Children's coat

Love knitting sent an e-mail this morning that features a darling coat for children in sizes 2-12.  

The project calls for 3-4 balls of main color and 1 ball of contrasting color of yarn meant to be knitted on size 8 needles.  It is shown in Berroco Remix which is a recycled yarn made in France that has Nylon, Cotton, Silk, Linen and has a tweed look.  It is very pretty.  There are 216 yards in a ball and it runs about $11 on both Webbs and Love Knitting.

Too tempting!

My arm being wrapped makes me do too much piddling.....no ambition....

Looking at Noro Shiraito Yarn on Craftsy....I bought several patterns that are a possibility for this yarn.  One is a book of ponchos (PonchiniVol1EBook) that I filed on Drop box in the Poncho file.  The specific poncho that I liked is Ponchini Grande.  Gingersnap on Ravelry says she used two skeins of Noro Shiraito to make this poncho



The other is Boneyard Shawl that I filed in dropbox in Shawls.  The below photo is a version  knit by knitwit3 in Noro Shiraito Yarn that I found on Ravelry.  She used three skeins.



I bought a total of 5 skeins in two colors to make both projects.

The other very nice yarn on sale is Rowan Fine Art Aran.  It turns out that I have already saved the perfect pattern for this yarn.  It is in Dropbox in shawls/cowls and is called Rowan Fine Art Cowl.  The pattern calls for one hank in color Bachata and size 7 needles.





The Paisley Lace Shawl which is shown in Grey in the book:



I could not find this pattern in the book, but it is available on Ravelry by typing in Paisley Shawl.  It is by Ann Modesitt.  I ended up buying an e-book of 27 of the patterns that I have filed on dropbox in Knitting books.

Sally's Gorgeous Yarn

I am not able to knit this week because of my lymphedema treatment.  However, I just can not stay away from the Wild Ramp Knitting Group and the Temptations of the yarn!

Today's Temptations were Sally's Beautiful Yarn and Mary Ellen's gorgeous Jane Austin Book and the wonderful color changing yarn that Linda brought.

First are Sally's Yarn:








The Below says 60% Cotton and 40% linen









Next is Linda's Color changing yarn:

browsing Knit Picks

I love the Luminance Lace Yarn on the site.  It is not on sale.  It is $10.99 for a 439 yards hank.  It is lace weight.  It is 100% silk.  I liked the Zen, Strength, Indulgence, Balance and Benevolence,

I love the Stroll Tonal Sock Yarn.  It is $10.99 for a hank that has 462 yards.  It is fingering weight and suggested for 1-3 needles.  My favorites are Deep Waters, Blue Violet, Wine Tasting,  Pansy, Malbec.

There is a very pretty Fingering Yarn Called Diadem Solid Fingering Yarn.  It is 50% Baby Alpaca and 50%Mulberry Silk.  It is on sale for $10.79 because because there is a low stock.  It is in a very pretty in Ruby.

Reversible Listado Knit Cowl by Laura Nelkin

Craftsey advertised a very pretty cowl named above.  However they were sold out of the color way that I liked.  The other color ways did not tempt me even though they were on sale.  So I bought the pattern and filed it on dropbox in the folder labelled scarfs and cowls,







The designer  suggests  Merino Alpaca Sport Color Change by Cloudborn.  It is knitted on size  6  needles and requires 270 yards of yarn.  She uses a striping yarn with long stripes.

This is a long striping yarn with color changing stripes ranging from about 55 yards to 68 yards, depending on the number of colors in the skein.

Baby's Colorplay hoodie by Lion Brand

This looks amazingly easy and cute.  I downloaded the pattern from Lion Brand and filed it in drop box in folder labelled Babies and Children.













This version is worked on Size 9 needles and takes 3 balls of Lion Brand Amazing.  The two above are Pink Sands and Aurora Colorways.

Finished iPad mini cover

Yea!  I finished another project!  No doubt about the fact that I have totally earned the right to buy yarn and etc at the Fiber Festival in September!  Mitzi invited me to ride with her to Kanawha City to pick up the yarn that she bought from Sarah.  So I took along my iPad Mini case that I knitted quite a while ago.  However, I invented the pattern and it didn't turn out exactly how I had imagined.  I was challenged about how to close the bag when the iPad mini was in it.  I hoped to find some buttons or some pretty closures at the shop.  The minute we walked in, Mitzi suggested just using a shawl pin such a the one Sarah had put on something in the front hall.  PERFECT!  So this project is also finished:

One more summer project

I rewarded myself last night.  I had finished two on-going projects.  I am still working on the Mermaid tail project that is coming along quite well.  But I need to try it on one of the twins to see when I should start decreasing.....10 inches from desired length.  So I started something new!  I can't help but think about the discussion that Frank and I had last year during the reunion weekend about the fact that both of us are easily distracted by the shiney and new!

The new project was inspired by a shawl that I tried on at the Kanawha City Knitting store.  I found it to be flattering to me .....well at least in my mind.  Was it because it was grey or was it the actual shawl?  It was a Berroco sample made from Artisan yarn from Berroco.  However the grey was not available or I might have bought it right then.

I would have liked to have bought local, but the crazy fact was that Webbs advertised two very pretty colors that have been discontinued at half price.  Neither are the grey, but both are very pretty.  So I bought them on-line.







I am knitting on size 7 needles.  The pattern is ceonothus.  It is designed by Amy Christoffers from Booklet #363 from Berroco.  I bought the pattern.  I have filed it in shawls in drop box.

The two colors that I bought are a brown color and a variegated color way that is beige and light brown.  The yarn is made in Peru which makes me happy.  I'll post the photo of the shawl when I finish.

