Sometimes when I have several big projects on my needles, I need to cleanse my palate with a smaller project that I can get done in a few days. Sunday I cast on a new Bandana Cowl with yarn from the stash. It got off to a rough start, though, and I was afraid I’d chosen poorly.
First, I was trying to adapt a pattern meant for bulky yarn to aran weight, so I was using notes from another knitter. The first needles were too big, though, so I frogged and started over with a smaller size. I liked it enough, until I got a few rows in and saw a dropped stitch way down at the beginning. I didn’t like it enough to keep going, so I frogged again and cast on with size 8 needles, and this time it worked. Except I did drop a stitch again and had to ladder it up about five rows.
It wasn’t my favorite yarn; it was a little nubby, and thick & thin in places. It’s Skacel Urban Silk, which is 80/20 silk and cotton. It’s definitely soft, and has the lovely drape of silk, but something about it just didn’t thrill me, so I’m glad I made this with someone else in mind. Now let’s just hope she likes it!
It’s definitely smaller and more snug than the original was intended, but it fits me well and should be perfect for the recipient. And it got two skeins of yarn out of my stash!
The yarn is from The Loopy Ewe Seasonings Series in the color Kara’s Hanauama, and I loved knitting with it. It feels tightly plied, nice and sturdy, and the coordinating mini-skein was perfect for the main color.
These socks took me exactly a month to make, and I used exactly half of the main color, so I’m totally going to make a pair of shorties from the rest. And now I’m left with four shawls in my WIPs. I’m thinking I need to add some variety in there! More socks??
I cast on two days ago and I’m ready to start section four of six. Of course, the last three sections are quite a bit bigger than the first three, but still, it’s going quickly. And darned if I’m not starting to like short rows! They’re not as fiddly as they used to be, and the wedges they can create are super fun.
It’s going smoothly and quickly and I think blocking is going to make a huge difference, opening up the mesh triangles a lot. You need around 400 yards of fingering weight, and the pattern is free through August, so check it out if you want to play along!
It’s also super hard to photograph, since it’s so huge! But I got the nice triangular shape I was wanting, and a lovely drape, and now I’m just crossing my fingers that she likes it and that it will keep her warm in her cold office.
Next I want to cast on a short-sleeved sweater, and a shawl KAL, and maybe another sock. Time to cast on ALL THE THINGS!!
This is The Loopy Blue sock, because the yarn is Loopy Ewe Seasonings Series that the husband and girl brought home for me in May. It had the mini-skein of the solid blue and at first I wasn’t sure the two worked together but now I see that they’re perfect! And the yarn is great too; it feels sturdy and crisp, which I’ve come to appreciate in my socks. Yes, my foot is really that long. I would show you, except remember the Midwest summer I mentioned? No way a wool sock is going anywhere near my foot right now. We’re all just relaxing, trying to beat the heat!
bonnyknits 