tassels

Kristine, Betsy, and Joyce have all made very different versions of a shawl called Downtown line.  Gayle has now started it as well.  I hope to make it.  I had thought that I might make it with my beautiful Panda Pearl yarn.  The colors are wonderful for it.  But the yarn is too heavy to use the pattern as it is written and I worry that I will have trouble figuring the short rows if I try to change the gauge.  But I wanted to put a few ideas in place for when the time comes that I do make this shawl.
The first is Joyce's wonderful tassels.  They are such a pretty finishing touch.  Done in the fingering weight yarn and made long, they really finish the shawl and make it hang prettier.


  



The shawl Joyce is wearing is not Downtown line.  I was thinking it was Cosmo Girl, but I can't find that pattern anywhere.  So I'll put the name at a later date.  Joyce said she made it with fingering weight yarn and size 5 needles.  The day that Joyce wore it, I was thinking I might use some of my linen yarn to make this shawl.  But then I liked the colors of my Panda Pearl yarn so much for the shawl, that I might change my mind.

Weighing yarn

Another one of those times when our knitting group has inspired me!  Dar had talked about the fact that she uses her kitchen scale to check to see when she has used half the yarn...and for other things as well.  So I found myself buying a kitchen scale at Walmart last year just before the Christmas Party at the Wild Ramp.  I was making a small knitted bowl and wasn't sure that I would get it finished in time.  So I figured if I didn't get it finished, I would wrap the scale....and if I did get it finished I would keep the scale for myself.  It is quite sleek and works great.



I was getting to the end of the ball of yarn for the Fallen Cloud Shaw that I made out of Araucana Lujosa.  I could not find another ball of the yarn, but I wasn't sure that there wasn't one hiding somewhere.  I looked and looked....and then thought of the scale.  I looked on my slide show and found that I had bought four skeins.  Then I found the label and saw that each skein was 3.52 oz.  And thought of my scale.  When I weighed the pile, it was 14.5 oz.  Too much for just 3 skeins.  I have used all of the yarn that I have on hand.  Thank you, Dar!

Cowls

I have  become particularly interested in the idea of knitting cowls this holiday season.  So I am going to add some Cowls that illustrate ideas....the first is the size of the cowl.  I only need one or two that a
tight to wear when it is really cold....the rest are just for looks.  I think this one below is a nice length.


I also like the length of the one that I wear a lot that is store bought.  I should measure it to see what size it is.

I have made several that are too thin.  Two of them are made of Noro.  I have plans to knit a third and wear all three of them together so they will look a less skinny in a group.  I am thinking longer than the short one and shorter than the long one....but in similar colors....I am almost sure that I already have appropriate yarn on hand.



And in February I am adding a Cowl that Stitch Fix sent to me.  I would never have bought it in a store....but I absolutely LOVE the look of this cowl on me.  I may have to copy this!

The Shift

This past summer I bought yarn at ReBelle in Lexington on my way home from the Blaine Bettinger Conference in Frankfort.  I have been curious about the nightshift pattern that has been so popular, but found it hard to just jump into the project.  I didn't quite "get it".....But the shop had an easier, quicker version called the Shift....and it was very pretty....they had exactly the same yarns for sale as were in the project....and I bought the "kit".  I am starting this project today.  Here are the yarns:




Specific Heat





Isotope




Flash Point


After you wind them into balls, it is almost impossible to figure out which is which....so I am doing the best that I can and then putting them in ziplock bags and labelling them color A, color B, and color C.

I am starting with color A:  Isotope.
Almost immediately the pattern calls for using color A and color B.  I am going with Flash Point as color B.  That leaves Specific Heat to be C.

Here is the version that I viewed in ReBelle




I'll compare what I end up when I finish.

South Hills cowl by Steven Hicks for Rodeo Knits

I needed a mindless knitting project for the plane to Peru this November.  I started an Infinity Scarf in  some really pretty yarn that I had bought from Collinette when I thought this company was going out of business.  I followed the directions for the Worsted Weight yarn cowl.




 

Carla's shawl

This newest color way by Carla is so pretty....I forgot to get the information about yarn and pattern....but didn't want to loose the photo;

Knitting shop in White Sulphur Springs

Sarah took a well earned vacation to DC to visit her daughter last week.  On the way back she stopped at a knitting shop in White Sulphur Spring.  Stone walls Farm is the name of the shop.

The owner dyes her own yarn.  The yarn Sarah brought back with her makes me want to make a special trip to the shop!  It is gorgeous yarn!