Maverick Cowl from Lucky Ewe Yarn - Day 2

Have I got the blues?

What a stunning blue this is.  I’ve been wracking my brain for what to call the color—Maverick’s label of “Wink” doesn’t really communicate the hue. It’s too deep for turquoise, too light for royal. Then I thought, “There’s got to be an app for that.”

Turns out, there sort of is. And what better place to turn for color identification than the good folks at Crayola?  Near as I can tell, this is "Pacific Blue." Which makes sense, because it strikes me as the color I think water is when viewed from a Caribbean beach. Not that I know from personal experience (a future DestiKNITion, maybe? Anyone have a tropical yarn shop to suggest I visit?)

This is the web, so maybe there’s help there. If you look it up on the internet HTML color chart, my guess is this is HEX#006699. Not as romantic as Pacific Blue, but perhaps more accurate.  Which could be useful, because like many blues and greens, the camera has a tough time accurately capturing the beauty of this hue.  

Whatever it is, it’s one of those yarns that catches people’s eye.  They stop and ask, what are you knitting? I love that. I’ll happily stop whatever I’m doing to tell them about the project and the fiber.  Knitters are like that. We love to share.

This pattern’s clever simplicity makes for great spectator knitting. I can go whole rows of knit stitch without ever once looking down (not quite as true on the YOK2TOG rows, but close). I took it to an outdoor concert yesterday and enjoyed myself immensely. I’ve got a book group and two long meetings coming up this week—needles at the ready!

Summer's Shadow Shawl from Hemstitched Heirlooms - Day 5

Happy accidents...

I’ve put in a lot of hours on the border of this shawl and I’m only a bit over one-third done.  This project will go to seven posts, I’m sure of it.

One interesting thing I’ve noted: to me, the garter stitch section of this shawl gives off a slightly more green hue while the border gives off a slightly more blue hue.  At first I thought it was a trick of the eye, but when I realized I switched skeins just about the same time I moved on to the border section, it made sense.  

So, if you’re knitting this with a hand-dyed or otherwise variable colorway yarn, you might want to make sure you are deliberate in when you switch from one skein to another.  For me, it was just a happy accident—one of the lovely surprises knitting offers up.

I have become comfortable enough to take this out in public, and I have a meeting tonight and a member-of-the-audience thing tomorrow, so I anticipate lots of useful knitting time.  I’ll need it—this thing is a sizable undertaking!

Age of Brass & Steam Kerchief from The Wool Cabin—Day 3

"Make one" memory...

Now, with the second eyelet pattern in place, this kerchief starting to look like something.  

I admit, it still feels a bit too thick and “rustic” for my taste—especially in this woodsy green color—but since the pattern directions call for aggressive blocking, I think it will lighten up in drape and texture. 

Even if it doesn’t, I’ve not yet knitted something where, if I didn’t care for it, I couldn’t easily find someone who loved it.  The truth is good knitting is never wasted—it always finds its way to the perfect recipient.

My biggest benefit from this piece so far is this: I now have the difference between “Make One Left” and “Make One Right” firmly imbedded in my brain, thanks to this nifty tip. How delightful never to have to look it up (or write it in the pattern margin) again! Who knew all I had to do was look at the slant of the stitch leg?  I love being able to pass along such wisdom to you, DestiKNITters.

You'd think the size 8 needles are small, but instead they offer up a satisfyingly quick rate of progress.  This would make excellent vacation knitting—bigger and quicker than socks, but still engaging and portable.  And pretty enough to indulge your host with something handmade and wearable!

On the Spice Market Shawl from Blazing Needles - Day 5

Earning my stripes…

In the final section of this dramatic shawl, the color does all the talking.  Wide stretches of each of the contrasting colors, separated by a line of alternating main color stitches, cascade out to the edge. In essence, you end where you began—just on a larger scale.  I like the poetry of that.

It comes, however, at the cost of very long garter stitch rows. Not so bad if you’re sitting listening to a presentation, a bit more challenging if you’re trying to get two stripes done so you can put up your next blog post.  It took me longer than expected (no true surprise for a sneaky side-to-side version of a top down shawl), but I’m certainly enjoying the payoff.  One more strip of gray, and then on to the vibrant colors.

I’ve had people stop me and ask me what I’m knitting.  It’s the rich colors and the bold graphic design, I think, that catch their eye.  That makes me happy, because I know that if it’s that appealing on the needles, it will be even more so once it graces my shoulders.  I know I’ll be thrilled whenever someone asks me “Did you make that?” because I’ll get to smile and say “Yes!”

