After the rain left, I took my new beauties outside and took some photos, and I had to share some of the best ones.
Reyna Shawl
Secret Beach Scarf
Tag Archive | shawl knitting
Reyna & Saroyan
Yesterday was a happy day:
That’s my new dishwasher! When we bought this house, it came with an old dishwasher. It worked, mostly, but it also wasn’t installed correctly so when we opened it, it would rock forward. The silverware container was small, cramped, and partially broken. So we decided that part of my first paycheck would go toward a replacement. And it’s fantastic!
But I also finished my Reyna yesterday. After a morning of chores and errands, I picked it up after lunch and realized I was running pretty low on yarn. That meant I could only get five more rows in before binding off, and that went very quickly. Then Grace said she would try it on for me.
She approved. It then went upstairs for washing and blocking. I blocked it a little aggressively, because it was a wee thing and I wanted it bigger. Can’t wait to unpin it later today and try it on. I really really enjoyed making this shawl. The pattern was fantastic, and it’s not often you come across a pattern that works so well with variegated yarn. I’m pretty sure I’ll be making another Reyna.
While I was blocking, I figured I might as well go ahead and block the Secret Beach Scarf too. I’m a little embarrassed to share this photo because it’s such a crap blocking job. But it’s SO LONG, and I’d used up all my KnitPicks blockers and just couldn’t stand the idea of doing T-pins all down the length of this scarf. It’ll be fine. Right?
So, big shawl done. Bulky cowl done the other day. You know what that means: time to cast on something new! After much (and I mean A LOT) perusing, I finally chose a pattern for my Dream in Color Classy with Cashmere. The winner was Saroyan.
I feel like this is one of those super popular patterns that’s kind of required for knitters, much like the Hitchhiker, and I can see why. Isn’t it lovely? So much fun to knit, though part of that is the super-soft merino/cashmere yarn. I adore the leafy border. I have a playdate with my Knitting SIL this afternoon, and this is what I’m taking with me.
Enjoy the last bit of your weekend, friends! Monday will be here all too quickly.
Three Times a Cowl
Last weekend I cast on a couple of new projects. One of them was with my treasured Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Bulky.
I wanted something simple to show off the yarn, something quick and easy that would be a good travel project for my lunchtime knitting at work. I chose The Simplest Cowl, all stockinette, cast on, and took it to work with me last week.
It was definitely fast; I finished in just a couple of lunch breaks. But I didn’t like it. It was too wide and too short. I frogged and started over with 75 stitches, but then the yarn pooled (not sure if that’s the right word) in a weird way. The colors stacked instead of being more random. Frogged again and started with 85? 87? I’m not sure. Again, it went quickly and yesterday I finished it and bound off during lunch, and happily put it on.
It was still too short. It curled so much that the curls were all you saw when I was wearing it. My one skein just didn’t go far enough to make the look I wanted from that pattern. Now, if it were any other yarn, I probably would have tossed it aside, listed it on Etsy and forgotten about it. But I love this yarn, plus it was a gift from my mom. It had to be something I loved, something I would wear. I frogged one more time and rewound it. I went through the cowls on Ravelry that others had made with this yarn, and found one that looked quite delightful called Squishy Soft Cowl. I found the right needles, double-checked the pattern, and headed out with the girl to see The Secret Life of Pets. This would be my first foray into movie theater knitting.
And it went quite well, I must say! I got a good chunk done before the movie even started and was able to keep track of the simple pattern while still paying attention to the movie. It probably helped that the movie was a little silly and I didn’t have to work at all to keep up. I’m not sure I could knit that well during a movie aimed at actual grownups. Anyway, I got through 3/4 of the yarn and finished it last night and THIS TIME I’m happy with the end result.
I chose the smallest version so it would be snug and tall, and it came out exactly right.
Do you want to see my other current project too? It’s the Reyna shawl with my new blue/green Araucania Huasco. I think I love this as much as I love my rainbow. It seems to be such a good match of yarn and pattern, and the pattern is so fun. It’s just sections of garter and mesh alternated so that you never get tired of either one.
I’m using my new Addi Turbo Lace needles and really like them. They’re lightweight, super smooth, and I love the pointy tips. I’ll be adding more of these to my wish list. I have about 40 rows left and then it’ll be done. But this isn’t a good lunch break project, so I’ll be casting on something new today to take to work this week. Maybe a hat this time!
Something else fun: I keep finding more knitters at work. The lab manager knits, and brought in a shawl she’s working on so I could help her with it. And we decided her 8yo daughter needed to learn to knit, so I brought in some 10″ size 11 needles and a skein of bulky acrylic in a pretty teal for her to try. Anything to create new knitters, right? The needles were metal ones I’d found secondhand for cheap, so I didn’t mind passing them on. As we sat in the break room knitting, we discovered another knitter as well as a crocheter. Just wait, I’ll bring all these yarn people together and create a big yarny community over there! *rubs hands together evilly* Bwahahaha!
I’m back, with a Shawl!
