Peacock Shrug - Finished!

I thought it would be fun and informative to give some before and after shots of my Peacock Shrug.  This is before blocking. You can see how scrunchy it is.  The measurements before blocking were 9 inches for the folded width and 42 inches for the length.  Here is a blocking shot.

The dimensions now are about 10 inches for the folded width and 57 inches for the length.  To block I simply laid it out without stretching excessively and gently patting out any distortions.  It relaxes substantially, but that is what gives it the drape when you wear it.  I finished up the knitting last knit - reversing the two blue stripes on the first side, and then did the finishing this morning.  It took me about 2 hours to do the kitchener stitch grafting, the three rounds of knitting around the opening and the bind off.  One thing I can say about these projects, I'm getting pretty good at kitchener 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)

Peacock Shrug - Both Sides Done, But...

As I started on the blue stripes on the second half it occurred to me that it might look better if the darker blue were next to the orange instead of the lighter blue.  I had done about half a dozen rows of the lighter blue when this occurred to me, so I ripped back and worked the darker blue first and then the light blue.  The hue and intensity of the darker blue and the orange are similar, as are the lighter blue and the yellow-orange, so I think the colors balance better.  Now I will rip back the first side and reverse the blues.

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

Peacock Shrug - One Side Done

And half way through the second side.  After finishing up my test knit Saturday I spent the rest of the weekend working on my shrug.  I've given up the notion of finishing my third Camp Loopy Project.  The deadline is the day after tomorrow and there is no way I'm going to get there, and I'm not going to try.  Who needs self-imposed stress like that?  I stayed home from work today, feeling a bit like I was coming down with something.  After sleeping the morning away I've been enjoying reading and listening to the rain while I knit.  I wasn't sure about the colors when I finished the first side, but now that I've made such progress on the second things feel like they are coming together into a pleasing whole.

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

Peacock Shrug - Three Stripes Done

I finished up my test knit this morning, just need to block it, but last week I put it in time out because I kept making mistakes.  After I did an entire row with the wrong double decrease I just had to give it a rest and instead worked on my Peacock Shrug.  I even managed to make a mistake on this, simple as it is, not switching to the larger needle immediately after the increase row on the second stripe.  I did the exact same thing on the first stripe.  I don't think it really made much difference.

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

Peacock Shrug - Center Panel Done

I finished up the central panel this past week and took a little break from my test knitting to start the first stripe.  I've done a few more rows since then, but am still on the first stripe.  This is my easy knitting project for when I'm too tired to work on lace, but I have to be careful.  Last night I actually nodded off while working on it and almost lost a stitch, and forgot to switch to the larger needle when I was supposed to.  I switched to the larger needle one row late but I don't really think it will make much difference.  It looks like Biscotte & Cie will be releasing the pattern soon.  They had a Facebook post of some photos from a professional photo shoot and I spotted the shrug I knit for them, but was perturbed to see the model wearing it as a scarf instead of a shrug.  I do hope they have some proper photos of it.  I sent them two photos of me modeling it when I sent the pattern.

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