Knitting Lull

Not much knitting on the home front, here.

A new job working overnights is really cramping my style. That and the effort to get out a little more, like socially. It happens. I'll be back on track soon!

Fountain Pen Shawl

Pattern: Fountain Pen Shawl
Source: Interweave Knits Spring 2009
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Pink Frost, 1 skein (470 yds)
Needles: 24" US 6 circular
Started: May 4, 2009
Finished: May 22, 2009
Modifications: I did only 7 repeats instead of the 10 recommended in the pattern, so that the shawl would be smaller and more scarf-like. Also, I'm cheap and was a little concerned about my first lacey lace project.



This is the thinnest yarn I have ever worked with! It was a great project, and since it used just one 50g skein, was super portable. However, it was still not really a few-minutes-at-a-time project. You have to be able to focus for at least a couple of rows. As the width of the shawl increases, a few rows at a time becomes quite a challenge.

I bought the yarn in Naples, FL on vacation and had someone else pick the color for me. If I hadn't, this would be the same avocado/celery/lettuce/olive greens as all of the rest of my accessories. The charts for this pattern really made me appreciate charts in general. I'm definitely more of a visual person, but I don't see how anyone would shun a chart in favor of written instructions! You can see how the rows make sense together - "these 6 k2ts all line up vertically/diagonally, now I know that there will be a slant here for a while."


Plus, I think it looks super-stylish and goes with everything. Maybe I'm wrong, but no one can stop me! I sense more lace projects in the future. Gotta finished up a WIP or two first, though.

Farmer's Market Bag (in progress)

New, springy projects are in the air! Well, in my knitting bags anyway - I haven't finished any of the supposed summer-projects... yet.

The newest, started just yesterday is the Market Bag by Vicki Square. I've known about this pattern for years, from Folk Bags (book from Interweave Press, 2003), but just never got around to buying the linen for it. Fortunately, my recent obsession with natural fibers and their respective qualities has allowed me to see the options I have besides too-expensive and nowhere-stocked Louet Euroflax linen. Thus, I purchase some pretty light blue Italian bamboo yarn at my LYS, Knit 1. It's almost metallic, it's so shiny, but the tight woven band is a bit more time-consuming than it would otherwise be, on a sport-weight with an astonishing 10 plies.

Oh! And I wanted to mention, since it came in so handy for me, that this pattern is also available free online at Knitting Daily. That's where the hyperlink above goes. Not many people have made this bag (only 19 on Ravelry) BUT I have faith in Vicki when she says that the mesh won't over-stretch. She seems very wily.


Since I'm out of town (and had to corner this pattern online after the "read it over the phone to me, honey" plan didn't quite work), no pictures yet. The bag should be 14"x14" - just in time for Farmer's Market season! Yay!

Ooh, and my other almost-finished secret spring knitting project was also started while I was out of town. A scarf made from a shawl pattern. More pastels. More exploring! More info later!

Moss Stitch Beret

Pattern: Moss Stitch Beret by Kent Turman [Ravel it!]
Source: Kent's Craft Blog
Yarn: Tahki Donegal Tweed in Midnight; just barely under one skein

Needles: US 3 and US 7 circulars

When: One April Weekend

I loved this hat when I made it in Encore wool blend in a great lime green but thought it would be better warmer or in a lovely tweed. Fortunately, Tahki Donegal Tweed was just right for the job, and fun to work with. The hat feels just a little different, but I think that's because it hasn't been broken in yet.

Green Gable Sweater

Here are pictures of the aforementioned recent projects, including one of the ongoing Green Gable Sweater. I'm working it in the largest size since my yarn is smaller than the recommended Wool Ease Chunky. Oddly, my needle size is the same, so I suppose the finished item won't be as thick as the original. On the other hand, it's 100% wool instead of just 25%, so it will probably be just as warm.

One Sleeve Down: Green Gable Sweater

My next big-sized project (though not horribly complex) is the Green Gable sweater from Vogue Fall 2008. Like a few others on Ravelry, I'm making it with Cascade Ecological Wool. This particular wool is a continuation of the Hemlock Ring blanket that I made earlier this year. One hopes that this will be the year of expanding into larger projects with relatively fine gauge and inexpensive wool.

Did I write about my wool-epiphany? I love it, for all of the reasons that everyone else does. I just finally decided it was worth it not to buy crappy acrylic.

I have one sleeve down on this sweater (done first to check gauge, then continued on), but no pictures yet. I have also worked a moss-stitch beret, a mitered beret and a pair of mitered mittens. Ravel them through their hyperlinks, while I work on pictures of my recent endeavors.

Still happy that I remade matches for all of the lost mittens this winter. It makes me happy every time I look at my winter-woolies stash that no mitten is lonely and that I have 2 of my favorite tam, but in different warmths/weights.

On second thought, I have also worked away some of the lonely balls of sock yarn that were clogging up my stash, and if I do say so myself, I have improved my photography skills considerably since I learned a few new tricks. See below (and at my Etsy website):