Strawberry Shortcake Shrug - Side Two - One Stripe Done

I've finished up one stripe on the second side and am about to start the stockinette section on the second stripe.  I came home on Friday to discover that I've been paid by Biscotte for the pattern and sample of this shrug pattern.  Hopefully it will be released soon.

I thought I would share how I secure the first side while I'm working on the second.  I knit the last row onto another, longer set of needles and then put a lock on those needles to keep the stitches from coming off.

This is what my stitch lock looks like.  It has a spring inside.  When you push down the holes from the two pieces line up and you can slide your needle through the hole.  I put the both needles through the holes facing the same direction.  Makes them a little easier to manage.  I slide it down to the cable, that way the increase in diameter of the needle keeps it from being pulled off accidentally.

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

Strawberry Shortcake Shrug - One Side Done

Oh well, so much for working on my test knit, but I was really enjoying the quiet of the morning and wanted to read, and this project is a perfect "knit and read" project.  When I work on lace I tend to have the television or radio on.  I'm reading the Foreigner series by C.J. Cherryh, one of my all time favorite science fiction authors.  She is an amazing world builder and I think the only author I have read that can really create convincing aliens.  The picture isn't the best as it is very overcast here - it may start raining again.  We had some wonderful thunderstorms last night.  I do love summer thunderstorms.  I just love this pattern so much, I may turn all of my Biscotte self-striping yarn into shrugs, and just figure out colors to go with them.  Biscotte seems to have expanded their line of semi-solid colors, and they've added speckled skeins, and you can get 50 gram skeins as well as 100 gram skeins, so there are lots of options opening up.  I've pulled out my Peacock Paintbox set and will start working the central panel on that one.  I'm going to stick it in my project bag that goes to work with me - it used to always have a sock project it in, now it is going to have a shrug central panel instead, for a while, at least.

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

Strawberry Shortcake Shrug - Three Stripes Done

I finished up two stripes this week, in between knitting clues on my test knit and last night I started the last stripe on this side.  But now I need to get back to my test knit.  I had a little set back on it yesterday when I realized that I had screwed up a section.  I tried to do lace surgery on it, but it was a pretty extensive area and I ended up tinking back several rows.  I will definitely suggest to folks they put a life line in before clue 3.

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

Strawberry Shortcake Shrug - One Stripe Done

I finished up the first stripe on my Strawberry Shortcake Shrug this afternoon and have done 3 rows of the second stripe.  I also finished up my Rainbow Vest yesterday, it is still blocking, and started on my test knit.

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

Rainbow Vest - Camp Loopy 2017 Project Two - Making Progress

I decided to focus on this project this week and I'm happy to report that I'm making progress.  I've made it through the short rows.  This morning I pinned it to my dress maker dummy and spritzed it with water.  It was curling up on itself something fierce, which was just annoying my while I was knitting.  I decided to take advantage of the fact that it was pinned to snap a couple of quick pictures.

It is definitely behaving itself now.

Pattern:  Desert Arrows Vest by Jean Clement
Yarn:  Blue Moon Fiber Arts Cloud Nine in Taste the Rainbow
Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Rainbow Vest - Camp Loopy 2017 Project Two - A Slow Start

I will confess that I have been neglecting my Camp Loopy project.  I just have too many fun projects going on at once.  And I have a test knit that I have to get started on (I spent most of the morning prepping the charts for that one).  But I have been making progress - two repeats of the lace so far.  I'm not sure what is going on with my selection of crazy yarn and lace.  I did the same thing with the first Camp Loopy project (more out of necessity than choice).  I think this will turn out okay.  In both cases the lace pattern is simple, and I do like the colors.

Pattern:  Desert Arrows Vest by Jean Clement
Yarn:  Blue Moon Fiber Arts Cloud Nine in Taste the Rainbow
Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Kimba - Making Progress

Now that I've finished up the sample knit for Biscotte I've been focusing on some of my other projects.  I haven't quite gotten to the point where I bring in the second color, but I am only 5 rows away.  I have been using the written instructions instead of the charts on this one, in part because the charts are rather garishly colored.  I understand the reason - showing when to change colors in the pattern, but the selections are just a bit too intense for my tastes.  Fortunately the stitch patterns are pretty easy to memorize.  I am going to have to do some modifications on the color switching because I probably don't have enough of color 2, and I would like to use up more of my colors 3 and 4, so I think I will add some rows.

Pattern:  Kimba by Ambah O'Brien
Yarn:  Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20
Needles:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Strawberry Shortcake Shrug - Starting Over

I first started working on this shrug last December, but really struggled with the colors because I just couldn't find a self-striping yarn that went with these skeins.  Having now made 4 shrugs - the Charivari, Watermelon and Gazania shrugs, as well as the sample for Biscotte as part of the pattern write up - I no longer have one for myself.  The Charivari Shrug I made for my sister Virginia, the Watermelon Shrug I made for her business partner Carol, and the Gazania Shrug I gave to my sister Liz.  When I came back from Bead & Button shrug-less I knew that I had to get started making more for myself - it is just such a wonderful design and I love the colors.  I have 5 Paintbox kits in my stash - Watermelon, Charivari, Twinkle Twinkle, Peacock and this one, plus I have another Gazania on order.  I had decided during the trip that I would make color-block shrugs out of the ones that I couldn't find a self-striping skein for so I picked this one back up and started knitting away on the central panel with the darkest skein.  I'm making steady progress.  This is my mindless knit for watching TV I need to pay attention to, or when I want to read.

When I start with the ruffled edge strips I am going to start with the lightest skein (working the colors from left to right) to provide a better contrast with the central panel.

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

Rainbow Vest - Camp Loopy 2017 Project Two

Yesterday I finally got around to swatching for my second Camp Loopy 2017 project.  It took me a couple of tries to get it right.  The pattern called for a US 7 (4.5 mm) needle.  I started out working with a US 7, but quickly realized the resulting fabric was going to be way too loose, so I pulled it out and started over again with a US 6 (4 mm).  That didn't seem much better so I pulled that out and started again with a US 5 (3.75 mm).  I finished the swatch with the US 5 needles, and it seemed better, but I suspected it was still going to be too loose and when I blocked it my suspicions were confirmed, so I did another swatch on US 3 (3.25 mm) and that one was right on.  Hmm, and I am not a loose knitter.  Of course I did substitute a different yarn.

Pattern:  Desert Arrows Vest by Jean Clement
Yarn:  Blue Moon Fiber Arts Cloud Nine in Taste the Rainbow
Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Kimba - Cast On

I've had this set of yarn sitting out for at lease a month.  I pulled the colors when I was re-organizing my stash by yarn weight.  All of the colors are from the Flavour of the Month Club that Zen Yarn Garden did with Woolgirl.  I loved Woolgirl's clubs.  I don't know what has happened to her.  Her website no longer appears to be active.  The colors are, from right to left, Lemon Meringue, Celery, Minty Tea and Candy Apple, and that is the order that I will be using them in.  This past Friday I finally caked up the Lemon Meringue and cast on.  I haven't gotten very far in the short row section, which at this point in the pattern is not really an apt description, as the rows are pretty long, but each row they get a little shorter.

Pattern:  Kimba by Ambah O'Brien
Yarn:  Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20
Needles:  US 5 (3.75 mm)