Monday, November 26, 2018

Facets - One Skein Done

I was playing around with one of my other 12 skein sets and decided to cast on another design.  Technically, I suppose this could be called a poncho, but that just is not elegant enough, so I will have to come up with another name.  Maybe Tabard.
This is the set.  I'm using the same lace pattern as the Easy Bias Lace shawl, because it is an easy lace pattern, and I like the way it looks.  I had started out with another lace pattern, but it just wasn't right, so this weekend I ripped back and started over and I've already knit up one skein and a fair bit of another.

One side will be the purple speckle plus the three purple skeins.  The other side will be the pink speckle and three of the four red skeins.  I'll use the three yellow skeins as a border around the whole thing, going from darkest to lightest, ending with the yellow speckle.  The darkest red skein will be used for an I-cord bind off.  I'll also pick up stitches around the neck-line and work an I-cord there as well.

Pattern:  TBD
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Kiri in Monarchy
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Bed of Roses Shrug - One Stripe Done

Having finished up my Beach Party Shrug, I've started working on my Bed of Roses shrug.
This is my mindless knitting, and I only have one more set to turn into a shrug.  I've almost finished knitting the central panel of that set, and then I'll have to find something else to throw into my project bag for work.

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

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Bright & Bold Myndie - Finished!

I finished this shawl this past Wednesday.  I wanted to finish it before my 2018 Unique Sheep Advent Calendar showed up, and I just managed to do that.

Pattern:  Myndie / Kallara mashup
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Monday, November 12, 2018

Bright & Bold Myndie - Four Colors Done

I finished up both the Salsa Dance and the Tropical Teal colors yesterday, in between raking leaves and watching my Easy Bias Lace pattern rise and fall on the Ravelry Top 20 list.  I made it up to number six, but now I'm falling.  It was fun to have my day in the sun.

I do have a test knit I need to get started on soon, but I want to finish this up first.

Pattern:  Myndie / Kallara mashup
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Bright & Bold Myndie - Two Colors Done

I finished up the Wasabi and started the Salsa Dance color section last night.  I really like the way the colors look set off by the gray.  I probably would have gotten more done, but I was dealing with some family stuff and watching the response to my Easy Bias Lace pattern on Ravelry.  I posted the pattern yesterday morning and by the time I went to bed it was in the Top 20 patterns, and this morning it is in the Top 10.  I was not expecting that kind of response, but am delighted.

Pattern:  Myndie / Kallara mashup
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Bright & Bold Myndie - Cast On & One Color Done

Given that the holidays are fast approaching I decided I really should finish knitting up the last of my Unique Sheep Advent Calendar from last year.  I really like my Saltwater Taffy Myndie, the colors just make it a fun shawl to wear, so I decided I would make another oversized Myndie with the last 6 skeins of the set.
The colors for this one are:
1 - Sapphire - 19.8 g
3 - Tart Heart - 20.1 g
5 - Sun Porch - 19.5 g
13 - Tropical Teal - 19.7 g
22 - Salsa Dance - 19.6 g
24 - Wasabi - 19.6 g

The number indicates the original skein number in the Advent Calendar.  I've used the Sun Porch, and have just started the Wasabi.

With the Saltwater Taffy Myndie I used the lighter gray as the main color, but with this one I'm using the darker gray that I also used on my Compassion Celadon.  I also decided to add a repeat in gray between each of the color blocks.  I will probably use up any leftovers of the colors in last gray section, as I did on the Saltwater Taffy Myndie.

Pattern:  Myndie / Kallara mashup
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Bright & Bold Advent Calendar
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Taurid - Finished!

And after languishing in my WIPs pile for a while I finally finished up my Taurid shawl.  The shawl came out on the large side, and is pretty snuggly, thanks to the yarn.  The pattern is pretty easy, and there are enough straight knitting rows that I could read for at least part of the time I was knitting.  I get bored with the simple stuff and it really helps if I can read while I knit.  I even did some of the pattern rows while reading, although it definitely slows down both the knitting and the reading.

Pattern:  Taurid by Taiga Hilliard
Yarn:   Shalimar Yarns Paulie in Midnight in Mendoze, and Anzula Squishy Skeinettes in Wuthering Hanks
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Beach Party Shrug - Finished!

Another project that I finished up last month is my Beach Party Shrug.  I really like the colors on this one - it doesn't remind me so much of the beach as the fall.  I did run out of yarn when I was binding off and had to use some leftover yellow from another of my shrugs to finish it off.
I really love these shrugs, and I get a lot of compliments on them when I wear them to meetings.  I take them on travel because they are so easy to wear and I can wear them as a scarf when I don't need the warmth of the shrug.

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

Tourmaline Lace - Finished!

I also finished up my Tourmaline Lace shawl last month.  It was fun, but becoming quite a lap full towards the end.  This shawl is huge - 2 feet wide and definitely over 10 feet long when you include the bias.  If I try to wear this as just a regular shawl, draped over my shoulders, the ends are on the ground.  I had to play around with it a bit, but have found a way to wear it.
If you flip it around so the ends are in back and drape the front to take up some of the lengths it looks pretty good and seems pretty stable, although you could add some security with a well placed shawl pin.
Now that I've got some decent pictures I can finish writing up the pattern and put it up on Ravelry.  It was such a simple pattern to put together I'm offering it for free.

Pattern:  Easy Bias Lace by Carolyn Blakelock
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Kiri
Needles:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Nordic Christmas Test Knit

I received the yarn and the pattern for this test knit back in August, but I didn't really work on it in earnest until September, knowing that I had to get it finished up by mid-October to meet my deadline.  This was my first real Fair Isle project and I learned a lot while knitting it.  I learned why you typically work Fair Isle in the round - purling and colorwork are a challenge.  I learned why you typically do not use superwash wool, superwash wool doesn't grab itself, and the strands on the back won't felt a little with use, helping to secure them.  Superwash can be slippery.  I did make one more significant goof, I used the wrong needle size - I used a 3.25 mm instead of a 3 mm.  You wouldn't think that .25 mm would make a big difference, but it did.  I think my stitches would have a been a little bit neater had I used the smaller needles.  On the other hand, the shawl is a generous size, and it has a great drape.  But I almost ran out of my main color and had to use two of my contrast colors for the final Fair Isle panel, which I think looks really good.  My main color has speckles, and speckles and Fair Isle may not be the best combination.  The second to last Fair Isle panel had some really long floats, as in almost an entire row.  I anchored the floats every 4 or 5 stitches, but they still ended up being too tight, as I discovered when I was blocking.  I ended up cutting those two floats and weaving their ends in.
I had a hard time getting good photos before I had to send it off.  I also learned that I do enjoy Fair Isle knitting, so will be doing more, just not sure I will be doing it with superwash wool.  I have the Christmas Club kit, but am not sure I'll use it for this pattern.  I may do something with mosaic knitting instead.

Pattern:  A Scandinavian Holiday by Janine le Cras
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Kiri Christmas Club 2018
Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)