Duha - Section One Done

The deadline to finish section one (rows 1-22) was November 18, and I finished it up with a couple of days to spare.  The pattern is pretty boring, really, but it is good practice.  The difference in yarn usage between the solid stitch sections and the lacy sections is pretty dramatic.  The solid stitch sections are pretty slow, the lace sections go pretty quickly.  I am almost done with section two (rows 23-43).

Pattern:  Duha by Janica York Carter

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Luster Superwash Merino Sport

Hook:  US H-8 (5 mm)

Duha - Cast On!

Is it casting on when it is crochet?  I have no idea.  This is the Expression Fiber Arts 21 Day Crochet Along challenge.  It started yesterday and I started it yesterday afternoon by chaining 301 stitches.  Yikes!  Then I figured out how to single crochet into that chain, and now I’m making pretty good progress.  The shape of the pattern is similar to Duga, as is the colorway that I chose - the Stormy Rainbow Hues set.

This is the first time that I am crocheting a shawl.  So far I am enjoying it.

Pattern:  Duha by Janica York Carter

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Luster Superwash Merino Sport

Hook:  US H-8 (5 mm)

Joy to the World - Seven colors done

This was the fourth project that I brought with me to Florida and this one did get worked on.  I have just attached color 8.  I’m not sure if I will make all of the triangles the same, or play around with colors and maybe reverse the order.  I even considered switching the knitting on the triangles to decreasing rather than increasing by casting on stitches for the next triangle when I finish this one.  I still haven’t decided what I’m going to do.  I think the key is to just have fun.  I did take the advice of the designer and cake up all of the yarn and put them in plastic zip-lock bags with the color number written on the bag so I can keep them straight.

Pattern:  Joy to the World by Louise Robert

Yarn:  Biscotte Yarns Bis-Sock & The Unique Sheep Kiri

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Birthday Bliss - Day 16, Color 10

This was another of the four projects that I took with me to Florida, although this one did not get worked on while I was down there.  All of this progress represents knitting done prior to the trip.  When I finished chart 7, the pattern instructions were to work the charts in reverse order until chart 1 and then work back up through them until you finish all of the different balls of yarn.  I decided to make my shawl symmetrical by working back through the charts until day 10, work the same chart with Day 11, then work back up to chart 7 and then work back through them to chart 1.  Because I am working extra rows to use up my yarn this is going to end up being a long scarf/shawl.

Color 1:  Day 3 - Fathom - Chart 1

Color 2:  Day 4 - Charcoal - Chart 2

Color 3:  Day 6 - Medieval - Chart 3

Color 4:  Day 7 - Tart - Chart 4

Color 5:  Day 8 - Nocturne - Chart 5

Color 6:  Day 10 - Liquid Gold - Chart 6

Color 7:  Day 12 - Dirty Panther - Chart 7

Color 8:  Day 13 - Yucca - Chart 6

Color 9:  Day 15 - Phantasm - Chart 5

Color 10:  Day 16 - Ceremony - Chart 4

Pattern:  Birthday Bliss by Amy Gunderson

Yarn:  madelinetosh Euro Sock

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Science Experiment - Up to Skein 6

I have been making some progress on this shawl as well.  It was one of the projects that I took with me to Florida, although I did not work on it while I was there.  I have now done three repeats of the Option B pattern and have almost used up Skein 6.  I guess I better get this finished before my 2021 Mad Scientist Advent Calendar arrives.  I received a shipping notice yesterday.  I just need to decide if I want to do another repeat of the B pattern or if I want to switch to the C pattern.

Day 1: Xi Persei

Day 2: 10 Lacertae

Day 3: Spica

Day 4: Achernar

Day 5: Regulus

Day 6: Deneb

Pattern:  The Science Experiment by Melinda Measor

Yarn: Mad Scientist Yarns Hybrid, 2020 Jekyll Advent Calendar 

Needles:  US 6 (4 mm)

Duga - Finished!

We went down to St. Augustine Florida from 25 October to 4 November and I took this project with me (along with three others).  We drove down in my Element, and then took the Auto Train back.  It has been a long time since we’ve done any traveling and I think we were both pretty stuck in our rut.  I’m not sure either one of us was super keen on going, but we went and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  We stayed at Bruce’s Mom’s house.  She is an assisted living facility in St. Augustine.  His son was there for the first five days with his family (wife, two little ones and a grandpa).  The house was a little crowded, but not bad, and we enjoyed spending time with the little ones.  We went to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, which was a lot of fun.  The next week Bruce and I went back and did the zip-line and obstacle course above the alligator farm - called Crocodile Crossing.  It was a blast.

I did a lot of knitting on this during the drive down.  The top picture is of Section 3.  I finished it on October 28.  I finished Section 4 - the complete shawl on October 30.  Here is Section 4 before blocking.

And here is Section 4 blocking.  I just soaked it and then laid it out.  I did not bother pinning anything.

And here is a picture after it came off the mats.  My beauty shot.

I only used about half of the yarn.  I’m thinking of making a second one to use the yarn up, but using a needle one size smaller and changing the order of the colors to get more contrast.

Pattern:  Duga by Janica York Carter

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Luster Superwash Merino Sport

Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)