On the Spice Market - Sample Knit - Section 3 Done

This was a slow section, mostly because of the make 3 from 3 stitch.  That row was a bit tortuous because you have to make sure you get all three stitches without splitting anything.  The sequence is pretty easy to memorize, after working it so many times, and it is easy to keep track of where you are in the sequence.

For each contrast color, I carried the yarn up along the side by knitting the second stitch with both the contrast color and the main color, on the right side only.  I didn't carry the main color through the color blocks in section 1, but I'm going to do that in section 4, just to have less ends to weave in.  Whenever joining a new contrast color I attached it to the main color with a square knot, and then wove the tail back into itself - sewing it through the main strand of the contrast color with a darning needle using a running stitch - to anchor it, that way I only have a single end to weave in for each color.

Pattern:  On the Spice Market by Melanie Berg
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Luxe and Verve
Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Basic Toe Up Socks 6 - One Foot Done

After I had finished up the last pair of Basic Toe Up Socks that had been riding around in my work bag for approximately 10 months, I had placed a fresh cake of yarn in the bag for the eventuality of casting on another pair.  Having a small, easy project on the needles or available for casting on at a moments notice is an essential in my book.  Yesterday I was faced with the problem of what to work on during the car ride back from Florida.  I didn't really want to work on any of the main projects that I had brought with me, so I pulled out my little project bag from my work bag and cast on another pair of toe up socks.  I made it through to the heel shaping before it go too dark, and then finished up turning the heel after I got home.  I still find sock knitting, especially the whole turning of the heel to be magical.

I really like the colors of this one.  Sometimes when I start knitting the skein up I wonder why I bought those colors.  I did manage to find this one on the Biscotte web site.  The color is Paturage.

Pattern:  Basic Toe-Up Sock from Custom Socks by Kate Atherley
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Felix
Needle:  US 1 (2.25 mm)

Strawberry Shortcake Shrug

I have been struggling with my Strawberry Shortcake Shrug.  The picture above is of the Paintbox kit called Strawberry Shortcake.  I really want to make more of the Traveling Zebra Shrugs, so I ordered all of the Paintbox sets that Biscotte offers.  The challenge I then faced was getting self-striping yarn that goes with them.  I ordered the Strawberry Shortcake self-striping yarn, but it doesn't match the Paintbox set.

I did find a skein in my Biscotte Stash that looked like it might work.

Of course, I only need four solid skeins so I first started out with this color combination.

But when I started knitting with the darkest color it had too much berry in it and it just didn't match well with the reds in the self-striping section.  So I ripped it back and started with this color combination.

As I was picking up the stitches with the darkest skein I apparently switched which side of the central panel I was working with because I got about 2/3 of the way along the panel when I discovered a loop of yarn hanging off the work.  It was a stitch that wasn't attached.  I had dropped it and never realized it.  I undid my bind off and took it downstairs to my studio and ripped it back, winding it back into a cake on my ball-winder.  I spent the drive down to Florida re-knitting the central panel.  But when I picked up the stitches with the darkest color, it still didn't really match the reds, so I ripped it out again and put the project away for the rest of the trip.

Before I had gone on vacation I had ordered the another Paintbox set, this one a repeat - the Watermelon Colorway.  I had already knit a shawl using that Paintbox set and was tempted to frog it and re-purpose the yarn into a shrug, but then I tried the shawl on and I like the weight of it and the way it fits, so I'm keeping it.  When I ordered the Paintbox set I also ordered a skein of yellow yarn and a skein of the Watermelon self-striping yarn.  That yarn was waiting for me when I arrived home last night.

Fortunately, these colors match quite well.  When I saw the dark red I had a hunch that maybe it would work for my Strawberry Shortcake shrug.

The yellow I ordered will also work, so I think now I will be able to continue working this shrug.


Pattern:  Traveling Zebra by Louise Robert
Yarn:  Bis-sock by Biscotte & Cie
Needle:  US 2.5 (3 mm) & US 4 (3.5 mm)

Lion's Mane Cowl - Sections Five and Six Done

I worked on this project most of Christmas Day down in Florida.  After I finished up Section 5 I had my step-daughter model it for a quick picture.

When I finished up Section 6, I took a quick shot of it on the hotel bed.

This morning I took a picture on my dress maker dummy (top photo).  At this point I had a decision to make, I knew that I would have a fair bit of yarn left over if I work the pattern as written, almost an entire skein, in fact, and I had to decide how I wanted to add to the existing pattern.  I knew that I wanted to repeat a section of the chart, but the real question was where to work in the repeat.  I could repeat a section that has increases, but then I will have to modify the subsequent charts to account for the extra stitches.  That would also be riskier when it comes to yarn usage, and I would have to do some calculations to make sure that I wouldn't run out.  And after all that effort I might find that what I wanted to do wouldn't work with the yarn amount that I have.  The easiest way to increase the pattern is to repeat rows 85-94, which is probably what I will end up doing.


Pattern:  Lion's Mane Cowl by Amy Loberg
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Sushi Socks in Sunny Side Up
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm), US 6 (4.0 mm), US 7 (4.5 mm)

Craftvent 2016 - Day 24

On Christmas Eve we drove down to Florida to spend Christmas with Bruce's family and I completely forgot to look in the final drawer of my Craftvent Calendar.  I realized that I had forgotten yesterday on the drive back, so this morning I opened it.  The final drawer held blocking pins, another useful item that one can never have too many of.  And here are pictures of the final shawl.

Pattern:  2016 Craftvent Shawl by Rachel Roden of Unraveled Designs and Yarn
Yarn:
Color 1 - MJ Yarns Sophistisock in Cerulean Twilight
Color 2 - Baah La Jolla in Maldives
Color 3 - Lorna’s Laces Solemate in Pewter
Color 4 - Sweet Georgia Touch Love Sock in Ultraviolet
Color 5 - Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 in Jakey
Color 6 - Koigu KPM in 2405
Color 7 - Anzula Squishy in Aqua
Color 8 - madelinetosh BFL Sock in Fathom
Color 9 - Swans Island Fingering - Ikat Collection in Firefly Stonewall
Color 10 - Mrs. Crosby Satchel in Sunset Regatta
Color 11 - Dream in Color Smooshy in Tranquil
Color 12 - Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 in Moon Purple
Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Lion's Mane Cowl - Four Sections Done

I finished up the fourth section this afternoon.  The increases have started and I put it on 32 inch circulars.  This section increased the stitch count by 2 stitches per repeat, the next section of the chart increases the stitch count by 14 stitches in each repeat.

Pattern:  Lion's Mane Cowl by Amy Loberg
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Sushi Socks in Sunny Side Up
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm), US 6 (4.0 mm), US 7 (4.5 mm)

Lion's Mane Cowl - Three Sections Done

I finished up the third section this morning.  You can already see the effect of the increasing needle size, mostly in the increase in the circumference, although you can see it in the stitch size if you look for it.  I think this one will need a gentle blocking to keep the texture.  This next section starts the increases, I will probably put it on a longer cord when I finish the fourth section and before I start the fifth section.  I used up all of my first skein and started on the second skein during this section - the gradiance is subtle so the change is not easily spotted.


Pattern:  Lion's Mane Cowl by Amy Loberg
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Sushi Socks in Sunny Side Up
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm), US 6 (4.0 mm), US 7 (4.5 mm)