Artsygal 3 - Cast On

Once I had finished up the body of my second Artsygal shawl I cast on my third one.  These skeins came as a set of four, and the color repeat is shorter, so it will be interesting to see how it comes out.

Pattern:  improvised
Yarn:  Artsygal
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Artsygal 2 - Shawl Body Done

I finished up the body of my second Artsygal shawl over a week ago, but hadn't gotten around to taking any pictures.  I have already picked up the stitches on the decrease edge and started working the border, although I haven't gotten very far - not quite one repeat.  Once I'm finished with this one and my third one I will probably go back to the first one and ravel the border and work a few more rows on the body to get that one to an even repeat of the border (it ends on a half repeat) and use up more of the yarn - I have 25 grams left and didn't make it to the yellow on the border.

Pattern:  improvised
Yarn:  Artsygal
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Artsygal 2 - Cast On

Once I got the first Artsygal shawl to the point where it was no longer mindless knitting, and had freed up a needle by finishing the border on one edge of the shawl, I cast on a second Artsygal shawl.  I've made  fair bit of progress this weekend, and finished reading one book and made it over half way through another (Felse mysteries by Ellis Peters).  I actually cast on this shawl a week ago, exactly (August 18), but finally got around to taking a photo today.

Pattern:  improvised
Yarn:  Artsygal
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Artsygal 1 - Finished!

I was going to do another knit on border across the top edge, but after 3 repeats I realized I wouldn't have enough yarn to complete it with the border that I picked, so I ripped it out and decided to block it and then decide if it needed more embellishment.  I quite like how it came out.  I still have 27.5 grams of the second skein left - all the yellow part.  I'm not sure what I will do with it.

Pattern:  improvised
Yarn:  Artsygal
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Artsygal - Main Border Finished!

I finished up the border on the decrease edge and the cast on edge last night.  I still have 27 grams of yarn, enough to do another knit on border across the increase edge, which is the neck edge of the shawl.  I am going to use a portion of the same border that I used on the other two edges, it just won't be as deep.  I've picked up stitches along the neck edge, but I had to cut my yarn and start picking up the stitches at the opposite end so that when I start working the knit on border the color sequence of the border will not be interrupted.  I joined my yarn to the tail of my cast on, which anchored it nicely and takes care of having to weave in either of those ends.

I debated working some short rows at the corner between the decrease edge and the live stitches edge, but in the end I decided that the turn angle was shallow enough that blocking will take care of things.  You can see the remains of my second skein sitting on top of the dress maker dummy.

Pattern:  improvised
Yarn:  Artsygal
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Artsygal 1 - One Skein Finished!

I finished up the first skein and attached the second skein and started working a border on the bottom edges.  I picked a wide border to use up as much of the second skein as possible.  This border is from a pattern called Damask Rose that was part of a Unique Sheep club a while back.  I modified the chart to make it garter stitch lace, in keeping with the garter stitch of the body.  I ran out of the first skein while knitting a right side row on the body, attached the second skein, and when I got to the end of the row I grabbed another needle and started picking up stitches every other row (between the purl bumps) on the decrease edge of the shawl.  Then I cast on for the edging and started working my way back.  The decrease edge had exactly the right number of stitches to get 10 repeats of the border pattern.  The live stitch edge has enough stitches for 10.5 repeats.  When I get done with that I think I will work another edging across the top, but work it so that the right side shows when it is folded back.  I'm having fun playing with this shawl.  I was telling my husband that when you have a skein of yarn that is very precious you are reluctant to just play with it.  With these skeins I don't have any reluctance at all and I'm quite enjoying the results.

Pattern:  improvised
Yarn:  Artsygal 3-Ply Merino
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Artsygal 1 - Half Way Done

When I don't feel like working on anything else, or I want to knit and read I pull this project out.  I'm about at the halfway point on the cake of yarn.  I'm liking the colors.  I've put together a stitch count spreadsheet so I can do some designing with this shape.  I'm thinking of two skeins, alternating garter stitch with lace.

Pattern:  improvised
Yarn:  Artsygal 3-Ply Merino
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Artsygal 1 - Cast On

Once I finished up my Black Eye Galaxy shawl I decided I needed to cast on another.  These shawls are like potato chips, you can't knit just one.  I went stash diving and came up with some skeins from Artsygal that I had bought a few years back.  These are dyed up as knitted blanks, so when they are caked they still have some kink from the memory of the stitches.  I learned my lesson with the Sunny Sides shawl and know not to work this yarn in stockinette stitch.  Hopefully garter stitch will reduce the unevenness that can come with these yarns.  This is a fun, easy knit, and I enjoy seeing how the color changes.  I have two skeins of this colorway, but they are caked in reverse order so I thought I would knit them both and see how the color pools depending on which end you start with.

Pattern:  improvised
Yarn:  Artsygal 3-Ply Merino
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)