Le Paon Bleu Shawl

Knitting lace is my favorite kind project to work on.  I had started a lace shawl earlier this year, and for some reason I never wanted to work on it.  So, since I wasn't enjoying it, I frogged it and started a new pattern.  I chose the Le Paon Bleu Shawl by Inbar Rofman.  

I really enjoyed this pattern.  One reason I love knitting lace is almost every row is a different pattern.  This pattern consisted of 7 different charts.  The patterns changed considerably between each charts, so it always kept me interested. 

I used my Chiaogoo needles, because I love the cables so much.  I realized after I had started working on this, I definitely should have used wooden needles.  I used Malabrigo Silkpaca which was sooo soft.  I used the Pagoda colorway.  Unfortunately the silk made it very slick on my metal needles.  I was nervous I was going to drop stitches.  Thankfully, I never had any issues with it as long as I was careful.  I thought about switching to my Dreamz, but I was afraid it was going to noticeably change my guage.

 
The bind off used was crocheted.   About 15 years ago I used to know how to crochet.  At some point I put it down for too long, and I have forgotten just about everything I used to know.  I thought I would just end up using a different bind off, but after a quick google search, I was able to refresh my memory enough to be able to complete it without any issues.

 

I really enjoyed the Silkpaca.  It is so very soft, and it has a very nice drape to it.  It is also a very light weight shawl.  I only used about 62 grams of yarn.  I used the suggested size US 5 needle.  I wish I had used a 6 instead.  I was planning of using up a majority of the two skeins I had.   The pattern says 699-733 yards will be used.  I used somewhere about 520 yards, leaving me with a skein with only about 12 grams of 50 used.  I am very pleased with the results though.  I don't really have a use for this, so it may be the first completed project set aside for sale at some point.

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Slouchy Socks

I found some socks while browsing through Ravelry that looked so comfortable.  They are the Feminine Raggsokker by Ingrid Nodtvedt.  They seemed perfect for those days when you are just hanging around the house.  They will be great with shorts or leggings depending on the weather.

I started going through my stash, and I couldn't find what I wanted.  These socks use worsted yarn, and that is not a weight I buy much of.  Then I found my Cascade Yarns Spuntaneous Worsted Effect in the 314 colorway.  Although the yarn is single ply, I decided to go ahead and use it.  These socks will not be getting a great deal of wear and tear.  They will never be worn with shoes, and just at home.  I love the many color speckles throughout and thought it would work very well with this pattern.

Simple Variegated Socks

I found some pretty variegated yarn that I wanted to use to make socks.  After browsing for patterns, I couldn't find any that I felt would show off the colors, and also not be lost in them.  So I decided on just a simple stockinette sock.

 

I loved the pop of green mixed with the purple and blue.  The yarn is Three Irish Girls Adorn Luxe in the Bryn colorway.   It is 85/15 merino and nylon.  I realized I had previously bought the same yarn but in the Fire dance colorway from the same LYS.   I currently have it queued for Sketch it Cowl.   I'm just glad I didn't manage to get the same colorway.

Snowdrift Infinity Cowl

Today is all about the Snowdrift Infinity Cowl.  I loved the yarn and pattern.

I went to a yarn store a couple of weeks ago and found some Shibui Knits Dune in Bordeaux on sale.  I grabbed a couple of skeins of it.   The yarn has been discontinued, which is a shame.  I really like this yarn.  It is so soft.  It 50% Baby Alpaca/25% Baby Camel/25% Silk.  I had read some reviews that it splits very easily.  I do agree with this, but I would use it again in spite of that.

Strangling Vine Lace Scarf

This scarf is another one of my first lacy projects.  The pattern is Strangling Vine Lace Scarf by Nicole Hindes.  The pattern is free, all the designer asks is that you do a random act of kindness.

ChiaoGoo Shorties

I'm going to review some of the needles that I have in upcoming posts.  Today I'm starting with the ChiaoGoo Shorties.  All opinions are mine.  They are my personal preference, and others may feel differently about them.

