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Pattern: Selbu Modern byKate Gagnon Osborn
Yarn: JC Rennie Unique Shetland in Laurel approx. 26 grams
and JC Rennie Supersoft Cashmere in Lissa approx. 6 grams
Needles: 2.75 mm / US 2 and 2 mm / US 0
I’ve wanted to knit this hat for ages. I mean it’s absolutely beautiful, the delicate colourwork in fingering weight wool is stunning. I felt the earthy tones and wooliness of the Rennie yarn would work well and I think it’s less of a polished type of hat and has more of a rustic old world charm which is what I was going for. I’m very very pleased with this hat though it took forever.
I was initially worked that it was coming out too small but the miracles of blocking me that it is comfortably drying over a dinner plate so I hope that it will fit comfortably over my head as well.
I don’t know if I will knit this again, maybe but not for a very very very long time.
Pattern: Dover Castle Shawl by Judy Marples
Yarn: Belle Epoque Silk Sock in Loch Ness approx. 63 grams
Needles: 3.75 mm / US 5
This shawl was my mother’s Christmas gift this year. I had originally decided to knit her a pair of socks with this yarn but coming off the Falling Leaves socks I couldn’t really face knitting more so I settled on this beautiful shawl.
The pattern is really well written, knits up quite fast and I really enjoyed knitting it. The silk content in the yarn gave it a beautiful sheen and a heaviness that made knitting with it heavenly. When I started I was a little worried that the variegation in the yarn would hide or distract from the beautiful lace but I’m pleased to say that it doesn’t. I plan on knitting another at some point in a subtle variegated yarn.
This pattern was also number 8 on my 10in2010 list and the last project I completed from that list.
Pattern: Arch-shaped socks by Jen Showalter
Yarn: Araucania Itata Multi in Green and Gold approx. 61 grams
Needles: 2.5 mm / US 1 1/2
These socks took entirely too long to knit but the finished project is really very nice, though the pictures here really don’t give them justice. Adding it the ribbing on the foot was a bit tricky as the pattern wasn’t written this way bit if you just for it it seems to work out fine. The main reason I picked this pattern is that the recipient, while having a similar foot length as me has slightly narrower feet and I thought that the ribbing would make up for that.
The yarn is very pretty, a wool/bamboo/silk blend. The silk and bamboo give it a beautiful sheen but I found the bamboo makes it a bit crunchy as it knits up and doesn’t move on the needles very well. The final fabric, especially after a wash in Eucalan is very soft and overall I’m very pleased with the outcome.
These socks where #8 in my 10 for 2010 list. I will probably knit another pair at some point for myself, perhaps using some of the mods other people have posted on ravelry.
Some good quality knitting time has been going on the past few days since I started again on Friday. I finished the first clue on the mystery socks on Sunday night. Two at a time definitely becomes easier as you go along, it still takes a little juggling with multiple balls of yarn and cable and so forth but easier than those first awkward rows. I shudder to think about heels though. I also learnt how to do the cables without a cable needle, it helped tremendously and they’re looking good. The yarn is beautiful, really really soft and the colours remind me of fall leaves, a perfect combination for October sock knitting.
The arch socks are coming along nicely as well. I’ve finished the shaping and am now have about an inch before I begin decreasing for the two. I’m very pleased with how they have turned out.
Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: J.C. Rennie Supersoft Cashmere in Lisaa (046) approx. 43 grams
Needles: 4 mm / US 6
This pattern has become like the secret handshake of knitters and I was very excited to start knitting it. I bought this yarn over a year ago from Di Gilpin in St Andrews. I thought I would need a second ball so I popped by when I returned at the end of the summer to pick up another however I used less than one ball for this shawlette. The yarn has a lovely heathery look to it and a slight variation in colour. I’m not sure if this is actually yarn from their machine knit line which seems to contain more lanolin then their hand knitting line, though the yarn had a very sheepy feel to it. For some reason knitting with it took me back to my week long holiday in Scotland’s north west Highlands, a land of sheep and hills and fog which I loved beyond measure.
The pattern is very well written as can be expected from Ysolda, the lace repeats where easy to remember and with a concentrated knitting effort this piece could probably be completed in a day or two in a push. Before blocking the finished piece seems a bit small but I’m sure it will grow and the yarn will soften some with blocking.
I’m very excited to be able to wear this, a mark of a knitter these days. This was another 10 in 2010 project. I decided to finish the piece specifically on 11 August in celebration of my two year Ravelry anniversary, almost like a gift to myself. I don’t know if I plan to knit another but it will definitely remain on the books as a last minute gift knit or if I really want another one. I would be interested in doing a small/large hybrid or one in lace in the future.
