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)