The Velveteen Rabbit - Unique Sheep MKAL

Going back now to the Autumn of 2016, we come to The Velveteen Rabbit.  This was my first time using a 12-skein circle gradiance, and I picked Enchanted Garden on Luxe.

The hardest part was deciding which skein to start with (I started with skein 8).  I must say that this shawl shape is probably my favorite.  It stays on my shoulders and it just looks great.

Based upon my notes on my project page, this one was a bit challenging.  I think it may have had nupps, but of course I don't do nupps (just never cared for the look of them), I replace them with beads.

Pattern:  The Velveteen Rabbit by Janine Le Cras
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Luxe (discontinued) in Enchanted Garden
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

House at Pooh Corner - Unique Sheep MKAL

Going back to January of 2017, we did a shawl inspired by The House at Pooh Corner.  I've always been a big fan of Winnie the Pooh.  This design is a bias knit stole.  I went for a 12 skein circular gradiance, Realm of the Faeries on Nimbus, which is an Earthfaire exclusive base of 100% Blue Faced Leicester.  It has wonderful stitch definition, and great drape.

This shawl, at least, was not too challenging.

And because of all the colors, it goes with a lot of my clothes.

Pattern:  House at Pooh Corner by Janine Le Cras
Yarn: The Unique Sheep Nimbus (Earthfaire exclusive) in Realm of the Faeries
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

La Belle et La Bete - Unique Sheep MKAL

Last summer we did La Belle et La Bete - inspired by Beauty and the Beast.  As it was summer, the shawl is in lace weight.  This was a fun knit.  The construction is a little unusual, and caused a fair bit of consternation in the group.  We started out working the central medallion (the rose) in the round, and then we worked wings off the top two sides of the diamond.  I used US 4 needles when working in the round, and switched to US 3 needles once I started working back and forth.

When I saw the design and the charts I knew that it could take bolder colors so I picked Tulip Festival on Eos (my favorite Unique Sheep lace weight base).

There was an option to save one color for the border, but I decided to use my yarn more evenly, so my wing tips are darker and match my border.

The colors of my finished shawl reminded me of India, so I dubbed her "Bollywood Belle".

Pattern:  La Belle et La Bete by Janine Le Cras
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Eos in Tulip Festival
Needles:  US 3 (3.25 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

The Wizard of Oz - The Unique Sheep MKAL

Since I've been test knitting the Mystery Knit Alongs for The Unique Sheep I haven't been blogging about the shawls.  I used to post every clue, but now there is such a gap between when I knit the shawl and when it is revealed it just seems odd to blog about it after the fact.  But at the same time, I feel like these shawls deserve a little attention here.  This shawl is the most recent MKAL.  This was my first time knitting garter stitch lace, with lace patterning on both right and wrong side rows.  When I saw the charts I knew that I wanted a light color with a subtle gradiance.  I figured it would be hard enough to read my knitting, I didn't need to have dark yarn, or a lot of color variation complicating things even more.  There is also an optional intarsia panel with this shawl - the center section, which represents the Yellow Brick Road.  I immediately volunteered to knit the pattern without the intarsia, figuring there would be plenty going on without it.

The colorway that I picked was Pineapple Chiffon on The Unique Sheep's fingering base Kiri.

I found some hot pink beads in my bead stash to use with the yarn.  I will confess that I am not a fan of garter stitch lace, or lace patterning on wrong side rows, and there was a fair bit of swearing going on with some of the charts.  But I will admit that I have gained an appreciation for the style since working this pattern.  It produces a very textured knit, but it is very hard to read your knitting while you're working it.  One of the members of the group did hers in stockinette stitch, instead of garter, and it came out lovely.  It was also a little bit smaller, and the lace was a lot easier to read.

Pattern:  Wizard of Oz Shawl by Janine Le Cras
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Kiri in Pineapple Chiffon
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Dance of the Dryads - Chart A Done

Even though I have far too many projects on the needles right now I started another one last weekend.  Dance of the Dryads by Anne-Lise Maigaard.  This is a kit from Earthfaire (I have a lot of Unique Sheep/Earthfaire kits), done in a lovely Unique Sheep colorway on a lovely fingering yarn - Leeana.  The yarn is 51/49 cultivated silk/merino and is a joy to work with.  It has the gorgeous sheen of silk, but more life than pure silk thanks to the wool. I did the cast on (425 stitches!) last Sunday and finished up the first Chart today.  There were supposed to by nupps, but I replaced them with beads.  I'm just not a big fan of nupps.

Some of the gang in The Unique Sheep forum wanted to do a knit along after finishing up our last MKAL, so we're doing this kit.  It is my first Anne-Lise pattern, although I do have kits for several in my stash.

Pattern:  Dance of the Dryads by Anne-Lise Maigaard
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Leeana in Dance of the Dryads
Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Watermelon Shrug - Second Side, One Stripe Done

Lately I've been waking up early and working on this in the mornings before heading off to work while I watch Knitstars videos.  I love the colors, the simplicity, and the fact that I know the pattern so well at this point.  I've signed up for Knitstars 3.0 and have been watching the videos from the previous years.

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

Irish Spring - Progress Check

At home I've mostly been working on my test knit, but I do take breaks to work on other projects, including this one.  I'm enjoying the cheerful colors.  I've paused for the moment as I'm not sure if I want to make any additional modifications based upon my yarn usage/amounts.

Pattern:  Liken by Sivia Harding, modified to be a cape
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Kiri
Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Blueberry Fields Shrug - Cast On

Having finished up the center panel for my ECOLO shrug, I needed to get another one going to put in my work bag.  I pulled the next Paintbox set off my stack.

When I got in to work on Tuesday, my computer still hadn't changed state.  It was well and truly hung.  I checked the indicator lights and decided it wasn't accessing my hard drive and pushed the power button on the docking station.  Hard reboot.  It came back up and at first I thought it was going to boot up into Windows 7, but then it went back into the upgrade screen and I got to watch my computer go through the process.  It was done loading the operating system by lunch time, but then spent another 22 hours configuring.  By Wednesday mid-morning it was finally done and I was able to log back in.  Thankfully everything had been successful and I didn't lose any data.

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

ECOLO Shrug - Center Panel Done

Our computers at work have been going through what is being called an "In Place Upgrade" to Windows 10.  Mine was scheduled to begin that upgrade on the evening of April 26.  I came into work the next day (Friday) to find that it had not completed.  The progress bar on the screen said "Verifying:  WMI".  There was a warning under the progress bar telling me that the process could take 16-20 hours and that I should not touch the computer or reboot it or interfere with the process in any way.  We had been told before the process that risk of data loss was high, so I was nervous about doing anything.  I got a loaner computer from the secretary and set it up at another desk so I could at least check emails, then I had one of my co-workers print me out a document that I needed to read.  I have a very nice office, with a window, so I don't need to use the overhead fluorescent lights, but the desk I set the loaner computer up at is in an office with no windows and I can't sit under fluorescent lights all day as they give me migraines.  So, back to my office I went with my printout.  I pulled out my knitting and read my document and watched my computer not complete the upgrade.  In fact it didn't change state at all.  All day.  I had a co-worker print out another document for me and kept reading, and knitting.  I had hoped that when I came in on Monday my computer would have completed the process.  It hadn't.  In fact it was still in the same state it was in on Friday.  I tried to get through to tech support, but instead spent several hours on hold.  I kept busy, and by the end of the day I had finished up the center panel of my ECOLO shrug.  My computer, meanwhile, had done nothing.

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