Fringed Cowl

 I bought a cowl from Stitch Fix in the last year or so.  I was quite surprised by how much I like the cowl.  It is soft and easy and is fringed,  I wanted to duplicate it, but that has not proved to be so simple.  I have started and given up on several ideas.  The one I am now working on could possibly work,  I am in Boston.  I brought some red white and blue yarn that I thought I might use for a DAR wrap, but I haven't yet done so.  So I took out the Red yarn in DK weight,  It is Indiecita DK  100% Baby Alpaca.  I bought a cowl pattern by Ambah O'Brien called Zaggy Cowl for inspiration.  However, I am not following the pattern exactly.  I cast on slightly more stitches:  138.  It is a repeat of only two stitches, so any even number of stitches should work.   It lends itself to notecard organization which makes it fairly mindless.  I am liking it so far,  I just didn't want to loose my thoughts this morning.  I'll update my post as I move along on this project.

Standard Hat sizing

 Harps and Thistles had this in their weekly e-mail today....

Bayshore Wrap.....I-Cord Tab Cast on

In preparation for my knee surgery, I am doing a lot of silly "stuff"....not working on my yard.....not buying Christmas gifts....nothing practical.  I am spending time deciding which yarn to take with me to Boston and which patterns.  

I figure I am going to have a lot of down time.  Something I am not used to having.  And it would seem that without my tennis and golf and projects, there will be an unusual amount of time for knitting and genealogy.

I have some pretty yarn called Nebula that is self striping.  It is fingering knit on size 3 needles.  I have two balls with 416 yards in each ball.  The pattern calls for two colors, but I will let the color changes speak for themselves.

I looked for the perfect project that would be simple to keep me occupied interesting to finish.  I worry that my brain will not be up to anything complicated.  The pattern I chose is called Bayshore Wrap.

I like the shape an size.  But I decided to work the I-Cord Tab Cast on before surgery as these tabs can be challenging.  This one was simple but as DAR would say, it was fiddly

 

However, I am extremely happy with my results on the tab after tearing it out and restarting two or three times.  So I am ready to do the easy knitting on the project.  For future reference, the keys to getting this tab looking this good is to follow the directions on the Bayshore Wrap and to put self locking markers on the stitches to be picked up after row 4 in the tab.  You want to do this immediately after you knit the first row 2 as she suggests in the photos on page 6.  This one hint saves all sorts of craziness!  When you see her photos in the pattern this will make sense.

I am ready to start section 1 on page 4.  I have already done the set up.

Finished the shawl January 2024.  I was a bit disappointed when I blocked it, but then found that I LOVE it when I actually wear it.  It goes with everything!

How much Yarn do I need

Lion Brand yarn sent an e-mail this morning with a chart that estimates how much yarn one will need for various projects:

 

Wrap to match jeans: Olives Pink

 The other wrap that I plan to make to match the jeans I bought for Mary's wedding is yarn that I bought from Harps and Thistles when she was having a sale:  I think it is hand dyed yarn that was kind of odds and ends she had left over.  But I loved the yarn when she sent out an e-mail

I am using Olive Pink for the pattern.  ,

Finished February 2023.  I like it a lot!  

DAR red, white and blue wrap

 Suddenly it popped into my head as I prepared for my first DAR meeting as regent this month that I want a red, white, and blue wrap to  wear on occasion to a meeting.  I found suitable yarn in my stash.  I will add the yarn at a future date.  However, one huge question came to my mind as I read about different patterns that might be suitable:  Are these yarns colorfast?  Will my stripes bleed to pink when I try to block the shawl?

A google search found this you tube explaining how to test for colorfastness from Very Pink:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w7iMenFGBc

The yarns proved to be very colorfast so I am ready to start.  I am using Springtime Wrap by Diane L. Augustin for the shape.  The yarn is DK.  However, I am going to use Lewisian Shawl and Hindsight shawl by Rose Mogerman as the color inspiration.  

I have decided to make the width 22 inches.  This is double the size of the spring time wrap.  So the amount of stitches that I am casting on is 128

Quaker Yarn Stretcher

 I bought some jeans for Mary's wedding that I did not end up wearing.  I hope to wear them a bit this fall. They have a very pretty pattern on them....and I thought it would be fun to have something knitted to wear with them.  I love both possible projects.  I will start them tonight.  

First is going to be the Quaker yarn stretcher.  I used this pattern several years ago.  This time I am going to make it with a Cascade Yarn called Tangier.  I have approx 440 yards and it is an Aran weight yarn.  The yarn says US 8-9 needles.  The pattern calls for using size 10 needles for worsted weight yarn.  The loose guage causes the yarn  to go further.  Below is a photo of a finished shawl in a different yarn but somewhat similar to the yarn I will use.

Hopefully it will be as pretty as the one above and the one below:

Here is the finished Wrap: