Tag Archives: shawl

What’s Old is New Again

2 Replies

We’re going back. Waaay back. Way back to a month after I started the blog, and the first pattern I self-published.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

It’s the Lace-Edged Shawl! (I was pretty literal with my pattern names back then… I’m still not great at naming things, but I like to think I’ve improved a bit.)OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

This bad boy was my first attempt at writing out a pattern… and holy cow, did that show. So many typos! So many poorly worded sentences! So much incorrect terminology!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

So, I’ve rewritten this and fixed a bunch of formatting stuff. It’s amazing how much my pattern-writing has improved over the last three years (if I say so myself)!

You can get the *New and Improved* pattern Lace Edged Shawl-Updated!

Inspiration: Me Time

2 Replies

We’re Knitters.  And, as Knitters, we knit for the people we care about- family, friends, neighbors, especially around the holidays.  I’ve been knitting my fingers to the bone doing my best to finish everyone’s gifts before Christmas.  And now that Christmas is done- well, I’m a little at a loss.

Now it’s time for what I’m dubbing the First Annual Knit For Yourself Month.  Let’s celebrate January by knitting for ourselves!

I’ve gone through my stash and gone through my Ravelry Queue, and picked out three projects that I could totally work up without even stopping by my LYS (although, I do love a good trip to my LYS).  And the best part?  These projects would be just for me!

I could break out my lace-weight and my tiny needles and make a beautiful, intricate lace shawl.  I love knitting lace, but I’m not a very “lace-y” kind of girl.  I’ll wear a lace shawl once or twice after I block it, but then it sits in a closet, or, if it’s lucky, it’ll get hung up on the wall.  So maybe not… it is pretty though…

Haruni by Emily RossHaruni-0001-ps_medium[1]Or, I could make a sweater- I do love a good sweater.  I saw a group of girls wearing this sweater (they each had one in a different color) at a knitting conference last year.  it was super flattering and adorable over dresses.  Look at that cable down the front- beautiful!  And, since it’s cropped, I bet I have enough yarn on hand.

Chuck by Andi Satterlund

chuck06_medium2[1]Or, I could make a dent in my sock yarn stash.  After all, I made socks for everyone else in the family, I might as well make myself a pair, too.  And, these cute little lace guys have a toe-up heel flap- a technique I’ve been meaning to try.

Diagonal Lace Socks by Wendy D. Johnson2006685477_2221a6e6f6_z[1]

What would you like to work on for Knit For Yourself Month?

Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away!

3 Replies

OK.  Fair warning.  I’m going to complain about something that I probably shouldn’t.  If you want to skip this post, I totally understand.

That being said, here goes:

It needs to rain more.

I know, I know!  I live in Seattle, and I’m complaining because the weather’s been too nice?  Give me a break!

Summer started extra early this year, and it has been sunny and warm for months.  We had a few blissful weeks of rain and clouds, but now it’s back to being summery- I even had the windows open yesterday!  I thought I lived in Seattle, and not Los Angeles!

Where is my rain?  Where are my clouds?  Where are my days spent curled up beneath an afghan, watching the rain drip through the cherry tree outside my window, a cup of tea on the end table and a half-finished sweater in my lap?  Where is my rain!

Maybe there’s some kind of knitter’s rain dance I can do?

I could make this gorgeous shawl in lovely rainy colors.

Color Affection by Veera Välimäkicolor-affection-2_small_best_fit[1]

I could knit up these socks with their raindrops, waves and cloud patterns.

Water Cycle Socks by Tami Sheifferdscn0958_medium2_small[1]

Or, if worst comes to worst, I could always just make my own raincloud.

Rainycloud by Anna Hrachovec483379646_e95e3b0597_z[1]

How’s the weather in your neck of the woods?

Funfetti-Projects!

4 Replies

It’s taken months to finish spinning my Funfetti yarn. Now it will take me months to find the perfect pattern.

Part of the problem is that the yarn has fairly long runs of color- not long enough to be considered self-striping, but not short enough to be considered variegated.  I have to be careful with the pattern I pick, or the colors might start to pool weirdly.

For example, if I pick a shawl or scarf that’s knit longways, the colors will be all spread out and more muddled toghether:

HorizontalLots of shawls are knit this way, like The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief by Orange Flower Yarn.

20_00-_leagues_shawl_2_small_best_fit[1]Or, if I knit it shortways, the colors might pool against themselves, making a kind-of-striped look:

VerticalScarves tend to be knit this way, like Baktus Scarf by Strikkelise.