Linen Stitch Bag from Unraveled - Day 5

A bag is born! 

Well, something that rather looks like a bag is born.  Right now it resembles a multi-colored blob closed at one end, but that’s to be expected at this stage.  When I look at it, the open edge feels wide.  Really wide.  Made more wide by the two-strands-held-together bind off which adds heft but in my case also seems to add width.  The open edge curves outward like a happy rainbow hat-brim.

Now, I am deeply aware that most of this probably won’t matter once the drawstring is implemented (and yes, I’m still living in fear of those endless rounds of i-cord).  I do wonder, however, just how tightly you can draw such a big thing closed?  Will it end up being practically useful?

The good news is that I don’t much care.  I love baskets and textured decorative objects, so if this ends up drawn lightly closed around a plant or just sitting as an object d’art on my office shelves, I will be equally happy as if it’s toting around my latest project.  Because it’s that pretty.  And making pretty things makes me happy.  

If it’s pretty AND useful, well that’s just icing on the cake, yes?

Linen Stitch Bag from Unraveled - Day 4

I have to say, I’m very pleased with the variety of patterns I’ve assimilated into this bag.  And the size is exactly what I was hoping for!  It has almost an Indian basket look to it, doesn’t it?  I’m generally not a “rainbow” person, but in this case the cavalcade of colors is just plain happy.  Not overtime I have ventured off-book for a pattern has it turned out this well, believe me.

Regular knitting—as opposed to linen stitch—feels like a breeze now without all the switching back-to-front-and-back-again of the working yarn.  I feel as if I’m zipping through these final rounds.  I’m taking time to enjoy this, knowing I have a daunting amount of i-cord looming at the end of this project.

The bag is so sturdy at the linen stitch sides that I think I will take the designer’s advice and fix some felt to the bottom to reinforce it.  

I was knitting outside on a lovely day at a concert in the park this afternoon, and after a demanding week of writing work, I relished the pleasure of knitting alfresco!  Which reminds me—don’t forget that World Wide Knit in Public Day is June 18!  Check here to see where an event is being hosted near you!

Linen Stitch Bag from Unraveled - Day 3

Bold...or foolish?

So, as it turns out, linen stitch with only one color is rather tedious after you’ve had the experience of knitting it with three colors.  Especially if the one color you’re using is cream.  Even the other two variegated colors would have been more interesting.  I keep wanting to throw a row or two of the color in just to spice things up.  

So, as I noticed my cream yarn resources diminishing at concerning speeds (I have crafted a bag slightly bigger than the pattern, after all), I decided something needed a bit of a switching up.  The pattern called for a return to multiple colors after 4 inches (which would mean 5 for my bag, taking proportions into account), but I didn’t think 5 inches of cream linen stitch would leave me much yarn to play with. Yet it still felt too early to go back to all the colors.

I chose an alternative that would ease out the full-on cream.  Instead of my previous rainbow-pastel-cream sequence, I went for pastel-cream-rainbow-cream for an inch or two.  It felt like something in-between the two.  The switch in order created something totally different, and I liked it as a bridge between the two.  Normally I don’t stray from patterns—especially where color is involved—but I’m happy with the results. 

What do you think?  Does it work? 

The Clincher Bandana Scarf from Ewe-Nique Yarns - Day 4

Pressing matters...

The color is pretty, but the rows are long.

The yarn has that marvelous wooly elasticity, but the rows are long.

The loopy closure looks really interesting, but I’ve got long rows to finish before I get there.

Do you sense a theme?

I think if it were all garter stitch, I wouldn’t be so grumpy.  But half the rows are purling, and purling just seems to go soooooo slow for me.  I can’t continental purl. Well, I can, but then after a few minutes my fingers cramp.  For a long row, that means I’m stuck with American style.  The fact that I can knit continental style—which is faster—just makes the purl rows feel that much more like slogging through molasses.

I’m determined to finish out the rest of my ball of Prairie Spun today so that tomorrow I can begin tackling those fascinating loopy closures.  It’s a rainy, chilly day in Chicago—the exact opposite of my last post—so it’s a good day to hunker down and knit.  

If only I didn’t have writing to do, errands to run, and this guy I married who has a right to expect some interaction (and some dinner made) from his spouse.  I’m writing the climax of my book, which is always rather exhausting (yes, writers get caught up in their work), so I want to run away and hide in my knitting.

So, today is going to be about pressing on.  In my writing.  In waiting for Spring take up permanent residence in Chicago instead of just swooping in for a day or two and then handing the keys back to Winter.  In finishing these ever-elongating rows of knit and purl.