Guys! I have missed this whole blogging world! I’ve missed writing and posting photos and reading all your blogs and commenting on them, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get caught up. But I’ll do my best.
For those who don’t know or have forgotten, I got a full-time job, and I started this past Tuesday. Each day I’d work, then come home and play with pups, catch up on my Wimbledon, do a bit of knitting and fall into bed by 10 each night. Adjusting to this new schedule is hard, but thankfully, I think the job is going to be great. I’m a senior administrative assistant at a medical research institute, and I’m supporting two labs. (I know, it probably sounds a little strange, because I have very little science experience. But I rock at office management. Plus I think science is pretty interesting, so it’ll be cool to see the super smart scientists at work.) Last week was all training, and now I have a 3″ binder full of materials I think I was supposed to learn. I mean, I learned a lot, but I guarantee that for 95% of those things, I’ll need help the first time I do them. And that’s okay, because the people there are awesome. Everyone expects us to ask for help, everyone is more than happy to answer questions or give tips. It’s fantastic. It’s a friendly, laid-back environment, and I *might* even be able to go back to my purple hair at some point, which would be awesome. Anyway, it was a good week and I think I made the right decision and I hope I figure out what I’m supposed to do when I show up on Monday.
I did manage to sneak in a bit of knitting here and there on breaks, and finished this pair of fingerless gloves. They’d been a lingering WIP for weeks, so I’m delighted to free up that project bag.
At night, I worked on my Peek-a-Boo Bay Shawl, and bound off yesterday morning. Once again, I ran out of yarn way before the pattern said I should, but I didn’t swatch so I’m sure it’s my fault. It worked out fine anyway; I just did fewer repeats of the lace chart and ended up with a shawlette. I’d still like to do the full version at some point, just not right away. Because: it has a picot bind-off. Have you done that before? Yes? Then you know how tedious it can be. By the bind-off of any project, I’m ready to be DONE, and I want it to go FAST. Picot bind-offs on shawls do not go fast. At all. But they’re lovely and it really is a wonderful way to end this beautiful shawl.
Here’s the blasted picot edging:
More/better pics forthcoming, when I have the time and energy to do an outdoor photoshoot.
Already, my knitting philosophy is changing. The focus has swung away from making things for my Etsy shop and toward things for myself, and maybe a few gifts. Right now I’m in a “Finish all the WIPs” mode, and then I want to cast on a new hat and maybe a cowl. But I’m not really interested in making things for craft show inventory. Maybe it’ll adjust as I adjust to my new schedule, but for now I’m happy to be a purely selfish knitter.
Oh, speaking of knitters: my new company supposedly has a knitting club! Someone mentioned it to me but I haven’t found the people yet. That will be on my To-Do list for next week. AND they have a book club that’s reading Eleanor & Park this month, so I know they’re good people. It’s funny: within a span of two weeks, I applied for over 15 jobs. This was the only one I heard from, and it just happened to be the one I thought was the biggest stretch. I didn’t meet all the preferred qualifications but I thought it was plausible, it sounded interesting, the company is well-known and highly respected, and I’d be doing something worthwhile. I guess it just goes to show that sometimes things work out exactly the way they’re supposed to.
This week, my goal is to finish my Secret Beach Scarf.
Marcelle Wrap: Done
I finally finished the Marcelle Wrap yesterday! Bound off in the morning, wove in ends, and blocked it last night. It’s currently pinned out and drying.
Grace is included in this photo for scale. It came out rather large, which was a surprise since I couldn’t get a sense of size when it was all bunched up on the needles.
I know I struggled a bit making this shawl, all faults of my own, but now that it’s done I’m delighted with it. It’s one of those projects where I can look back at it in pride that I was able to make something like this.
The pattern is the Marcelle Wrap by Little Church Knits. It’s well-written, a good shawl for an advanced beginner like me. My only comment is to buy extra yarn! Yarn is KnitPicks Palette in Oyster Heather and Rainforest Heather. I ended up using approximately 2.5 balls of the main color and 1.5 of the contrast color. No idea what I’ll do with the leftover bits but right now I’m tired of the colors and they can just go to the back of the stash.
I also finished the hat I was test knitting, so it’s drying and then I’ll do photos etc. I really should be knitting all weekend, because my knitting time is about to get cut drastically: my job search is over! I got an offer on Wednesday, accepted it Thursday morning, and I start this coming Tuesday. Yep, that’s extremely fast, faster than I originally wanted, but it couldn’t be helped. I’m going to be an administrative assistant at a medical research institute, and I’ll be supporting two new scientists. The first is moving his lab in on the 11th, and they wanted me to at least be partially trained before he arrived. The second arrives in early August, so I’ll get to ease in a bit before she arrives. I’m really excited but also terrified. Intellectually, I know I’ll be able to do the job just fine…but still, it’s new and different, and that’s always a little scary too. So you probably won’t hear from me quite as often, at least while I get settled in, but I’ll do my best.
For now, I must run and sweep the floors. We’re having a birthday party here today: my “baby” is 13 now! Yep, I have two teenagers in the house. Thank you, your sympathies are much appreciated.
