Epic Shawls

Mar 182012
 

I’ve been working on my Wollmeise Vamp Katanya a bit, and am down to the lace section - two more charts to go. The nice thing about this shawl is that I love it as much as when I first cast on, which is rarely the case with me. Though I’ve been distracted by new and shiny things, I’ve been motivated to keep going with this not just because I’m enjoying the knit, but also to free my needles up to cast on Quill when my Loft arrives. I’m guessing I’ll want to go all out once I get the yarn in my hands, so the sooner I get Katanya done and blocking, the better. Along with that, it’s still cool enough to enjoy in this spring weather, and I’d love to get some wear out soon!

Speaking of off the blocking board, I finally did unpin my Hemlock Ring Blanket last weekend. It’s the perfect lap blanket, and the Cascade Eco was a breeze to knit with. Combine the bulky yarn with 6.5 mm needles and it works up quickly. Who doesn’t love a little feather and fan in their life? If you’ve been considering casting this on, do so. It’s a quick, satisfying knit.

Speaking of all things Brooklyntweed, I have started my Winnowing with Saffron Dyeworks Odara. I need to intersperse it in between projects since a  1×1 twisted rib is a challenge to the wrists. Remind me to tell you about my secret weapon to stave off carpal tunnel flare ups – perhaps in a future post.

So far, I like how Winnowing is looking, and you were right about the Odara. The stitch definition is amazing. The silk content in it gives it a lovely shimmer and keeps stitches laying the way they were meant to. It’s working up so soft, it’s nearly cashmere-like, but with a whisper of a backbone. This may turn out to be The Epic Shawl. I’ve been enjoying using my Adrienne Speer yarn bowl – nice find, by the way!

How are your wedding shawls coming along?

~Purled

Progress Made

Feb 262012
 

I’m making some progress!

First off, my Owl for the House Cup. Rams and Yowes by Kate Davies. It needs to be half done by the end of this month in order to get extra points – though NQFYs don’t actually get points, I’m trying to make a good impression on the Professors in order to hopefully get sorted next term. And, I’m happy to say, that it is over half way done.

This is a really satisfying knit for many reasons. First off, the design is stellar. What Kate did with the seven natural Shetland sheep colors is really a work of art. They flow from one to another in almost a gradient feel, which had to be well thought out. There is also something gratifying in working with natural wool that has only been slightly processed. It feels like good honest knitting, something that Elizabeth Zimmerman would approve of. Also, I can see that my color work is finally improving. As I’ve gone on further in the pattern, I can see the tension becoming much more even. And lastly, as Gigi Knitmore would say, this is truly potato chip knitting. I am always wanting to do ‘just one more road’ to see what the pattern will look like knit up. I can hardly put it down. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I am already thinking of doing another colorwork project, like a larger blanket using the Thistle pattern for my next owl, assuming I can fit it into a prompt. The only thing I can’t decide is whether to use Wollmeise for it, or go again with Shetland, which is so nice and sticky for colorwork. Stay tuned.

I am also working on my Hemlock Ring Blanket, and hope to finish it in the next few days for the House Cup. Hello Edging Hell, I remember you! I began the bind off this afternoon. I’m hoping I saved enough yarn for the bind off. It would totally suck to spend hours and hours only having to rip back if I didn’t. I’ll keep calm and knit on until something tells me different. I’m really glad I finally took the Cascade Eco out of my stash to knit this up. It’s been a nice and cozy knit, and easy as well. Though there are now 0ver 500 stitches to do edging on, it is a quick knit. Use that Eco in your stash for this, and you won’t be sorry.

I’ve also been spinning. Kristen from All Spun Up put up some of her famous Millefiore 50/50 Merino/Silk a few months back and I got a pound. It’s gorgeous stuff, and though it took a while for me to learn to handle the high silk content, once I did, I was off and running. I am falling more and more in love with my new Cherry Matchless. I can’t believe how quiet and smooth she spins. No, she’s still not named yet, but I’m sure it will come to me. But just look at this roving! The colors and the shine are to die for! I’m currently spinning some singles, and have ordered another pound. Yes, that’s right, she’s going to be putting more up again! People wait for months and months to get their hands on this colorway, so if you’re at all interested, go now and sign up! I’m going to get you to spin someday, I just know it!

And lastly, I’ve gone stashdiving to pull out some Wollmeise Digitessa for Yarnissima’s La Digitessa KAL which starts March 1st. It is a gorgeous pattern, and I’m sure I can fit it into some prompt. This is another project that I’ve been holding on to the yarn for for over 2 years. I’m looking forward to casting on!

And, Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoyed! How was it?