DSCN3515_small[1]Or, of course I could pick a shawl that is knit both longways and shortways, like the French Cancan by Mademoiselle C.  (The body of this shawl is knit longways, while the edging is knit shortways.)

DSC_8833_small_best_fit[1]But, if I’m being honest, my Funfetti Yarn will probably just sit on my shelf, being pretty for a good year or so.  But it’s a fun thing to think about!

What would you make with my Funfetti Yarn?

Help me! I think I have a problem!

6 Replies

And that problem is that I’m now obsessed with lace shawls.  I can’t stop looking at patterns.  I’ve even gone digging through my stash and found a bunch of yarn I could use .

Sock yarn!

I’ve been collecting sock yarn over the years, and I have a big box of it next to my desk.  Sometimes I open it up and dig around in it just for fun.  But now I think I want to make a lace shawl with some of my sock yarn (despite having absolutely zero time for “fun” knitting right now.)

So here’s your task: talk me out of knitting one of these shawls.

I love the garter stitch body on this one, with the big openwork edge and the chunky braided cable.  Gorgeous and elegant!  Look at those huge eyelets along the edge!  So pretty!

French Cancan by Mademoiselle C

DSC_8833_medium2[1]I love this one, too.  It’s not exactly lace-y, but it is completely beautiful.  And I could use up a bunch of little skeins of leftover yarn to make the gradient stripes!

Song of the Sea by Louise Zass-Bangham

DSC_6050_-_Version_2_medium[1]And how great would this one look with a soft gray garter stitch panel and deep burgundy or forest green for the lace edging?  *Drool.*

Henslowe by Beth Kling

IMG_1366Or, of course, I could (should) just keep on working on the projects I’ve already committed to.  But where’s the fun in that?

Inspiration: Lace Shawls

Leave a reply

All this talk about lace (and blocking lace) has gotten me itching for a new project (despite the fact that I have a million other projects I need to be working on, and I’m working more than 40 hours a week for the summer- Wheee!).

I usually am not terribly girly with my clothes. You can find me more often in flannel and jeans than dresses and lace.  But, I admit- I’m a sucker for a gorgeous lace shawl.

There’s something fantastically satisfying about knitting up something beautiful and complicated- especially with beads.  Lace shawls drape amazingly and are simply gorgeous.  I don’t even wear most of the ones I’ve made over the years.  I have several hanging on my walls as art.

And when I’ve had a bad day, I love ogling lace shawl patterns, and lusting after skeins of luxury lace yarn at my local yarn shop.

Sigh…

Rainshine by Boo Knits

rain3_zpsrsexz0oo_medium2[1]Out of Darkness by Boo Knitsdarkness6_medium2[1]Snow Angel by Boo KnitsIMG_7621_medium2[1]Do you have a guilty knitting pleasure?

Blocking: Lace

3 Replies

Nothing makes me happier than finishing a big lace project- a shawl, a scarf, or a fancy-pants sweater, and stretching it out across my blocking boards.  There’s something alchemical and transformative about blocking lace.  It’s kind of magical.

You start with a little blob of knits, purls and yarn overs, and toss it in some water to soak.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

It stretches, and changes, and I think I’m going to accidentally rip it in half (especially if it’s something particularly delicate).  But, then, I get it pinned out, and hey, presto!  You can suddenly see all the lovely stitch detail.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAEven when you remove it from the board, the fabric is totally transformed from the ugly knot you started with.  Now, it’s flat, beautiful and incredibly drape-y and wonderful.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, of course, pinning out scallops and points on finished lace shawls always makes them look even better!  (Remember how we tried to avoid stretching the knitting so much that it made points on scarves and socks?  You can do it on purpose now!)

Here are a couple shawls I’ve made over the years with interesting borders:

Panache by Lankakomero

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Aeolian Shawl by Elizabeth Freeman8176172544_3cfd6827e5_z[1]

Knitting lace can be a tedious and slow process, but there’s nothing more satisfying than pulling out the last pin from your dried shawl and looking at your beautiful creation.

Inspiration: Marriage Equality!

2 Replies

I do my best to keep this blog as politics- and opinion- free as possible (except my opinions on socks, which are varied and many).  But, sometimes, something happens in the news that is so amazing, so life-changing, so fantastic that you can’t help but celebrate it!

