What with one thing and another I have not done much knitting this week let alone find the time to do an entry on my blog.
It was such a nice morning, especially at 7am when the temperature was about 65 F that I took Alan’s vest into the garden with a cup of tea for some rest and relaxation.
I completed the v neck shaping and again I decided to do the shaping two stitches in from the edge. I had done this on the back armhole shaping and it does look nice. I have just done the three needle bind off for the shoulders. This method always gives such a nice finish and I did take care when binding off using a needle one size larger to prevent the bind off being too tight.
We have a number of things planned for the rest of the day including a Gourd Festival and a surprise 16th birthday party so the vest will go away til later. All I have left to do is pick to pick up the stitches around both the neck and the armholes. With luck it will get done before the weekend is over.
The forecast for the weekend here in Folsom and the surrounding area is about 100F BUT we could have a high as low as 74F by Wednesday of the coming week. Perhaps Fall is finally in the air in California!
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I wanted to show my Shoalwater Shawl off even though it has not yet been blocked.
The pattern is by Evelyn A Clark and it is Fiber Trends S-2011. The pattern is great because you can use anything from a fine lace weight yarn up to a worcested weight yarn. The yarn requirements and suggested needle sizes are all on the pattern too. I knit the shawl on Addi Turbo needles and started with size US 7 but decided to use US8 after doing a little swatch.
I was given some yarn called Kauni by a dear friend and had to immediately make something from this gorgeous gift. The shoalwater shawl had been on my list of have to knits for quite a while so once I had the yarn there was no question as to what it was going to be used for.
Shoalwater Shawl made in Kauni yarn
The pattern called for a knitted on i-cord edge but I knew I was going to run out of yarn. I completed the picot edge and then just finished the shawl at that point. I will get it blocked as soon as I have set up my blocking board again.
slightly closer photo of the feather and fan pattern
This will not be the only Shoalwater Shawl I make and already have one on the needles in a very fine lace weight yarn. I was also given four or five more skeins of the Kauni so there will be more shawls in the future.
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Life has certainly been a little busy here recently. On Sunday I found out that a good girl friend in England is going to be a grand mother which is very exciting. I offered to make a baby blanket which they are very pleased about. And Monday morning bright and early I found a pattern in my stash however will have to purchase some yarn. Of course I will also make some red cashmere booties as every new baby should have their toes dressed in luxury! And funnily enough I have some Royal Cashmere by Plymouth left over from a sweater I made myself last year. And I also have a free with the Royal Cashmere yarn a pattern for baby booties….
I missed the lace guild meeting on Saturday as I was just too busy with things I needed to do around the house including the washing etc. We only meet once a month so the next meeting is the second Saturday in October.
I did however meet Kathie and Theresa on Sunday for lunch and knitting and made very good progress on Alan’s vest. I finally decided to knit 15 inches instead of 15 1/2 inches as the finished garment seemed awfully long. Since then I have cast off for the armholes and put the front stitches on some spare yarn. I am now working on just the stitches for the back. Decided to alter the decreasing slightly on the armhole edge as the pattern said decrease at the beginning and end of every other row by ssk knit across and k2tog. I prefer the decreasing away from the edge as it makes for a nicer shaping and also makes picking up the stitches for the armband easier. So I am knitting 2 stitches then ssk knit to last four stitches k2tog and then knit the the last 2 stitches. Making the change hardly shows as the yarn is so dark, but I like the line it gives to the armhole decreasing as it is slightly smarter.
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I have had a busy few days doing my job. This evening I managed to find some time to do some knitting on my husband’s vest.
The yarn is knitting up nicely and I will use the Cascade 220 again in the future. I am on the second skein now and the piece measures 7.5 inches long about half way to the arm holes. For the size I am knitting the suggestion is 15.5 inches knitted and then start to make the armholes.
7.5 inches knitted
I took the vest on Sunday when I met Kathie for lunch and then we sat and chatted with our knitting in Borders as usual. It was nice for a change not to have to keep track of the rows or follow a pattern.
Saturday is the Lace Guild Meeting and I am almost tempted to take this with me so once again I can knit and chat.
