Duga - Cast On and Sections 1 and 2 Done

On October 15th, the Expression Fiber Arts Group on Ravelry kicked off a fun knit along for a very simple pattern called Duga.  It is just garter stitch and German Short Rows and is composed of wedges of color.  I picked up the pattern, which was free at the time, as well as a yarn set (Luster Sport in Kaleidoscopic Hues).  I was a bit concerned about the needle size called for in the pattern - US 7 (4.5 mm) - as the yarn appeared to be more fingering weight than sport weight, but I swatched with smaller needles as well as the ones called for and decided I like the fabric with the larger needles.  I did a long tail cast-on and placed markers every fifty stitches.

It is a super simple pattern and great for knitting and reading or for watching TV when you actually need to pay attention.  The knit along has the pattern broken up into 4 sections, with a drawing for completing each section by the deadline for that section.  The picture above is section 1 - composed of the first two colors.

Here is section 2, with the next two colors.  Now I need to go wind the next skein so I can start knitting section 3.

Pattern:  Duga by Janica York Carter

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Luster Superwash Merino Sport

Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Science Experiment - Up to Skein 3

Once I finished up my Stellar Fade I was able to get back to working on my Science Experiment Shawl, which is the pattern that came with the Advent kit.  I will just use up each skein and join the next.  So far I’ve finished up the first two skeins and am working on the third.  I did 3 repeats of the first lace pattern and have just switched to the second lace pattern.  This Advent Set also came with needles.  Very nice needles.

Day 1: Xi Persei

Day 2: 10 Lacertae

Day 3: Spica

Pattern:  The Science Experiment by Melinda Measor

Yarn:  Mad Scientist Yarns Hybrid

Needle:  US 6 (4 mm)

Birthday Bliss - Cast On

Last year Jimmy Beans Wool came out with Birthday Boxes.  They are sort of like an advent calendar but they have 31 days and they are for your birthday.  I ordered one right away and when it came I stood it in an out of the way spot to await my birthday month.  Last weekend I finally started it, ten days late.  I have to admit that I really love these sorts of set ups.  Everything that I need is right there, the knitting needles, the code for the pattern, the yarn already caked up and ready to go.  And I like opening the drawers.  This is a pretty nice box too. 

The yarn is one that I don’t think I’ve used before - madelinetosh Euro Sock.  It has a great feel and is really nice to work with.  I am working extra rows with each color to use up as much of the yarn as possible.  I have been consistently working 36 rows instead of 26.  I just restart the chart at the appropriate spot when I get to the end.  Here are the colors so far:

Day 3 - Fathom

Day 4 - Charcoal 

Day 6 - Medieval 

Day 7 - Tart

Day 8 - Nocturne 

Day 10 - Liquid Gold

Pattern:  Birthday Bliss by Amy Gunderson

Yarn:  madelinetosh Euro Sock

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Stellar Fade: Finished!

After finishing up the Omega Shawl I pulled this one out again.  I had been working through the two crescents, using about 5 grams on each side.  I had made a fair bit of progress on both of them when I realized that there were some important differences between them.  I had been working both to the clues 1-3 instructions.  I figured this out when I went back and was looking at the blog posts for my first Lunar Fade shawl so I ripped the second crescent back, winding and I ripped using my ball winder.  Then I put the instructions for both crescents into a spreadsheet, with the instructions side by side, matched up by row, so I could make sure that I got the placement on the purl stitch ridges correct, and use the increase placement and the eyelets from clues 4-6.  It went much faster the second time through.  I used the full sized skein that came with the kit to work the I-cord edging on the crescents.

The wing tips carried on the color progression and the 5 gram amount, ending with skein7.  When I got to the two joining pieces - the triangle and the diamond I knew that I wanted to use about the same amount of each color, progressing from skein 7 to skein 1.  I created a stitch count spreadsheet for those sections so I could get the transition points right.  I ended up using only about 5 grams total of each of those colors.  I thought about continuing the color progression from the crescents, which ended with skein 9, but in the end decided that having a break in the color fade would provide a nice visual break.  I decided to work an I-cord edging around the entire shawl, but I couldn’t do it all in one go and I had to figure out how to pick up the stitches the right way so that the right side was facing me when I started working the I-cord.  For the short section at the top of the triangle I just pulled out a fair bit of yarn, picked up the stitches with the right side facing, then went to the other end of the cable and worked the I-cord with the right side facing me.  For the rest of the edging, which was done in one piece I worked from both ends of the cake, picking up stitches as I needed them.  It worked very well, and avoided the problem of having a lot of stitches on the needles at once.  I worked extra rows of I-cord to turn the corners.

I really love how the shawl turned out.

Pattern:  Lunar Fade byLarissa Brown

Yarn:  Mad Scientist Yarns 2020 Jekyll Advent Calendar in Hybrid

Needle: US 5 (3.75 mm)

 

Omega Shawl - Finished!

After I finished up my test knit I concentrated on this shawl again.  I had finished up the body and cast on for the edging.  I had to rip it out and start over again because I had forgotten to count the stitches after the pick up to determine how many repeats I could do, and how many plain rows at the beginning and end I needed to do.  Once I got started again it actually went very quickly.  I like how the yellow changed the expression of the colors in the body of the shawl, drawing out the yellow and playing down the green.

Pattern:  Boomerang Shawl (Improvised)

Yarn:  Alcidina Momentum and Sundara Yarns Extra Fine Fingering Merino

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)