Pattern: Leyburn Socks by MintyFresh
Yarn: Regia Color 4-ply in Papillion (5025) approx. 74 grams
Needles: 2.75 mm / US 2
I bought the yarn for these socks way back in October of last year, one of the first sock yarns I had bought after completing my first pair. I’m not a huge fan of variegated yarns but an example on Ravelry proved that this would be the perfect yarn for the pattern. I have always eyed this pattern and wanted to knit it, the fact that it is toe up was troubling at first as I’d never done it before. This pattern was a series of firsts for me; first toe up, first short row shaping and first magic loop. All of the firsts are amazing. Being able to try on your socks as you knit them is great; short rows aren’t as hard as they seem at first though I’m still getting to grips with the purl side row (they ended up inside out on my second sock) and magic loop is actually quite simple and there are no dpns to lose or pull out. I’m not sure how you would knit a heel flap on magic loop though so I might stick with my trusty dpns for that.
The pattern itself is written well though can be confusing if you don’t read it carefully. I loved the provisional cast on that is recommended. The lattice pattern is very visually appealing and yet very easy to do, I enjoyed knitting it. The small number of stitches on the foot, at first seemed to be too few but fit my foot wonderfully, I didn’t go all the increases for the leg as it was way too loose so only increased up to 66 stitches for the leg which seems to fit.
Overall I really enjoyed this pattern though it took entirely too long to knit (my fault, not the pattern). I would love to knit again with a more subtly variegated yarn. This was also a 10 in 2010 project so I’m very glad to knock another one off the list.
I finished up at the summer camp I work at today. I will get to leave tomorrow morning and indulge in some much needed rest and relaxation with a few bouts of knitting and yarn excursions to such places as Webs in western Mass and Halcyon in Bath, Maine. One thing I love about Maine are that there are so many yarn shops. I might also pop into the little one in Camden as well just for the hell of it.
On the knitting blocks is:
Icing Swirl Hat – 10 in 2010
Arch shaped socks for my boss
Selbu Modern – 10 in 2010
Brainless – 10 in 2010
Kiila for my mom for Christmas/ 10 in 2010
That’s the big list right now though the order will probably changed, especially as there are so many socks on there at the moment.
My current project since I finished the Leyburn socks last month (which took entirely too long to finish) is turning this:
J.C. Rennie Supersoft Cashmere
Into this:
LyndaLee’s beautiful Ishbel for illustration purposes
I’ve finished the stockinette and ABA sections. The sections go pretty fast so I have faith that I should finish it up soon. It’s actually a pretty quick knit and the lace repeats are pretty easy to remember.
Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Lace in Gray (401) approx. 34 grams
Needles: 3.5 mm / US 4
I’ve knit a few lace projects so far and really wanted to tackle a shawl. The swallowtail pattern is very popular and looked like a lot of people started with it as a first shawl. It was a bit tricky at the beginning but overall the pattern was very nice to knit and the one mistake I did make it almost impossible to see (I started a row 1 when I was on row 3). The nupps were a bit of a challenge but I managed by using a small dpn to lift the stitches to get my needle underneath. This project also was one of my 10 in 2010 so that’s 4 done. Overall I really enjoyed the pattern, the lace wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be, after a while you start to see the pattern and how it works. To block I used cotton string as a rule and tried to pin it out in that shape; it is amazing how the pattern shows up so beautifully after blocking. I’m not sure if I will ever knit this particular shawl again though if I do I will make it bigger though I will definitely knit more lace in the future.
As for the name, when I went to go take pictures I noticed how it looked a bit like a moth or butterfly trying to blend in with the rocks it was on and so I called it my Cryptic Swallowtail.
Verona Skies
Pattern: Juliet Scarf by Lousia Harding
Yarn: Adriafil Carezza in Light Blue (82) approx. 50 g
Needles: 5 mm / US 8
I’d bought this angora blend yarn back in May on a whim and could not really think of what to use it in. Despite my dislike for knitting scarves I have to say that I enjoyed this one. I also used it as slight practice for the lace shawls I am planning on knitting after the ravelympics. The lace pattern is well written and easy to follow and sticks in your head after a while. I think the most important thing though is that it knits up very quickly, I found that I could knit two pattern repeats in about an hour. The only down side is that the yarn sheds like nothing else and I was finding angora in my food for days after. The colour and light fluffiness reminds me of fair weather clouds so that combined with the pattern name is what inspired the project name. I’m fairly excited that 5 weeks into the new year I’ve already completed three projects and 3 of my 10 for 2010 projects as well. Up next ravelympics and even more lace.
allons-i 