When I attached the second skein I noticed to my horror that I have three skeins of one dye lot and two skeins in a second dye lot. That must be why they had been sold at 50% off in the sale! Have had the piece under two Ott Lamps and out in daylight and I can not see any difference in the two skeins I have joined together. Will keep my fingers crossed that as I progress up the body the different dye lots won’t suddenly jump out at me.
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Here is a new story about keepthefleece.org
Keep the Fleece – Helping Sustain a Global Itch
The photos were taken at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Show in 2009. We had men and women knitting on the world’s longest scarf which is going to auctioned off in October at the Rhinebeck New York Sheep and Wool Show. One of the ladies in the top photo was blind and so inspired us all at the show with her beautiful knitting.
All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Heifer International as keepthefleece.org wants to buy the largest flock of animals in the world.
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mink and cashmere by Great Northern Yarns
I recently had the pleasure of knitting with a new yarn made from a blend of mink and cashmere from a company called Great Northern Yarns.
The pattern I chose to show off the yarn to perfection was Fiber Trends AC 80 designed by Eugen K. Beugler
The yarn is extremely soft to knit with and it certainly has a luxury feel when placed next to the skin.
I used a little under two skeins for my scarf and the yarn knits as a sport weight yarn.
The yarn comes in several colours now as well as natural shades which is what I have.
Streaming Leaves Lace Scarf
This is the second time I have made this pretty lace scarf and it certainly will not be the last time either. A nice lace pattern that is easy to follow and makes a lovely gift too.
This scarf will be donated to keepthefleece.org to be part of the world’s longest scarf we are hoping to make. And when auctioned off the donations will go to Heifer International towards purchasing the world’s largest flock of animals.
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It is a lovely morning in Folsom with the sun shining and a cool breeze. Very pleasant after 102F earlier in the week.
The vest is coming along nicely. I have only done 6 rows of ribbing and about 8 rows of stocking stitch I will not bother posting a photo today.
As it is so plain, which is fine, it will be my project to knit when chatting with friends on Sundays or travelling in the car. I will not have to count rows as it is knit in one piece to the armholes and there is not a back and front to match row for row. Had I started it earlier in the week it would also have been a good project to take to the Sacramento Knitting Guild meeting on Thursday evening.
The project I took to knit at the meeting was a scarf pattern that I had knit before. The pattern is out of Vogue Knitting Scarves book One and it is called Mock Cable-Rib Scarf. I was lucky enough to still have three balls of Adrienne Vittadini Aria yarn that the sample in the book is knitted in.
Mock cable rib scarf
This is actually the third time I have knit this scarf. The first two scarves were made, also out of Aria, and I gave them to two cousins when their Mother passed away. I could not be with them to give them a hug so the scarves were my hugs to them both. I think this one will also be a gift either a birthday present or perhaps a Christmas present this year.
It is a lovely scarf to make and it would now be interesting to knit it in another yarn to see how the pattern would look in a non felted yarn.
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swatch for man's vest
The swatch was done on #7 addi turbo needles and is exactly 20 stitches to 4 inches with Cascade 220 yarn.
This is the first time I have used Cascade 220 yarn for anything other than a felted project. So I really needed to do a swatch for this vest as I am not familiar with how the yarn should feel knitted to the correct guage recommended on the yarn label.
I will use #5 addi turbo needles for ribbing, armholes and neck band and #7 for the body of the vest.
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I recently discovered five skeins of Cascade 220 yarn in my stash in a black and navy combination. Why did I buy it, because the name of the colour was something like Australian nights, and of course it looked nice.
What can I do with 1100 yards of Cascade 220? In a colour that is smart but not a colour I would wear. Thank goodness I have a husband who thoroughly enjoys wearing hand made sweaters. Of course living in California he will often say I don’t need anymore sweaters in this climate.
Cascade 220 colour 9409
The solution is a Knitting Pure and Simple pattern #215 for a basic vest for men. It will be the first garment I have made for him from these patterns, although I have used several Knitting Pure and Simple patterns for myself. The vest will be a nice garment for in between seasons so I know he will get a lot of wear out of it here in California.
The size I will knit is finished measurement 43 inches which is the medium size and I need 1,060yards of yarn so have just enough Cascade 220. I need to do a swatch and have 20 stitches to 4 inches and the recommended needle size on the yarn label is a number 7.
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