Some yarns that I like

The weather has been nasty in Huntington for more than a week.  I may have to plan to impose on Sarah next year to spend a few weeks in Vermont in August.  Or perhaps a condo somewhere that overlooks the ocean.  But I find myself spending more time than usual on the computer looking at yarns and dreaming.....outside is off limits for most of the daytime hours.

Some yarns that I liked tonight were featured by Webbs.  They are imported from Peru which, of course, is of interest to me.  I think that the above yarn might be a lot of fun.  There was no sale price for it tonight.

Using Variegated and Gradient yarn

Often the variegated yarn that looked so amazing in the skein looks much less interesting when knit.  I was googling around trying to find a variegated or self striping linen that I thought might look good in a shawl that is of interest to me.  The shawl is found in a book that I bought digitally (stored in dropbox) called Free Spirit Shawls.  

I am looking for one more summer project before I start the fall knitting.

I am updating this post in September 2016 and have found some yarn that I bought for the above shawl from Webbs.  It is Noro Taiyo Sock Yarn in neutral colors of grey, white, brown and green.  I am going to take this yarn and pattern with me to Boston this week in case I finish the projects I have going or find that I need a small needle pattern and yarn when my arm and shoulder get tired.

Instead I found the following which is a site that shows some ideas for using variegated yarns in unusual ways:

http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/tips/variegated.html

Here is an example of one of the ways to use a variegated yarn that proved disappointing when used in straight knit and purl:





Mandy Bee says on her blog:  http://www.mandybee.com/tag/knitting-with-variegated-yarn/

That what I want is gradient yarn rather than variegated yarn.  She suggests some ways to use the variegated yarns that we have bought and been disappointed in results such as:

Using drop stitch pattern:




and using linen stitch such as the below found in a Church mouse creation:



Still looking for the right linen, I found a very pretty yarn that is on sale on the Webb's site called Santorini.  Here is a sample knit with this yarn



This would make a WONDERFUL sweater for warm/cool weather.  However, this yarn is not linen.  It is a cotton/viscous (spelling?) blend.  I found the sample on:

http://really533.rssing.com/chan-6282279/all_p44.html

Feb 2018 Dar wore a shawl to a knitting retreat that I particularly like:




The pattern is Loops by Casapinka and the yarns are both fingering yarn and she thinks she knitted it on size 6 needles.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/loop-6

Casapinka has a lot of other shawls that are worth seeing as well.


Just found another yarn that is very pretty.  It is on Revelry:  Seashore Kerchief by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas.  It uses size 7 needles, and Classic Elite Yarns Bella Lino.  The picture below is Colorway 8504

I am adding one more idea in late winter 2021.   It is a small shawl knitted by Caroline.  The pattern is Tilting at Windmills by 

Jamie McCanless

Below is Caroline's version:

Feels Like Home Shawl (above)

Noro Cowl

I also finished another Cowl today at the Wild Ramp.  This one is made up of a Noro Yarn.  I am not sure that I still have the name of the yarn.  
I'll look to see if I can find the label and add it here if I can find it.

Linen Cowl

Today is Tuesday, so I knitted at the Wild Ramp.  My goal today was to finish two projects that only really needed to have loose ends sewn in.  One of the projects is the linen cowl that I started at least two years ago.  Sarah and I bought yarn at a yarn store in Burlington, Vermont on our first trip to find an apartment for her.  I believe the yarn to be Kestrel by Quince and Company.  The pattern is one that I bought at the store in Burlington.  I have saved it digitally in my dropbox.





I named the pattern Vermont linen Cowl.




I found the tag later....It is indeed Kestrel:





December 2017, Dar brought a finished infinity scarf made from the above pattern.  However, she had knit it in a wonderful wool yarn.  It is beautiful.  She was trying to decide which of the things that she had made recently she was going to take to her sister-in-law who was in the terrible wreck,


The other project that I finished was a cowl from some Noro yarn.  I have misplaced the label and other information about this cowl shown below:

Blocking

Mitzi brought her purchase to share.  Someone in our group had suggested to her that she purchase play "tiles" from Amazon to use to block her pretty scarf/shawl that she had just finished.

Mitzi said that they worked very well.  So I decided to purchase a set to use to block all of the items that I hope to finish before our jaunt to the fiber festival in September.  I am laughing at myself.  I told my daughter, Mary, that if I finish no projects before the September date, I am not going to allow myself to buy anything at all at the festival.  But if I finish at least three projects (I have more than that started) I can buy all I want.....So the goal is to finish and block!

Kelly's Geada Shawl

Kelly is knitting a shawl from a pattern called Geada by Susannah IC on Ravelry.  She is making it from Malabrigo Rios yarn.  The yarn and pattern are VERY pretty.  Rios is a worsted yarn which makes the project go more quickly.  The pattern on Revelry calls for Sweet Georgia Yarns Merino Silk Aran yarn in worsted weight.  It uses US 9 and 10 needles.  It needs 550 yards of yarn.  The pattern is $6.  I did not buy the pattern nor the yarn yet.

Carolyn's trip to the Webbs store

Carolyn visited family in NY state in July and make a "pilgrimage" to Webbs.  So yesterday she brought purchases for show and tell.  All of the purchases are lovely!  But one in particular caught my fancy!  It is made from Artsyarns yarn which is the same company that I used for the Gossamer Rhapsody Light Shawl.  I LOVE that yarn!   It is sold as a kit on Webbs website.

It is called the Taj Shawl kit

The kit is $120 and comes with instructions and two skeins of Ensemble Light made by Artyarns.  It is a 50% silk, 50% cashmere yarn with 400 yards in each hank.  The colorways are wonderful and can be seen at:

http://www.artyarns.com/patterns/taj-kit/

The pattern calls for size 7 needles and DK weight yarn.