.  This is my old faithful crescent shawl pattern that I use for using up leftovers.  I did think about finding a lace shawl pattern for the yarn, but in the end decided to go an easier route that keeps the focus on the beautiful yarn and lets me use it all up.  I'll have to get Kelly to dye me up a solid skein to go with it for the knit on border, but that can wait.

Pattern:  Over the Moon by Vicki Mikulak
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar 2017
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Compassion Ombre Shawl - Cast On

Yesterday I finished caking up all of my Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar skeins and have cast on projects with them.  The first project I cast on is the Starburst Shawl.  I am using the Ombre set and a skein of gray.  The pattern calls for 5 mini skeins of greater yardage than I have (105 yds / 28 g).  I have 6 mini skeins of 87 yds / 20 g.  So, even though I have 6 skeins I still have less total yardage in my contrast color than the pattern calls for.  The pattern also calls for using each of the contrast skeins in each of the open knotwork blocks, but that means a lot of changing of colors, and I would have to modify the pattern to use 6 colors instead of 5.  I did actually work up that variation, but until I started knitting I wouldn't know how the yardage would work out so I decided to go an easier route.  I'll use one contrast color at a time in the open knotwork blocks, switching to the next color as they run out.  I can adjust how many blocks I do and how many rows I do in a block to accommodate my yardage and also use up as much of my yarn as possible.

Pattern:  Starburst by Emily Wood
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar 2017
Needles:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar - Days 23 & 24

The last two days finished up the speckled and solid sets.

1.  Sapphire
2.  Salt Water Blueberries
3.  Tart Heart
4.  Salt Water Strawberries
5.  Sun Porch
6.  Salt Water Bananas
7 - 12.  Compassion Ombre
13.  Tropical Teal
14.  Salt Water Key Lime
15 - 20.  Bright & Bold Gradiance
21.  Salt Water Mangoes
22.  Salsa Dance
23.  Salt Water Huckleberries
24.  Wasabi

Here is the view of all the skeins that I like:

This is a Godiva chocolate box from one of the gift basket towers.  I always order one after the holidays when they go on sale.

Here are the speckled skeins all together.

And here are the solids.

Would I do another Unique Sheep Advent Calendar?  Absolutely!

Craftvent 2017 - Days 23 & 24

The Day 23 drawer revealed some tea - I do love cinnamon tea - and another package of Soak - always useful.

The Day 24 drawer revealed some hand lotion.  Taking care of our hands is essential as any rough spots will snag your lovely fibers.

And thus concludes another Craftvent Advent Calendar.  Not sure I'll do it again next year.

Tea Party Celadon - Skeins 4, 5 & 6 Done

Fortunately I never have to worry about colors going together with the Unique Sheep.  Having finished up the Craftvent shawl I've been able to devote myself to my Tea Party Celadon, pretty much finishing a skein each night.  I am now ready to go back to skein 1.  I'm looking forward to finishing this one and starting my Nature's Gem Celadon.  These are fun to knit, and fun to wear.

Pattern:  Celadon by Ambah O'Brien
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep  Rare Breed and Sparkle
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Craftvent 2017 - Days 20, 21 & 22

The Day 20 drawer revealed a tape measure.  Another notion I never mind have multiples of.  They are great for kitting out new knitters.

The Day 21 drawer revealed the final yarn - Baah! La Jolla in Maldives.  The color is quite a contrast to the other colors in the calendar and I'm not quite sure about it in the finished shawl.

The plan was to start and end the knit on border with the Anzula Nebula, but I ran a little short and had to bind off with some red.  I'm thinking of looking through my stash and seeing if I have something that will go better with the rest of the shawl.

The Day 22 drawer did not have a card, but it did have a cute little wooden button.

Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar - Days 20, 21 & 22

I have been remiss in my posting.  Day 20 finished up the gradiance, and Days 21 & 22 brought some more bright and bold colors into the mix.  At this point I'm thinking about making an Option B Adventurous Wrap using the speckled and solid colors.  I think I can get three triangles out of the 12 skeins, with some careful planning.  I have not found that the two triangles make a very wearable shawl.  The Ombre set will probably become another Celadon.

1.  Sapphire
2.  Salt Water Blueberries
3.  Tart Heart
4.  Salt Water Strawberries
5.  Sun Porch
6.  Salt Water Bananas
7 - 12.  Compassion Ombre
13.  Tropical Teal
14.  Salt Water Key Lime
15 - 20.  Bright & Bold Gradiance
21.  Salt Water Mangoes
22.  Salsa Dance

I'm not sure what to do yet with the gradiance set.  It is very bright and bold.

Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar - Days 18 & 19

Days 18 & 19 revealed 2 more of the Bright & Bold Gradiance skeins and a Unique Sheep logo pin.

1.  Sapphire
2.  Salt Water Blueberries
3.  Tart Heart
4.  Salt Water Strawberries
5.  Sun Porch
6.  Salt Water Bananas
7 - 12.  Compassion Ombre
13.  Tropical Teal
14.  Salt Water Key Lime
15 - 19.  Bright & Bold Gradiance

Craftvent 2017 - Days 18 & 19

The Day 18 drawer revealed some hot chocolate and some soak.  I love hot chocolate and keep a tin of Godiva hot chocolate powder in the fridge.  I add Godiva Chocolate Liquor to mine.  I was a little disappointed to see that the Ghiradelli hot chocolate has artificial flavor.  In fact, when I read the entire list of ingredients I was a bit put off.  I think I'll stick with my Godiva hot chocolate powder.

