Joy to the World - Finished!

I actually finished this shawl back on December 26, 2021 and then didn’t get around to posting about it.  I did my currently favorite knit on edging to finish it off.  I did not work the I-Cord edging along the top edge.  As you can tell it is a generous size.  It was a bit more of a challenge to block than I expected.

I ended up using blocking wires along the top edge, then did my best to make sure the yarn over spines and garter ridges were straight.  The lace edging I pinned out point by point.  Because I used a 3-needle bind off to join the triangles the top edge isn’t quite straight across, but that is okay.

Pattern:  Joy to the World by Louise Robert

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

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

 

Joy to the World - Body Done!

When last we met on this project I had finished both triangles and had 84.7 grams total of the mini skeins left.  I also had 88.9 grams of the teal.  I weighed one of the triangles and determined that it took 91 grams total.  So I knew that I did not have enough yarn to make two more triangles, but I had plenty to make one.  So I started a third triangle using the mini skeins, working them in reverse order, starting with 10.  I switched skeins only at the beginning of a right side row to keep things looking neat.  Then when I ran out of the mini skeins I finished off the triangle with the teal and then joined them using a three-needle bind off.  Now I need to do the finishing work, which will all be done in the teal.  I’m thinking of working an I-cord edge along the top, just to create a neat edge, and then working a knit on lace edge on the rest of the edges.

Pattern:  Joy to the World by Louise Robert

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

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Joy to the World - Two Triangles Done!

One of these days I will learn to actually read the directions all the way through.  I sort of read them, and then I didn’t go back and look at them when I started knitting, so instead of decreasing the number of rows that I knit with each of the mini skeins I knit the same number of rows - 10.  And then wondered how that was going to work for making 5 more triangles.  Of course it wasn’t going to work.  I realized my mistake as I was knitting the last couple of mini skeins, but at that point I decided that I was committed and did not want to rip back or change what I was doing, so I just went with it.  I do like the size of my triangle.  The original pattern was more of a long scarf, which I’m just not that in to.  I did manage to get a second matching triangle out of the yarn.  Here are the weights of the mini-skeins after knitting the second triangle:

1 - 15 g

2 - 13.8 g

3 - 12.4 g

4 - 10.8 g

5 - 9.7 g

6 - 6.9 g

7 - 6.2 g

8 - 4.9 g

9 - 3.4 g

10 - 1.5 g

Just made it.  Now I have to decide what to do next.

Pattern:  Joy to the World by Louise Robert

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

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 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)

Joy to the World - Cast On!

 

Last year I went a bit nuts on Advent Calendars and I bought one from Biscotte & Cie, a French Canadian Yarn Company.  At the end of July I was looking for another mindless project so I pulled it out and opened all of the drawers.  There were two patterns, a sock pattern and a shawl pattern.  The shawl pattern is a simple one, but the main color was white mohair, and I don’t do mohair, so I laid out all of the mini skeins and looked for something in my stash that would work.

These are the ten mini skeins.  I had two different colors to pick from, the Teal above and the orange/rust color in the picture below.  I went with the Teal.

Pattern:  Joy to the World by Louise Robert

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

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Beluga Shrug - Finished!

I also finally finished up my Beluga Shrug this past week.  I started this shrug on August 21, 2018 and finished it on April 22, 2020.  The photo does not really do justice to the colors.  Something about the iPad camera.  I have one more Paintbox set to turn into a shrug, but I haven’t caked up any of the skeins.  I have a lot of projects on the needles right now.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock

Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-Sock

Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Beluga Shrug - One Side Done

I needed a simple project for working on while reading last week, so I pulled this one out again.  The last time I had touched it was about a year ago at the 2019 Unique Sheep Retreat.  I took it along for car knitting.  Last week I finished up the first side and started on the second.  I’ve already completed one stripe.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock

Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-Sock

Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Beluga Shrug - Two Stripes Done

This past week was The Unique Sheep Retreat and I needed car knitting so I pulled this project out.  I started this one way back in August of 2018, so it has been languishing for a while.  I had set it aside after working the central panel.  I grabbed my Namaste Train Case to put it in.  I hadn't used it yet.

I set it on the floor of the car and used it as a foot rest (shoes off of course) while we were driving.  It was plenty roomy for the shrug yarn as well as the knitting and a few notions (scissors and a needle case) and I liked feeding the working yarn out of the hole in the side of the case.  It fed smoothly.

The magnetic latch seems to work pretty well.  I was toting it around the Retreat while I was there and it was a great place to stash my check book and my phone.

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

Bed of Roses Shrug - Finished!

I actually finished this project up back on January 19, but it took me a while to get a photo.  When I doing the trimming the ends I discovered a dropped stitch on one of the edges, which I captured by sewing it in with one of the scraps of yarn I had just trimmed off.  It was on the edge of the third stripe, so a stitch must have just slipped off my needles and somehow I never noticed it.  I had this happen once before on the central panel of one of my Watermelon shrugs.  Fortunately I found that one before I finished the panel.  I had to frog back to get that stitch.

