Wallflowers - Dark Corners Done!

I finally finished connecting the corners for my blanket.  Of course I worked in production mode style on the flowers themselves.

I finished them up back on September 29.  Jezebel helped by curling up on the blanket when I was attaching them.  Now I’m on to Chapter 8 and making 68 puff hexis, once again working in production mode so I’m making all of the center rings (round 1), and then I’ll do all of round 2, etc.  So far I’ve made 17 of round 1 rings in my B4 color.

Pattern:  Wallflowers by Sue Maton

Yarn:  Rowan Felted Tweed DK

Hook:  3.75 mm (F)

 

Joy to the World - Grinch - Finished!

I actually finished this shawl back on October 12, but when I was laying it out to block I received a nasty shock.  An insect had gotten at it between the time I had finished the body (June 18) and when I started working the edging (September 28).

I was dismayed and horrified.  What was I to do?  I used up all of the yarn, so there were no scraps for darning.  After it was dry I carefully folded it up and put it in a zip lock plastic bag while I thought about possible ways to fix it.  Given that this is superwash, how would I secure my fix?  Even if I found a yarn to use.  In the end I decided to get some silk mohair in a similar color.  Of course picking a color from the web is always a challenge, so I erred on the dark side.  Here is the fix.

You can still see the ends that I haven’t secured.  Fortunately the whole was not too big and I was able to duplicate stitch and fill in what was missing.  The mohair makes the yarn sticky so I’m not too worried about it working out, and the silk makes it strong, plus it is lace weight so it doesn’t add bulk to the repair.  This will now be my go to method if something like this happens again.

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)

Joy to the World - Cindy - Body Done and Border Started!

I finished up the body back on October 13 and started the edging not too long after.  I really love the colors of this one, it just make me smile.  I did actually run out of the miniskeins on the last row of the center triangle, so I just finished up with the blue, which made the three needle bind off convenient as the yarn was already attached.

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)

Kalona - Body and One Sleeve

I finished up the body (up to the arm holes) almost a week ago - lots of knitting time in the office - and immediately cast on the first sleeve.

I knew that I was probably going to be starting the sleeve, so I had grabbed the appropriate needles and made sure I had the pattern in my phone knitCompanion app, but forgot to grab a stitch marker, so I had to improvise with a piece of yarn.  Of course once I got past the lace the sleeve went quickly.

I’m almost done with what the pattern calls for, but I’m debating making the sleeves full length, and adding more increases to give me a bit more room.  I need to check the schematics on the sleeve diameter and the width for the shoulders and see if more room would be a good thing.  I did buy an extra skein of yarn, so I have plenty.

Pattern:  Kalona by Alison Green

Yarn:  Berroco Ultra Wool Fine

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Kalona - Cast On and Lace Done!

Back on September 21, I received an email from one of my favorite craft stores - Yarn Barn of Kansas (I purchased my floor loom from them) - and in the email was a blurb about Berroco’s Cardigan Make Along, a Cardi Party, that started on October 1.  So I went and checked it out, if you joined you got a free cardigan pattern, but you had to use Berroco yarn - which was not a hardship for me at all.  I went to their web site and checked out the possible patterns, narrowed it down to a couple, and then went looking for yarn from their list of stockists, and settled on the Kalona pattern, which uses Berroco Ultra Wool Fine.  It is a raglan cardigan with a shawl collar and lace at the hem and cuffs.  I picked the color Sour Cherry, which doesn’t look Sour, or very Cherry, more of a Burgundy.  The yarn arrived quickly and I set about knitting a swatch.

The pattern called for a US 5 (3.75 mm) needle and a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows in 4 inches in stockinette stitch.  Knowing that this is a fingering weight yarn I checked the ball band, and noted that the recommended needle size was a US 2-3 (2.75-3.25 mm), with a gauge of 26-30 stitches and 38-40 rows in 4 inches.  I started out on the US 5, just to see what kind of fabric that would give me, but quickly ripped that and pulled out a US 3 instead, and got gauge.

Now that I’ve finished the lace at the bottom of the body I can throw this project in my work bag as I now get to knit 68 more rows of stockinette.  Then I get to knit the sleeves and join them to the body.

Pattern:  Kalona by Alison Green

Yarn:  Berroco Ultra Wool Fine

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Queen Conch Shawl - Body Almost Done!

This shawl has been in my work bag and I’ve been making progress on it.  At this point I am almost done with the last of the six skeins, and am contemplating border colors.  The yarn is a bit firm, being a sock yarn with a fairly tight twist, so I want a yarn for the border with similar characteristics.  I’ve been diving in my stash and have come up with four alternatives, so far.

These are all Zen Yarn Garden Superwash Sock Yarn.

I still haven’t decided if I want to pick one of these, or go stash diving some more.

I also need to think about bead color.  This morning I’m going to finish knitting the rest of skein six, and then slip the stitches on to a Knitting Barber Cord so I can spread the shawl out to really get a sense of the colors, and then I will search my stash for all possible border skeins and see if I can come to a decision.

Pattern:  Over the Moon by Vicki Mikulak

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Verve

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

 

Joy to the World - Grinch - Border One-Third Done!

This shawl has been waiting for its border for a while now - since June 18, to be exact - so a week or so ago I pulled it out and started working the border.  I am using one of my go-to borders, which I think looks a bit like the Eye of Horus.  It is pretty good TV knitting.  I have to pay some attention, but not a great deal of attention, to it.

Pattern:  Joy to the World by Louise Robert

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

Needle:  US 3 (3.25)