Lock, Shock and Barrel Shawl - Border Started!

I have been obsessing over the color for this border for months now.  I have tried and discarded several different colors and finally went with a skein of Sundara Yarn Extra Fine Fingering Merino in Saguaro Sunset.  It is hard to get a good sense of the colors in this photo, but I think it will work.  I’m using Hot Pink Lined beads, although they are hard to see in the photo.

Pattern:  Over the Moon by Vicki Mikulak

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep 4 Ply SW Merino Fingering and Sundar Yarn Extra Fine Fingering Merino

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Joy to the World - Cindy - One Triangle Done!

While my Wallflowers has definitely been monopolizing my attention at home, my work bag project has been proceeded nicely.  I finished up the first triangle over a week ago, but just hadn’t gotten around to getting a photo.  I do love these colors.  It is just such a cheerful combination.  I’ve already started the second triangle.  Sometimes I do think I should be more clever and make sets like these into a garment, but I really haven’t figured out how I would do that, and what I would be happy with, so I go with a shawl.  Maybe after I retire I will have time to figure something out.  That happy date is fast approaching.

Pattern:  Joy to the World by Louise Robert

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep 4 Ply SW Merino Fingering and Kiri

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Canby Cardi - Cast On!

I actually cast this on over the long Fourth of July weekend, but haven’t really worked on it much.  It is a gift for my step-daughter, Amy, who is getting married in September.  The pattern is from Blue Sky Alpacas and called for their Suri Merino, an Aran weight yarn.  I wasn’t crazy about the pastel colors or the yarn so I suggested we substitute Knitting for Olive Merino and Soft Silk Mohair held together and pick a nice jewel tone that will look much better on Amy.  I have not done this kind of drastic yarn substitution before, so I knew there would be some challenges.  First up, of course, is gauge.  The pattern calls for a gauge of 18 sts and 23 rows in 4x4 on a US 8 (5 mm) needle.  I swatch on US 6  (4 mm) needles and got 21.3 sts and 34.5 rows.  I like the fabric, but if I went with that gauge I would have to knit the largest size and I wasn’t sure I had purchased enough yarn for that.  In desperation I went looking for an Aran weight yarn.  My first try was Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran.  I easily got gauge, but screwed up when I ordered the quantity and didn’t have enough to knit the desired size.  My next try was Rowan Felted Tweed Aran.  Once again I easily got gauge, and this time (having figured out my error on the Debbie Bliss yarn) I did order enough.  But when I started knitting it up I really didn’t like the fabric I was getting for the cardigan.  So I went back to the original yarn and went up a needle size to a US 7 (4.5 mm) and got 19.6 sts and 29.8 rows.  Close enough that I could knit the medium size, which I should easily have enough yarn for, although I will have to adjust the row repeats for the length and be careful on the shaping given the difference in the row gauges.

Pattern:  Canby Cardi by Robin Melanson

Yarn:  Knitting for Olive Merino and Soft Silk Mohair in Bordeaux

Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Wallflowers - Filling the Void!

Once I had integrated in the large 3D flowers I started working on filling the void.  Instead of making all of the pieces and then integrating them, I worked in stages, integrating as I went.  I still did each flower in a production mode, working each color on each flower before moving on to the next color, and then integrating them in.

First up were the popcorns. 

I did start out making the darkest ones for the center, but then switched my approach and focused on the ones with the leaf colors that were the first to be integrated. 

Next up were the four pebbles.  It was fun seeing the void getting filled in.

Then the puffs.

The last two puffs, and the final popcorns.  When I got to this point I almost ripped back and switched my B3 and B4.

This photo has B2, with B3 and B4 swapped, and B5.  But I decided I preferred the Rage next to the Pink Bliss, so I left it as is.  All my ends are woven in, and I’m working on more Pebbles for placing the Large Flowers.  I am back into production mode, working all 30 of round 1 and all 30 of round 2 before I started on the Pebble stitch for Round 3.  I have also split the in-progress flowers into two groups, for the two different leaf colors for the Pebble round.

Pattern:  Wallflowers by Sue Maton

Yarn:  Rowan Felted Tweed DK

Hook:  3.75 mm (F)

Wallflowers - Large 3D Flowers Done & Incorporated!

I worked the large 3D flowers very much in a production mode, working each color for all six flowers in turn until I got to the point where I needed to start incorporating them.

I did make a couple of stupid mistakes when I was working these, mostly by not paying attention to the instructions.  On round 13 I did not work through the back loop on the first three flowers, only realizing it when I picked it up again after a break to start on the fourth, so that required me to undo some work, which was not so easy as I had darned in my ends (I had gotten cocky again).  But I was able to unpick the end, and when I worked them through the back loop it took less yarn, so that was good.  I also tripped myself up on UK versus US crochet terms when I was working round 16, even though I knew better, and didn’t realize until I was working on integrating the third flower, so I had to undo the first two and redo them.  Thankfully I had not darned in those ends.  Before I started round 16 I put in locking stitch markers at the beginning and end of each of the petals so that I wouldn’t get off track.  It worked very well, except for those two flowers I had to redo.  Fortunately I did not have to rip back the entire round 16, just most of it, so I had a starting point and just had to be careful with my counting.  I am enjoying this project a lot though, and it is actually making me a pretty monogamous crafter, even though I have other projects that I really need to work on (including one with a deadline that is approaching).

Project:  Wallflowers by Sue Maton

Yarn:  Rowan Felted Tweek DK

Hook:  3.75 mm (F)