The Day 19 drawer revealed skein 7 - Anzula Nebula in Charcoal.  I will confess that I opened up the rest of the drawers on Sunday and finished up the shawl last night.  Here it is through Section 8.

The pattern is okay, but I'm a little disappointed in the yarn colors.  I can see doing the pattern again in other yarn.

Tea Party Celadon - Skein 3 Done

Being all caught up with my Craftvent knitting meant that I could work on another project, so I finished up skein 3 on my Tea Party Celadon shawl.  I like these shawls because they really show off the yarns.  I wore my Hurricane Watch Myndie this past Friday to work as a scarf/shawl and I really like the colors.  At one point I had it around my shoulders and I just knotted the ends together to keep it in place and the color combination of the knot was just lovely.  I may end up doing more of these kinds of shawls for my Unique Sheep Advent Calendar skeins, just because they are super easy to knit and they let the yarn be the star.

Pattern:  Celadon by Ambah O'Brien
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep  Rare Breed and Sparkle
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar - Day 17

And another skein of the Bright & Bold Gradiance set.

1.  Sapphire
2.  Salt Water Blueberries
3.  Tart Heart
4.  Salt Water Strawberries
5.  Sun Porch
6.  Salt Water Bananas
7 - 12.  Compassion Ombre
13.  Tropical Teal
14.  Salt Water Key Lime
15 - 17.  Bright & Bold Gradiance

Craftvent 2017 - Day 17

The Day 17 drawer revealed color 6 - Malabrigo Sock in the color Lotus.  It was a good thing as I basically ran out of color 5 as I was finishing up the last row of Section 6.  In order to finish the last few stitches I had to join the next skein as my tail was just too short to hold on to and knit with at the same time.

I faired better with Section 7, finishing up with 3.9 of the 12.3 grams remaining, the most leftovers I've had yet.

Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar - Day 16

Day 16 revealed another Bright & Bold Gradiance skein, and stitch markers.

1.  Sapphire
2.  Salt Water Blueberries
3.  Tart Heart
4.  Salt Water Strawberries
5.  Sun Porch
6.  Salt Water Bananas
7 - 12.  Compassion Ombre
13.  Tropical Teal
14.  Salt Water Key Lime
15 - 16.  Bright & Bold Gradiance

Craftvent 2017 - Day 16

The Day 15 drawer revealed a set of bent tip needles for weaving in your ends.  I have some of these already in my notions bag, but I have the green case, which has larger needles, so this was a good score.  I know some folks have expressed a desire for more yarn and less notions, but I like having extras for setting up new knitters because I love spreading the craft.

I also finished Section 4 last night.

Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar - Days 14 & 15

Day 14 is another green.

1.  Sapphire
2.  Salt Water Blueberries
3.  Tart Heart
4.  Salt Water Strawberries
5.  Sun Porch
6.  Salt Water Bananas
7 - 12.  Compassion Ombre
13.  Tropical Teal
14.  Salt Water Key Lime

Day 15 is the first skein of a Bright & Bold Gradiance.

1.  Sapphire
2.  Salt Water Blueberries
3.  Tart Heart
4.  Salt Water Strawberries
5.  Sun Porch
6.  Salt Water Bananas
7 - 12.  Compassion Ombre
13.  Tropical Teal
14.  Salt Water Key Lime
15.  Bright & Bold Gradiance #1

Craftvent 2017 - Days 14 & 15

The Day 14 drawer revealed a nice wooden crochet hook for picking up dropped stitches.  Always a useful tool, I have a couple this size in my toolkit.

The Day 15 drawer revealed more gray yarn.  This time it is Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock.  I will confess that I liked the colors better last year.

Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar - Day 13

Day 13 took a color turn, with bells on, well, with a bell in the box anyway.

1.  Sapphire
2.  Salt Water Blueberries
3.  Tart Heart
4.  Salt Water Strawberries
5.  Sun Porch
6.  Salt Water Bananas
7 - 12.  Compassion Ombre
13.  Tropical Teal

Craftvent 2017 - Day 13

The Day 13 drawer revealed another mini skein of yarn.  This time Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock.  Fortunately I have finished Section 3 of the pattern.  I wasn't sure I was going to have enough of the Dream in Color Smooshy to finish, but I did, barely.

Adventurous Wrap - Finished?

So, technically, the wrap is finished per the pattern, but I do believe that I'm going to knit another triangle - same colors, same fade.  If I reverse the color order I would have enough with what I have on hand.  If I want to keep the same color order I need more of 2 of the 6 skeins.  Adding a triangle will make it more wearable.

Pattern:  Adventurous Wrap by Ambah O'Brien
Yarn:  Zen Yarn Garden Superfine Fingering - Magical Dye Pot F-series
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Craftvent 2017 - Day 12

The Day 12 drawer revealed a cute little notions pouch.  I don't think it will hold all the notions that I've received in the Craftvent calendar, but it is a nice little pouch.

I've also finally completed Sections 1 and 2 of the pattern, and am all set up to work Section 3 and 4.

Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar - Day 12

Day 12 completes the 6-skein Compassion Ombre set so I've peeled it off and set it aside with one of the neutral skeins that I bought.

I have several different patterns that I'm considering for these skeins - Rigoles, Willow, Dreambird, and Starburst.