Arroyo Shawl from Yarn Shop and More - Done!

It’s lovely.  I want another one!  And another.

The blocking wires make for really clean edges and a nice, tight stretch.  I’m truly pleased with the results!  At first I thought it wouldn’t be long enough--I tend to like my shawls big and long--but with the addition of a spiffy pin I like the scale of this one just fine.

Thanks, Yarn Shop and More for a truly satisfying--and skill-expanding--knitting experience.

Next up, I tackle something completely new for me:  knitting with wire.

PS:  If you live near Indianapolis, mark your calendars for Saturday evening, September 14 and stay tuned next week for details on the first-ever DestiKNITions event!

Arroyo Shawl from Yarn Shop and More - Day 4

The u-turn of knitting...

A well-shaped shawl is a thing of beauty.  Shaping is where the designer gets to strut her stuff.  Anyone can knit a rectangle--and I do have several lovely wraps that are simply that--but the crescents and triangles seem to be the foundations for the real “ahh” pieces.  

All knitters who hope to shape their pieces must make friends with the short row.  It is exactly that--a row shorter than the full garment.  It’s the u-turn of knitting: you stop and go back the other way, often zig-zagging your way across the piece much like a sailboat tacking into the wind.  Short rows are a crucial element of that central magic of knitting that is the turned sock heel.  Short rows make curves out of straight lines.

One of the biggest drawbacks of u-turning mid-row is that it often leaves a hole.  Holes are nice, we like them; holes make lace lacey.  But no one wants holes popping up in your garter stitch like mushrooms.  The solution then, is a little trick known as the wrap-and-turn:  

• Knit to the place where you need to turn
• Keeping the yarn in back (if you’re knitting, which in this case we are) slip the next stitch to your right hand needle without knitting it.  
• Turn your work and slip your yarn (which is now in front because you’ve turned around) to the back in between your needles.  
• Slip the stitch (which is now on your left needle because you’ve turned around) to the right
• Your working yarn will have done a little wrap around that slipped stitch, snuggling your short row up to the unknit stitches next to it and preventing a hole.
• Knit away on your new row, going back the way you came

Go ahead, try it.  If my description befuddles you, there are a number of fine videos on the internet that may explain it--or a version of that technique--in a way that suits you better.

This pattern uses progressive short rows to create the triangular shape.  The direction “knit to last stitch before turn” is the key here.  A dark yarn like this makes it hard to see that “last stitch before turn” in a sea of purple garter stitch.  In this case, I forgo my subtle stitch markers and use big, bright ones to guide my way.

So far, I’m really enjoying this shawl.  I’ve found myself plotting which yarn to use next--something dk or larger to see what the more substantial version looks like--and that’s always the sign of a great pattern. 

Arroyo Shawl from Yarn Shop and More - Day 2

"Lord, grant me the serenity to accept my stitch markers..."

Dramatic personality that I am, I’ve always loved the show-off qualities of lace and cable knitting.  They look like you’ve got ninja-level skills (and in some cases that’s exactly what you need), but they don’t always require huge doses of concentration to get a great result.  Oh, I enjoy a challenge, but I love a lace pattern that makes good use of a do-able repeat.  A pattern that won't force me to have my eyes glued to the chart, living in fear of my next botched yarn-over.  I also like having every other row being all purls--even though I hate purling--so I can catch my breath.

Long-time DestiKNITters will know I’ve made friends with stitch markers to fill the gaps in my questionable attention span.  My favorite are these small black ones made especially for lace and sock knitting.  They discretely mark my repeats without feeling like brightly colored training wheels on my needles.  Sure, I could eyeball it and risk a host of mistakes, but I’m more interested in fun than integrity where my knitting is concerned.  I do the same with high-volume cast-ons; I could count in my head, but we all know it’s a risky business.  

After all, I have had amnesia.

Arroyo Shawl from Yarn Shop and More - Day 1

Scaling down the fun...

After the large-scale outrageousness of the Udderly Divine Bag, this delicate and elegant Arroyo shawl feels like a refreshing change.    The project tucks perfectly in my handbag, despite the 241 stitches in width.  

Yeah, about those 241 stitches.  Why is it that, even with all my experience, I never seem to give myself enough yarn to do a high-volume long-tail cast on with projects like these?  At least this time I only had to re-do it once.  I think when I did the Peony Scarf it took three attempts--and that was 400 stitches per row!  With lots of stitches like this, I’m always happy when designers give me a cable cast on instead.  Still, I do understand that different cast-ons have different qualities, so I’m willing to trust the designer and eat a little humble pie on this one.

The pattern is one that scales up or down with the fiber you use.  While the model I saw in Yarn Shop and More (here at the right) was in Malabrigo Rios, they’ve given me Malabrigo’s Sock. This yarn has a lovely drape and a nice sheen without being too slippery.  It moves nicely through my fingers without snagging, and I’m pleased with the rich deep color of Violetta Africana.  Like most purples or blues, the camera has trouble capturing the hue, sorry.

I'm having fun imagining what the finished product will look like--and isn't that one of the entertainments of knitting?