Onward.

Lace Cowl from Rainbow Yarn & Fibres - Day 2

Holy yarn-overs, Batman!

Nice big needles always make for gratifyingly speedy knitting.  Some days you just need to see results, you know?  At a time when other things in my life are inching along—and that’s not a bad thing, I get that—it is nice to see this cowl taking quick shape under my fingers.

I find it interesting that I chose a beige yarn.  Lots of times I choose bright jewel tones, because I feel those match my cool coloring.  Only lately I’ve been working my way through Carol Tuttle’s Dressing Your Truth videos and my personality is definitely coming through as a  Type 3 (Rich  Dynamic), which features warm colors.  Me? Warm undertones? Really? Maybe it's an age thing.  I thought I’d sail through the process with some nice clear guidelines, but I’m only getting more and more confused as I go along.  Have any of you been through this “Beauty Profiling” course? I suppose it shouldn't surprise any of you that I seem to defy classification...

Ahem.  Back to knitting.  One thing to watch on this pattern—yarn-overing into a purl.  It’s a tricky business, because there’s an extra half-round involved in getting the yarn to where it needs to be.  If you don’t keep an eye on the tension, you’re going to get a much larger hole on one side of the stitch repeat than on the other.  

Watch your tension: a good rule for life and for knitting.

Alexandra Scarf from Gauge Knits - Day 3

Just the necessities of life...

Some colors just cheer you right up.  While the mind certainly goes to red with February just around the corner, I have to say the green is downright refreshing against all of Chicago’s slushy grey January.  Spring will be here…eventually.

I really thought I’d have the repeat memorized by now, but I’m still stuck counting rows.  that’s annoying, but I suspect it’s more a function of my 50+ year old brain cells than of any pattern deficit.

I’ve been working hard this week, staring endlessly at words while I race toward a deadline.  I can’t tell you how lovely it is to stop and knit on my breaks. Yes, they are both “creative pursuits,” but one is such a perfect counterpoint to the other.  I feel like I could spend the rest of my life bouncing back and forth between writing and knitting.  Well, as long as there was coffee and chocolate involved.  And maybe some peanut butter.  Peanut butter is always nice.  Oh, and lemon meringue pie.  And French macarons.  And maybe a few episodes of Doctor Who…

Island Knits Shoulder Wrap from Island Knits - Day 2

Big but not chunky...

Island Knits Wrap knitting in Florida!

This is a highly portable project, despite the size. Sure, I always feel like size 17 circular needles look more like something I ought to be jumpstarting a car with rather than something to knit an elegant accessory, but they get the job done.

And they get the job done fast.  This could be a weekend project easily.  In fact, given the length of your evening and the speed of your knitting, this could be a one-night stitch stand.  Especially if you decided to forgo the fringe.  If you need a quick, high-satisfaction project, this is an ideal choice.

The color continues to please me.  I wear lots of brown and a fair amount of grey, and this colorway combines the two and throws in a dash of dramatic turquoise as a bonus.  What's not to like?  It's the drape, however, that I find most appealing.  I tend not to favor the big chunky yarn stuff--I have no interest in arm knitting despite the current rage.  This is big,but it's anything but chunky.  It's got a large-stitched casual elegance.  This shawl will be as at home atop a t-shirt and jeans as it would over a summer dress.

…Except for the fringe.  I can't quite make friends with the fringe finish yet (fringe often feels too “western wear” for me), but I know it'll need something along the edge.  And how on earth will I know how much fiber to save for the edging if I don't know what it will be?  I hate not knowing if I'll have enough yarn to finish what I've started.  Oh, well, that's the drama of knitting.  Maybe I'll dream up a perfect solution on my way to the top edge.

Any suggestions?

Color Affection Shawl from Bliss Yarns - Day 2

Color me obsessed...

So now it gets tricky.  The lose tension required for the edge was not to hard to maintain when I only had one color to deal with, but now I have to add carrying the colors.  Read enough blogs and Ravelry posts (over 7,000 projects listed when I looked tonight!) about how hard this is to do right, and a girl could get nervous.  Really, I could make the case that the top edge of the Color Affection shawl has become a bit of a knitter national obsession.  It’s like the federal debt:  everyone’s got an opinion on how it should be solved.