~Purled

Overserved

Feb 202012
 

As I’ve said previously, it all started with a gluten-free cookie full of processed sugar, and a cleanse gone wrong. I hit the Loop update, and rather than one or two batts, I ended up with seven. Eight if you count the sample Steph was so kind to send along.I believe I was overserved.

But who could blame me? Perhaps I haven’t mentioned it, not wanting to jinx it, but I was on the list to receive a Limited Edition Schacht Cherry Matchless. I was notified on the 10th by Susan of Halycon Yarns that my wheel was built the day before and was on it’s way to me. I was tracking it obsessively on the UPS site, refreshing the page at least every hour on my iPhone for days. I may or may not have contributed to the site going down for two days with my feverish checking to see it’s progress, or perhaps it was just a coincidence. I had read in the Ravelry forums that several had arrived a day early, and mine was scheduled to come while I was on the Vineyard. I ended up coming home a day early.

And here she is! Pictures really don’t do her justice. The cherry is warm and glowing, the surface of the wood soft as silk, the waves in the grain perfection. I’ve never spun with double drive before, and it makes me feel like the world’s greatest spinner. I spun some 50/50 merino silk from All Spun Up, which I had previously tried on my Sidekick, and had trouble with. On the Matchless, it glides smoothly through my fingers and ends up on the bottom with the perfect amount of twist. I am in love.

I had never really gotten the thing about naming your wheel, though I had named my Louet Victoria The Queen, because I secretly hated her. Now, I do get what it’s like to have affection for a “thing”, and I will name her eventually. It has yet to come to me.

You asked about Knitting Resolutions. I am in awe of yours, though I have no doubt you’ll do just fine. I have a few. Every Wednesday is going to be WIP Wednesday. I will knit on my oldest WIP, and put them through a rotation. I have some lovely projects that I’ve abandoned – yes, Rock Island, I’m talking about you – and I want to get them finished. Now that I have Knit Companion, I feel like I can knit just about anything, even if the pattern is charted rather than written. What have I picked up lately? Leaves Of Grass, Rock Island, and as previously mentioned, I cast on Jared Flood’s Hemlock Ring Blanket, the yarn for which had been languishing in my stash since 2009. It feels pretty good!

What have you been working on?

~Purled

Blame It On The Cookie

Feb 122012
 

I am using all the self control I possess, (which isn’t all that much, I mean can we talk about the Loop Bullseye Batt update earlier this week?) to ignore any reference you made to the Superbowl. Instead, I will graciously move on to compliment you on your lovely projects. Seriously. That sweater of yours is going to be gorgeous, and I take back any doubting comments I made when you first mentioned casting on for it. Pulelehua is one of my favorite Romi shawls, and I am thinking I will wait to cast on for it until March 1. That way I can turn it in for the House Cup, and I do need to keep knitting away on my Rams and Yowes, my Owl Project for the Harry Potter House Cup, which needs to be half way done by the end of the month.

I have just finished the first repeat of the Rams heads. At first, I was diligently weaving in my floats every other stitch, but in the forums saw that the shetland will felt together on the opposite side since it is so ‘sticky’ of a yarn. That lead me to wrap every 8 stitches or so, and it’s going much quicker. I’m planning on the rumply look blocking out – it will won’t it? (The correct answer here is “Of course it will, you’re a brilliant knitter, I don’t know why you worry about such things.”) I’ve always envied those who can do colorwork and have it look neat and orderly before blocking, and perhaps I just need to do more of it.

I do love the blanket though – or pillow cover as you have called it, since it measures 36 inches square – and will try to make it larger by adding more of a border to it. Half of my problem in beginning this was that a 32 inch circular was too large to knit on comfortably, so I was having to Magic Loop, which I find to be an annoying time sucker. I changed to the 24 Addi Lace Turbo which has a needle which is about 4 inches long and too small for my clodhopper hands. Finally, I had a custom one made by Signature which gave me a 5 inch needle and a total of 29 inch length. It’s perfection.

I also cast on My Imaginary Knitting Boyfriend’s Hemlock Ring Blanket using some Cascade Eco Wool I had purchased for this back in 2009. There is something cleansing about knitting from stash, I’ll admit it, particularly when it’s a project you enjoy. I am planning on turning this in for the House Cup as well, so I need to get cranking on it. It’s bulky weight, so will go fast – I’m on to the Feather and Fan portion at this point.

Speaking of cleansing, as I mentioned earlier, I broke mine when someone came into the office with some gluten free cookies – which were full of processed sugar – right before the Loop Bullseye Batt update. I planned on getting one, maybe two bumps. I love Steph’s products, they are beautifully processed and a dream to spin.

High on sugar, somehow I bought seven. I blame it on the cookie.

~Purled

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