Traveling Scarf

We drove to Asheville last weekend, leaving Ashland after my Emmaus Board meeting. I knew that meant that we would be driving in the dark, so I wanted a simple knitting project that I could knit without seeing it.

I took the Raven Frog yarn I bought in Alaska and started a One Row Yarn Harlot scarf (38 stitches wide).

I knit on the way down and while we were in Asheville using a US size 8 needle. I just didn't like it. I kept trying to talk myself into liking it, but no luck.

On the way back home, I frogged the six inches I had knit, and started over, using a US size 7 needle. Much better.

Currently, the scarf is about 4 feet long. Picture soon -- I really like how the color is dancing through the scarf.

Knotty Gloves

As I finished the Seasons Shawl, I had a yen to knit gloves. I found a pattern of Ravelry called Knotty Gloves by Julia Mueller -- free pattern for some very attractive gloves. She knit the pair in the pattern using Socks that Rock yarn in a color called Grawk.

I like Socks that Rock yarn, so I opened up the computer and went searching on their website for yarn colors that appealed to me. Have you ever done that? Do you know how long you can look at pictures of yarn on the Socks that Rock website?

Hours later, I placed an order for one hank of Spinel and one of Corbie. Spinel is a shaded solid color -- one color, dark into light and back again. Corbie is part of the Raven clan group of yarn -- black yarn overdyed with other colors (Grawk is also one of those). I used the Spinel to work on the gloves.

I started them on the way to Kansas City as a traveling project. One the flight to the city and then while in town, I finished the hand and one finger of one glove. Knowing that knitting gloves requires snipping the yarn and starting another finger, I put the first glove aside and started on the second one for the flight back -- no scissors required.

So far, the second glove is finished and I have two fingers and a thumb to finish for the first glove. A very strange way to knit gloves!

Image: Glove on the base of the John Wesley statue at WV Wesleyan College (although you can't tell).

Season Shawl Finished!

I'm behind! I have much to post and haven't been keeping up with it. I have some time this morning (before I keep my date with Mr. Potter), so hopefully, I can write some posts and catch up!

First of all, a Finished Object. A Big Finished Object. Meet my completed and blocked Fall/Winter Seasons Shawl. (That's a Ravelry link.) I purchased the kit to make the shawl from Knitpicks, but once it sold out, that haven't re-offered it (hence, no Knitpicks link). Click this link, and see my blog posts relating to the shawl.

I have knit lace before, but never something this large, so it was a New Experience for me. I liked it!

The shawl is designed to move from the beginning of fall (the green section) through several autumn colors in a leaf lace knitting pattern. The fall season fades to winter as burgundy transitions to blue. The blue section is "snow" followed by midnight blue "snow drifts" and then the final granite "icicles." I liked the concept, and I like the finished project.

I had a few challenges with is. First, I must knit at a gauge that is larger than that of the test knitters at KnitPick. I read many posts on Ravelry about the shawl, and some people were running out of yarn. I ordered extra -- great idea, since as I ran out, I had what I needed.

There are a few errors in the pattern, as noted on the Knitpicks site. Anyone knitting it should go and get the errata page! I also found a difficulty in the row that knits into the triple yarn overs -- it's very near the end of the pattern. There is an extra stitch that is not accounted for in the pattern. I just knit it, but I'm not sure that is the best result -- the point of each icicle is a little off to the side because of the extra stitch. No big deal, but I would rather it be symmetrical.

So, its specifications:

Pattern: KnitPicks Fall/Winter Seasons Shawl (not available at this point from KnitPicks)

Yarn: KnitPicks Shadow lace yarn (held double) as follows (number following color name is the number of hanks of yarn I used):

Forest Heather -- 1
Persimmon Heather - 1
Sunset - 2 (one more than kit)
Vineyard - 1
Nocturne Heather - 3 (one more than kit)
Midnight - 2 (one more than kit)
Basalt - 2 (one more than kit) -- I only needed the second hank for two rows!

Needles: I used KnitPicks Harmony needles, US size 5, and I just kept changing the cord as I needed it to be longer. I bound off with double pointed, US size 9. It didn't need to be double pointed, but it worked just great.

Size: Oh, bigger than the pattern says it will be (which explains the extra yarn). It measures 104 inches across the top. I can't remember the back to point measurement. I like the size. It's large, but great to wrap up in.

Images: I took the shawl with me for a college visit with my son. I knew we would be in places that would make great backgrounds for a photo shoot. The first one -- the official "finished object" photo, is on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College. The next one is in our room, and it shows the transitions and stitches to best advantage. The last one is at Stonewall Resort, outside at sunrise. I picked it because it shows the holes (isn't that a strange reason to pick an image?).

One Row Scarf

Finally! Another finished object. I wanted to knit a scarf that would match my red and black coat. The Knitpicks yarn, Kavanagh, jumped out at me.

Pattern: This is knit using the Yarn Harlot's one row Handspun scarf pattern. It's easily memorized -- it's only one row that is repeated over and over. This is not the first scarf I have knit using this pattern. I always like the outcome. it's reversible and results in a soft, wafflely scarf that has lots of loft, and keeps you warm.

Yarn: I used Shamock, a heavy worsted weight yarn from Knitspicks. The color is called Kavanagh. I used 5 skiens. I still have a couple of more in case I want to add fringe.

Needles: I used size US 9 needles.