Given all the considerations, I’m rather glad that my first contrasting color doesn’t contrast that much.  Now, I confess to being fascinated with the endless color combinations possible for this pattern.  I was on a Delta flight yesterday and actually found myself thinking about how a red/white/blue version would look great with the flight crew’s uniforms!  Still, I’m glad I’m doing my first one with a forgiving mix of variegated and related solids.  My shawl will look more ombre than stripey, and I’m fine with that. 

You know what's going to happen, don't you?  It won't stop here. I’ll have to make another one to play with a high contrast trio.  Flags? The purple and white of my Northwestern University school colors? Traffic lights?  The red, buff, and green colors of my college house Alpha Gamma Delta?  Can you see how this has gotten to the point where no knitter can seem to stop at one shawl?

What have you done?  What combinations are you wanting to try?

Cables Building Block from Knitting Temptations - Day 2

Color me happy...

I find it amazing the effect color has on me.  For a woman whose closet sports mostly grey, black, and brown, I'm genuinely impacted by color.  There is something about the bright turquoise, the cheery "Aqua Mint" of this yarn.  Truly, I have the sensation of the color choosing me rather than the other way around--hasn’t every knitter walked into a store and had a fiber pull at them in such an emotional way?

For a cable project, color is an important consideration--there's a reason the traditional Aran sweater is done in cream. Sure, it's the natural color of most sheep yarn, but the design would never show up on a darker color.  Or a patterned yarn--I tried a pair cabled mittens in a grey tweed with dismal results.

What is it about color?  Lots of things play on our emotional response to color.  The folks at LUSH, one of my favorite bath and skincare product companies, have dived into the cosmetics market with a spiffy line called "Emotional Brilliance." I fell for their wheel-spinning color choosing gimmick (much like the "turn the wheel and tell me the first thing you see” thing from Chocolat) loving the evocative names each color was given.  Try it for yourself here.

Part of what makes us yarn people is our powerful response to color and texture. We want to spend time with it, near it, pondering it.  It takes us hours to select bathroom tile, we need to touch things to purchase them, and we have trouble understanding the lure of the Home Shopping Network.  You can't touch the scarf on your television screen.  Is this true for you, too? Or are you just the opposite?

I love touching this yarn.  I crave the lushness of the bamboo, the cozy loft of my stitches, the creamy texture against my fingers.  Tactile Xanax, this stuff--a dose of calm and cheer no matter where I am and what I'm facing.  Making beauty, at least for me, is always the best medicine.

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 4

What is it about periwinkle?

There’s something about this color.  I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I find it entrancing.  This is a lovely pattern--elegant in its simplicity--but it’s the color that catches my heart.  I just don’t think this scarf would be the same in a more ordinary color.  It’s like I’m knitting sky, I suppose.  Or a perfect pre-dust summer evening.  I’d drool if a man with eyes this color stared at me.  I just keep staring at it.  Do you have a color that does that to you?

Um...a little help here?

I’ve made more than my share of goof-ups on this simple pattern.  Most of them stem from letting my mind wander (not a new problem for yours truly, believe me) and loosing my place in the pattern.  The good news is that I’ve managed to save myself each time.  The scarf is divided into perfect vertical quarters, so you’re only a dozen stitches or so into a row before you realize something isn’t lining up the way it ought to. I like that in a pattern.  It’s okay to be complicated, just build in a few ways to save myself from myself.

Knit-Along II: knit's Feather and Fan Shawl - Part 3

Keep on Keeping On...

A good part of this pattern is full rows of knit or near-full rows of purl, so this can get a bit tedious. The luscious color-way helps with that—I’d go cross-eyed doing this in a solid color yarn. I keep stitching through the waves of pastels, thinking how stunning I’ll look on Easter Sunday draped in my fabulous shawl.

For ease, I put a stitch marker at the end of each 16-stitch repeat, but that’s had its share of problems, too. Because you’re putting yarn-overs on one side of these markers, they have a nasty habit of migrating a stitch over a few rows. It’s not hard to compensate for once you realize your marker has simply wandered under a yarn-over when you weren’t looking, but you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to figure out where you dropped a stitch before you realize what’s really happened. I solved this by counting out my stitches before I started each of the more complicated rows--namely rows 1 and 7--and putting my markers back in their rightful places before moving on.

It is really beautiful, though, and I’ve had the delightful experience of people stopping me when I knit in public and asking me what I’m making, touching the piece, and generally making me feel artistic and fascinating. Gotta love that. No one ever seems to stop me when I’m making complicated mittens or fluffy scarves, no matter how impressive the pattern might be. This, though, seems to be a real show-stopper. So do yourself a favor—go take your knitting out in public and bask in the glow of your own fabulousness. You deserve it.