U.S. friends, have a happy and safe Fourth of July!
KnitPicks Day
My KnitPicks box came on Saturday! Isn’t KnitPicks day always a good day? I think so! Here’s my haul:
Most of it is for fun shawl knitting, though I haven’t decided on patterns yet. But I got the last bit of green I need to finish my sister’s Marcelle Wrap, and I got the yarn I ordered to make a beanie for my son. I started it that night while playing Cards against Humanity with my siblings, but perhaps not surprisingly, didn’t get too far that night. I have since progressed further but am now thinking that maybe he doesn’t need it for a July birthday and it could be postponed.
I’m thinking that mostly because there’s a lot of other stuff happening this week. I’ve got my interview today (for which I’m not that nervous because I know I could rock this job), a few errands, plus birthday party prep (ugh so much cleaning and grocery shopping). I’ve got a hat test knit that I want to get going on, and I got the yarn for that in my box too:
This test knit is for a newer designer who’s got a few patterns on Ravelry under the name Smashleestitches. We found each other on Twitter and one thing led to another and now I’m making a hat from her newest design. I’m kind of loving this test knitting thing. And finally, I still want to get back to my Peek-a-Boo shawl now that I’ve got the contrast color on hand.
I’m pretty sure I’ll cast on the hat first so I can get the test knit done, and then the shawl will fall next in line. If I get my kids to help with party prep — hey, I have a daughter who can drive! She can go to the grocery store! — that means more knitting time for me. Many hands make light work, right?
All right, off I go! Send some good juju my way!
Peek-a-Boo Bay Shawl
Yes, I did cast on a new shawl yesterday, a new shawl in gorgeous bright rainbow yarn, and it was absolutely the right decision. I’m in love with it and don’t want to knit anything else right now. I think it’s just the right combination of color and pattern for me.
The pattern is Peek-a-Boo Bay Shawl, one of the fantastic Free Pattern Friday gifts from Little Church Knits. Yep, same person who did the Marcelle Wrap! I’m using Manos Del Uruguay Alegria for the main color, and I managed to cast on with the right size needle this time. The size 6s are giving it a delightful loose gauge, perfect for this warm-weather shawl. I will need another color for some stripes near the end, but I wanted to knit it for a while to see the colors before I decide. Right now I’m leaning toward the bright yellow-green, though the blue is a close second. This will probably be my weekend project, and the calendar’s pretty empty, so don’t be completely shocked if I have a finished shawl by Monday!
Back to the Lace
Having finished the test knit project, I returned to my sister’s Marcelle Wrap. I’m near the end, at the lace section, and it’s a chart. I know many knitters love charts. I do not. Therefore, I took the time to translate the chart into written directions. Sadly, yesterday when I picked up the project, I realized I hadn’t read it all carefully and my instructions weren’t right. Close, but not quite right. So I adjusted them and forged ahead. It’s going a bit slowly, what with almost 350 stitches in each row, but it’s fun.
You can just barely see the beginning of the chevron pattern. It doesn’t help that it’s all squished together on the cord, but I can’t help that. Take my word for it, it’s going to be pretty cool. I don’t know how quickly it will get done, because the knitting is taking a backseat to the job search. It’s…an adventure. I’m learning what kinds of jobs intrigue me, and I’m learning that the online application process is lengthy and time-consuming, but I’m also learning that there are a lot of different industries and roles that need strong writing skills, and I’m confident I’ll find something that’s a good match for all involved. It is hard, though. Thankfully I have the support of a good dog, who’s by my side for almost everything, from working out…
to knitting…
Wishing you all a happy Friday and a lovely weekend!
Pink Diamonds: Take Two
I blocked my Pink Diamonds shawl yesterday and oh my gosh, guys, blocking is never so magical as it is with lace. I liked the shawl before; now I’m obsessed with it. Brace yourself. There’s lots of photos coming because I couldn’t choose between them.
I think I’m prouder of this than anything else I’ve ever knit. I don’t know why, because it wasn’t more difficult than other things I’ve made. But I just can’t stop looking at it in wonderment. I think it’s official: I’ve become a shawl knitter.
What’s your favorite shawl pattern? (But not lace weight. I can’t handle that craziness.)
If you’re looking for pattern details, check out the previous post.
Knitting Fail
Well, crap. I have made an error. You know that Marcelle Wrap I’m knitting? I ordered the right amounts of yarn, cast on, and knit away…and then I got toward the end of the striped section and ran out of the cream yarn. 
I double-checked the pattern and yep, I did it as written. Yarn amounts? Yes, I should have had enough. So why? Why did I run out?
Needle size. The pattern called for 4.00mm, and I mistakenly grabbed a size 4, which is 3.5mm. Now, I haven’t been knitting long enough to understand how or why the heck that would screw it all up, but it’s the only variable. Dadgummit all. Guess I’m ordering another skein of yarn, and until it gets here, this project is going in timeout.
bonnyknits 