The Supreme Court, just this morning, ruled that same-sex marriage is a right covered by the constitution!  That means that same-sex marriage is now legal in all 50 states!  It makes me so happy that I’m literally tearing up writing this.  It’s an amazing day, and, in my opinion 100% the right decision.

Read this paragraph from their decision (it’s the last paragraph on page 28, if you’re interested):

No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.  As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death.  It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves.  Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law.

The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed.

It is so ordered

Oh my god.  It’s so beautiful and moving.  Let me go find a Kleenex.

I have friends and relatives in the LGBT community, and I couldn’t be happier for them.  And, frankly, even if I didn’t know anyone in that community, I would still remember this day as a great day for human rights in our country.

(And it’s Seattle Pride this weekend!  What a great week!)

I want to celebrate this historic decision by breaking out the happiest, most Pride-y projects I could find!

Rainbow Dress by Georgie Hallam

Does this come in my size?

sagesrainbow_medium2[1]Rainbow Child by Rebecca Newman

Just kidding… I think I want this hoodie instead!IMG_4996_medium2[1]Monstermitts by Julia Allen

Although, if I wanted to finish a project before this weekend… I might be able to whip up a pair of these.

IMGP8512_medium2[1]Contagious by Deborah Frank

But, no,  I think what I really want is one of these.

contagious_1_medium2[1]Yay, SCOTUS!  You rock (especially Kennedy, Kagan, Sotomayor, Breyer, and my girl, the Notorious RBG).  Keep doing what you’re doing!

Pattern: One Row Wonder

5 Replies

Weee-Ahhhhh, Weee-Ahhhh!  (That’s the “New Pattern Alarm”… couldn’t you tell?)

I came up with this project on vacation, in the back of a minivan, when I was stuck with a ball of lovely blue gradient hand-spun, a pair of needles, and no pattern.  I wanted to make a shawl, but not a normal shawl.  A shawl that was easy enough to knit in the back of a minivan while sightseeing.  Something with an interesting shape, but virtually no pattern to memorize.

Thus was born the One Row Wonder.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe One Row Wonder Shawl might just be the perfect pattern. With only one row to memorize, you’ll have a brand new shawl with almost no effort! It can be knit at any gauge and with any yarn. It’s a perfect way to use up leftover yarn or that extra-special skein that’s been waiting in your stash (you know the one). The finished shawl has a unique shape, which wears like a scarf, but has the look of a triangle shawl. The One Row Wonder will knit up in no time and quickly become a favorite part of your wardrobe.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI made mine with a lovely, chunky yarn, but now I’m itching to work one up in fingering yarn.  How cute would it be made with stripes of leftover sock yarn?

Get the pattern for free!

One Row Wonder Shawl

EDIT 9/20/2015:  Sorry for the confusion about the “Loop Increase.”  Apparently lots of places have different definitions.  This tutorial from Knit Picks outlines how I do the Loop Increase.

350 (yards)

Leave a reply

It’s my 350th post!  That means I’ve written almost enough posts for you to read one every day for a year (if you wanted to go back and re-read them, I suppose.  Though why would you?).  I’ve got some awesome things planned for the next few months, and I can’t wait to show them to you (hopefully I’ll have time to realize all my ideas.  That’s always the problem.  Too many ideas and not enough time).

I’ve even got three free patterns churning around in various stages of not-quite-finished yet.  In the meantime, here are three awesome patterns from Ravelry that use about 350 yards of yarn (See what I did there?).

In the next couple weeks, I should have a very cool shawl/scarf pattern (not this one) finished up.  I just need to take some pictures and do some formatting on the final pattern.

TGV (High Speed Knitting) by Susan Ashcroft

rainbow_10_medium2[1]I’m working on baby sweater for a friend that’s expecting.  Once she gets her present, I’ll be posting the pattern I designed for her.  It’s not as fancy as this one, but still pretty cute.  (And, sorry to be vague.  I think she reads the blog.)

Latte Baby Coat by Lisa Chemery

DSC_0414_medium2[1]And, this one you know about.  We’re getting dangerously close to casting on our Design Series Socks.  I can’t wait!  (But, I suppose these are cute, too.)

Simple Garter Stitch Slippers by handepande

DSC_6605_medium2[1]Thanks for being patient!  I am excited about these upcoming projects (and other ideas bouncing through my head.  Soon, guys!  Soon!

(And don’t forget to enter your name into the drawing for a copy of Cute, Cuter, Cutest! I’ll be picking a winner on Friday!)