Watermelon Shrug - One Side Done

I finished up one side of my Watermelon Shrug last night.  When I got to the last color stripe I continued working garter rows until I ran out of the light pink and then worked short rows with the remaining colors, working from the center out, until I ran them out as well.  I had to finish the row with a stretch of green from the self-striping skein.

I've already picked up the stitches for the other side, and also ordered another set of the Watermelon, and two sets of the Charivari to make more shrugs.  This one will be a gift, and so will one of the Charivari shrugs.

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

Dreamy Adalia - One Skein Done (Almost)

I am almost through my first skein, and I have completed one repeat of the front charts.  I am using the KC Design version of the pattern now.  Once I got used to it I like it.  I am glad that I have an iPad Pro, with the size of the back charts I need the real estate.  I did find a glitch in my pattern size.  The Left Front Chart didn't go to the proper row when I got to the end.  I compared the set up with the set up for the Right Chart and discovered that the Smart Counters weren't quite set up right - the number of repeats was zero instead of 99.  Once I fixed that everything worked fine.

It is so hard to get good photos in natural light this time of year so I've set up down in my studio, which has daylight spectrum LED light bulbs.  I hung a back drop up on the book shelf so I wouldn't have the random colors and shapes in the background.

Pattern:  Adalia by Jennifer Wood
Yarn:  Spirit Trail Fiberworks Verdande in Daydream
Needles:  US 6 (4 mm)

Dreamy Adalia - All stitches cast on

Whew!  I made it through the rest of the casting on of stitches and all charts are established.  I had one little oops moment when I realized that I had missed a raglan increase, but I was able to pick it up within the existing stitches, so I didn't have to rip back.  I ended up not using the KC Design version for this part.  Instead I have the print out of the pattern to refer to for the row instructions, and I wrote row numbers next to the sections to help me stay on track.  I may switch to the KC Design version for the next bit though.

Pattern:  Adalia by Jennifer Wood
Yarn:  Spirit Trail Fiberworks Verdande in Daydream
Needles:  US 6 (4 mm)

Dreamy Adalia - Cast On

I also spent some time this week casting on a new sweater by Jennifer Wood of Wood House Knits.  I receive her email newsletter and was suckered in by her latest cabled cardigan, which is knit top down and has oodles of gorgeous cables.  The yarn called for is Spirit Trail Fiberworks Verdande.  I did check my stash to see if I had anything that would work, but I didn't have anything with the yardage required.  However, it just so happens that I did a Spirit Trail Fiberworks yarn club last year where I received single skeins of their yarns and I happened to have a skein of Verdande.  I pulled it out and fondled it a bit and then went online and ordered yarn for the project.  Hey, how could I resist, there was a discount coupon and everything!  I ended up getting the color Daydream.

Which knits up just beautifully.

I also bought the KC Designs version of the pattern.  This is the first time I've tried working a KC Designs pattern and I'm still undecided on it.  I use KC all the time now for anything with charts, but I'm not sure about all the bells and whistles of the full blown KC Designs.  The charts have all been assembled, which means if I want to see the whole back it gets pretty tiny, even on my iPad Pro.  And if they put out a correction you have to delete your project and restart it.  Not fun, especially if you like to use MagicMarkers, which I have become hooked on.  The pattern itself is pretty advanced, at least at the start.  It's taken me 3 tries to get things right so far, and I still haven't tackled adding in the front charts, although I've read through that section of the instructions a couple of times now and think I understand what is going on.

Pattern:  Adalia by Jennifer Wood
Yarn:  Spirit Trail Fiberworks Verdande in Daydream
Needles:  US 6 (4 mm)

Watermelon Shrug

I've set aside my Strawberry Shortcake Shrug for a little while because it is being such a problem project.  First my central strip was too short so I had to rip back and add length to that and I'm still having trouble finding good colors for the sides, so I decided to pull out one of my sets that I knew would work without any issues at all - my Watermelon set.  I picked up a skein of the Watermelon self-striping yarn to go with it, and fortunately it does go with it, perfectly (I really don't know what went on with the Strawberry Shortcake yarn).  I spent a fair bit of last weekend working the central stripe - an easy knit I can do while reading, which I did a fair bit of last weekend - and then continued working the color stripes this week.  Although this picture only shows two of the color stripes, I'm on the fourth one now.

I really love the colors on this one, they just make me happy.  I have a feeling that this one may end up going to Carol, so I will have to make another one for me.

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

Liquid Gold Sinua - Finished!

I finished this project up this past Monday - a holiday for me - but it has taken me a while to get a decent picture in natural light.  I've already worn it to work.  If I had gotten another skein or two I might have turned this into a tunic so I could wear it with leggings.  I really like the I-Cord cast on and bind off and have plans to use it again.  I skipped the ribbing at the bottom, and also lengthened it.  I added side increases starting at my natural waist.

Pattern:  Sinua by Susanna IC
Yarn:  madelinetosh DK in Liquid Gold
Needle:  US 6 (4 mm)

Liquid Gold Sinua - Fit Check

I finished up the second sleeve this past Saturday so I started working on the body again.  I started with the leftovers from the upper body and finished up the remains of that skein last night, so I took advantage of the situation to put half the stitches on a second needle and check the fit.  The pattern does not have any body shaping, but I started adding increases at the waist.  I'm working the increases every 10 rows because it is easy to remember and gives a reasonable spacing for the increases.  I haven't decided how long I'm going to make the body.  I just started my last full skein, and I have two leftover balls from the sleeves.  The pattern also calls for ribbed edging, but I'm going to skip the ribbing and work another I-cord bind off.  And the fit is perfect.

Pattern:  Sinua by Susanna IC
Yarn:  madelinetosh DK in Liquid Gold
Needle:  US 6 (4 mm)

On the Spice Market - Sample - Finished!

I also finished up knitting the sample of the On the Spice Market shawl for The Unique Sheep, but I didn't get any beauty shots before I shipped it off to Laura, so you'll have to be content with a blocking shot.  I finished this one up on New Year's Eve.  Kits should be coming out soon.

Pattern:  On the Spice Market by Melanie Berg
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Luxe and Verve
Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Lion's Mane Cowl - Finished!

I finished this up on this past Monday, but haven't been able to get a decent picture in natural light until today.  I found errors on rows 75 and 77 and ended up recharting that section of the pattern through to the end, and in the process also expanded the pattern to use all of my yarn.  I didn't quite make it through all of my expanded charts - I ended up jumping to the last 6 rows part way through my expansion, but it all came out fine.  I debated wet blocking because I knew that it would really change the drape and the loft of the finished fabric.  I tried it on before I blocked it and it was a fair bit smaller - the opening for the neck narrower and it stood up.  I like things with a little more drape so I went ahead and dunked it and then just laid it out on the blocking board, moving it to the sweater drying rack (with the open mesh to speed drying) the next day.  I like the way it opens up the lace, and the cables are still there, just not quite as pronounced.  I couldn't resist a quick picture of it laid out on our freshly fallen snow - the first snowfall of the season.

It really shows off the lovely colors.


Pattern:  Lion's Mane Cowl by Amy Loberg
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Sushi Socks in Sunny Side Up
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm), US 6 (4.0 mm), US 7 (4.5 mm)