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

Bed of Roses Shrug - Side Two, Half way done

I have a lot of WIPs right now, so I'm trying to finish some up.  After finishing my Juniper Ombre Shrug on Tuesday I decided to pick this one up.  Mostly because it was easy and I wanted to read while knitting.  I'm also close to finishing it, and once I get this one done I can get the Beluga shrug going on to its next phase and finish up the Paintbox shrugs.  I have two other projects that I really want to start, plus I have two more test knits I need to get started on.  One I have the yarn for, one I don't.  One of them will be mostly simple knitting, the other one is definitely not.

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

Beluga Shrug - Center Panel Finished!

We had snow this past weekend, so I went in to work late on Monday.  I had a telecon that I needed to call in to, so I pulled out my knitting and finished up the center panel for my Beluga shrug.  This is the last Paintbox kit that I have though.

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

Bed of Roses Shrug - One Side Done

Last week we made our annual trip down to Florida to visit with Bruce's Mom.  I took this project along for knitting during the drive.  We drove down on Christmas day, which was great - light traffic, good weather and we made the trip in just under 10 hours, which is about as good as it ever gets.  When we started the trip I had done one stripe, I did two more stripes on the trip down, and finished the first side and almost got through one stripe on the second side on the drive back.  The trip back was not as easy as the trip down though.  We hit some traffic which I had to route us around, and then just as we got close to the North Carolina border we hit the rain.  It figures that we hit weather towards the end of the drive and as the sun is going down.  I spent some time monitoring the traffic and weather, giving Bruce up to the minute reports on the rain.  I have an old iPad that has cellular connectivity so I can be a proper navigator and co-pilot on these drives.  Neither one of us has a smart phone, but the iPad works great, and sure beats those tiny screens.

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

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)

Beach Party Shrug - One Side Done

This past weekend Bruce and I had to drive down to Atlanta for a funeral.  Bruce's Aunt Joann passed last week.  Bruce's Mom was not able to travel, so he and his two brothers all went down.  I, of course, accompanied Bruce.  I don't like him driving long distances without me - I'm his navigator, co-pilot and safety pilot.  Of course I packed knitting for the drive.  I like simple knitting for the car, so I packed my Beach Party Shrug.  I finished up most of one side on the trip down.  Then finished up that side and got through one stripe and started the second.  I'm really liking the colors on this one.

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

Beach Party Shrug - One Stripe Done

Of course, finishing up the Blueberry Fields Shrug meant that I could start working the next shrug in the queue, the Beach Party Shrug.  I pulled out the remaining skeins and caked them up, weighed them and then divided them in two (that way I don't have to worry about using more than half on one side and running short on the other).

On this set I decided to start with the darkest skein and work to the lightest.

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

Blueberry Fields Shrug - Finished!

I finished up my Blueberry Fields Shrug on Sunday and left it blocking while I went on travel, sure that it would be dry when I returned.  This one was a challenge with the colors (the blues didn't really play well together), so I ended up alternating the blues and greens, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  The colors are fun.

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

Beluga Shrug - Cast On

I knew when I was packing for my trip this past week that I would easily finish up the Bed of Roses center panel, so I pulled another Paintbox set out of my stash and caked up a skein to throw in my project bag.  This is the Beluga set, and I went with the cobalt skein for the center panel.  I cast on while sitting in the exit row on the flight from Dallas Texas to Tucson Arizona - my destination for the week.  I didn't get a whole lot done, just enough to show off the lovely color

My stash of Paintbox sets is running very low - I only have one more left.  I do have three other Biscottie kits, and plenty of self-striping skeins that I can turn in to socks, but these shrugs make such great mindless knitting projects, and they are fun to make and wear.

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

Bed of Roses Shrug - Center Panel Done

Once I finished up the center panel of the Beach Party Shrug, I pulled another Paintbox set out of my stash and started another center panel.  This set is called Bed of Roses.  I started knitting on the center panel mid-June, and finally finished it up last week on a plane ride from Richmond, Virginia to Dallas Texas.

When I work the other colors I will go from lightest to darkest.

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

Blueberry Fields Shrug - One Side Done

I've been busy working on knitting projects that I can't post pictures of lately.  I finished up one last night, a test knit of a new kit for Earthfaire.  It is currently blocking, and it is lovely.  Fortunately I am going to be able to keep the sample, I just need to send Ellen pictures.  I have two more test knits to complete - one for The Unique Sheep Mini Modern MKAL, and one for The Unique Sheep Christmas Club.  The latter one is also a sample that I will have to send to Laura when I'm done.  But I did find some time to finish up the first side of my Blueberry Fields Shrug.  I figured I needed a little break before I dive back into the test knitting.  I'll go ahead and get the second side going and work on this some more today.  I have a book I'm reading, and may even finish today, and this is perfect knitting for reading - except for the increase and the decrease row.

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