As stated in a previous post, I often have socks on my needles.  The socks below are using the US1 2" needles with a 5" cable.

This sock is cuff down, and I'm close to coming up to the toe.  I was able to use nothing but the Shorties to get to this point.  I used the Fish Lips Kiss Heel.  I'm going to try using it for the toe as well.  If I like the end results, I will probably only use that toe from now on.  I really like the idea of being able to use the Shorties for the entire sock.  I will post more about how that goes once the pair is finished.

Next up is the specifics of these needles.  They come with everything you need to get started including a fabric pouch, tip sleeve, cables, stitch markers, t-pins, end stoppers, and a needle gauge.  The needles are US sizes 0-3.  There are 2" and 3" needles for each set.  They can make 9"-14" circulars.

Tranquil Mist

The Tranquil Mist shawl, by Cindy Garland, is another kit that I had purchased.  I saw it at a yarn festival, and had to have it.  It came with the yarn, beads, stitch markers, and pattern.   I loved the color.  This was also to be my first go at a more intricate lace project, as well as using beads.

Comfort Fade Cardi

The Comfort Fade Cardi is today's topic.  This pattern is by Andrea Mowry.  This sweater is nice since the coloring is so customizable.  If you scroll through the completed projects on Ravelry, you can see how different each one looks.  You choose four different colors, and the pattern gives you instructions on when to change colors in order for it to fade.

Above is my completed project.  I had noticed when getting inspiration from others some people's cardis that some faded and some striped.  I wanted more of the fade look so when picking out colors I was looking for some variegated yarn in order for it to blend easier.  I noticed if a solid color was used in the middle of the fade, it would come out at noticeable stripes.  I tried to make sure that any of the colors on mine that would be touching would have some of the same color in them.  This was made a little more difficult since I was ordering these online.  I was searching through Jimmy Beans Wool, and decided that Malabrigo Arroyo was the way to go. I then chose to fade from blue to green.  If you look though my projects page on Ravelry, you will notice a trend in my frequenting using blue and green.  They are usually my go to colors.

Socks!

I love making socks.  They do not take a long time to make.  I ALWAYS wear socks.  Even during the summer, I have socks on while at home.
 
First up is a pair I made for my mom for Mother's Day.

Barely Started Works in Progress

Today's topic is my current works in progress.  I usually have three or four projects at various levels of completeness.  For the first time, in a long while, I have slowed some on my knitting.  I'm getting back into my groove, but after Christmas I needed a bit of a break.

First up is my sweater.  The pattern is Buckwheat by Veera Välimäki.

Bloomsbury Sweater

Today I'd like to talk about the Bloomsbury by Svetlana Volkova.  I fell in love with this pattern when I saw it, and knew I would have to make it.  When I first saw it, I was not quite at the level I wanted to be in order to feel comfortable giving this a go.  I added it to my Ravelry queue, and waited until I gained some more experience.  Some months later while browsing my local yarn store, I saw some Malabrigo Rios, in the Paris Night colorway, that I knew I had to have.  I grabbed enough for a sweater, and waited until I found the right pattern.   I decided I wanted to make this sweater with it, but my problem was it was a slightly lighter weight yarn than what the pattern called for.  After gauge swatching, and some math,  I figured out I could use the Rios.  I had use the pattern specifications for the XXL size, and it was hopefully going to come out the size I was wanting it to be.

Inara Wrap

Today I would like to write about another kit I had purchased.  This was for the Inara Wrap by Ambah O'Brien.  I loved the pattern, and this was the first time I had done anything like this.

Christmas Panic Knitting

Welcome to my first blog post! I hope you enjoy seeing my Christmas projects.

I'll start with the Persian Dreams by Jenise Hope.  I made this one for my sister.  It was her 40th birthday on January 1st, so I gifted this to her for a combo gift.  Since it was a milestone year, I figured I would go big.  I'll start with the completed project.