Wednesday WIP

My thought when this year's edition of Summer of Shawls came out was to pull shawl WIPS out of the archives that have been waiting for some love for some time.

But, today's WIP is neither out of the archives or a shawl.  This week's WIP is a Hospice Prayer blanket and is keeping with the 4th of July weekend.

The yarn is Bulky Pacific, the pattern is Catty Corner.  I am hoping to have this off the needles by the weekend and blocking.

As much as I love the way bulky yarns and big needles make knitting go fast, I gotta admit that it has been wreaking a bit of havoc with both of my hands.  A bit of rest from knitting the big stuff helped these past couple of days and I'll take that as a warning sign for future projects.

We are having some nice weather and temps these past couple of nights so it's been perfect for porch knitting and having a blanket covering me hasn't been so bad.  Hope you are all having a great week!

Don't Know Why I Try To Take Knitting?!

There is just absolutely no way there is time to knit when you spend a weekend with the grand kiddies. They keep you hoppin and we totally had a blast.  And on the way home, I am so pooped, I just held my knitting in my lap.

Stash Dash Sunday Report

We missed last Sunday's report due to Father's Day.  But, I did not have any to report any way.  So for this week's Stash Dash Report:  Add 600 yards to the previous week of 800 yards.  Total to date: 1400 yards!

Let's Start The Weekend!

See you at the end of the weekend, I am off to have some fun.

From My Library - Folk Shawls

Not because I am a fan of Cheryl and also know her, but this is one my most favorite books in my Library.  Whenever, I am looking for a shawl to knit, this is my go to book.

It is divided up into sections of shawls from around the world, with an intro of the cultures from where the shawls were designed for.  There are great shawls to knit for all skill levels.  The Simple Garter Prairie Shawl is a nice shawl for a beginner or if you need something to knit in public.  I knit this once on a plane for a February Mexico vacation and again a couple of years ago, for our Girls Holiday Bash for one of the centerpiece prizes.

I am thinking, in its simplicity, this would be another nice one for Hospice.

The Wool Peddler Shawl must be the one that I have knit the most from the book or have in WIPS.

My first one was a ruffled version out of Kauni yarn.  It, too, went as a centerpiece prize a few years back at the Girls Holiday Bash.  It was the first Wool Peddler I ever finished, but not the last one that I knitted.

Next up in the Wool Peddler was a simple version without  lace or ruffle.  I found the yarn in Memphis when the kids lived there.  The yarn was bought for something else, but, became a Wool Peddler.  It was one of the first shawls that I can say I really wore a lot after I first knit it.  It is more of a shoulder shawl, but I got a lot of mileage out of it.

Wool Peddler was also the first shawl that I knit for Hospice.  I used Pacific yarn and I like to think it was the start of pretty knitting for Hospice.

So, if you haven't figured it out by now, you can see that Wool Peddler is definitely a fave.  And if not, I have a couple on the needles too from this pattern.  I love the way each new yarn makes such a different shawl.

Although, at the moment Wool Peddler's Shawl is one of my favorites, there are other great ones as well.  I knit on the Bird's Nest Shawl a couple of years ago at camp.  It has a great pattern repeat that was easy to knit in a camp surrounding.  This wrap/shawl is a fave of mine to take to air condition places because you can really wrap up in it.

The yarn is Cheryl's Just Beautiful Alpaca and you know how I love Alpaca!

The next shawl became a real fave because of the yarn.  A couple of years back, a dear knitter LindaP at Knit Camp gave me this most wonderful yarn that she spun.

The following year, I knit it into the Feather and Fan Triangle Shawl from Folk Shawls.

It was pure joy to knit with and it warms my heart every time I wear it.

Or think about the gift.

And last but not the least of the shawls in the book, I've got another on the needles for Hospice.  It is the Kimono Shawl out of Rylie.  It is on tap to be finished this Summer for the Summer of Shawls, but first there are a couple in line before it.

There are so many more shawls in this book that I want to knit!  Like Cheryl's Knitted Jacket book from several years back when I knit almost every jacket from the book, I really believe before it is all said and done that I will want to knit most of these shawls as well.  I think the book may be out of print, but if you can still get your hands on a copy, I'd say go for it right now!  Before you can't.  This book gets a 10 out of 10 for me!

Happy Summer Solstice Everyone!

Happy Father's Day!

This may be one of my most favorite photos of my Dad.  He was holding one of his twin grandsons in their first year before he passed away.  As one of my cousins said, pure love.

The older I get the more I miss him.  He would have been so proud of his grandsons and great grandsons.  Sometimes life if not fair, but in the mean time, we will hold onto the sweet memories.

Mail Call!!

Last week, I got the email that Kate Davies' book has been mailed.  Look what came today.

I'll give you a review of it later this Summer, during Summer of Shawls.

Also in the mail this week, my Allbirds arrived.  I had them on a couple of times and maybe I was just not in the mood or it was after a particular hard day on my feet, because both times they were back in the box and I was contemplating returning them.

But, yesterday, I had a bit of a summer bug and was chilled.  At some point in time, I decided to put them on and give them a test ride.  On day 2, I am kind of liking them.  They are wool knit and comfy. They are keeping my toes warm and no socks are required.  On the con side, they do not come in half sizes, so if I wanted to wear my wooly socks later this fall/winter, I would need a larger size.  I am hearing though that some wearers found that by going up a size the heel was  a little slippy.
I am keeping them and going to wear them to camp next month, which should be perfect in the cold hotel!

The mailman did not disappoint this week.  He brought me some Linsey yarn that has been discontinued  and is almost impossible to get, except through stashes on Ravelry.  As luck would have it, I found just the color way I was looking for, in the amount I needed and from someone who wanted to sell theirs.  Score!

I found the rest of the yarn I needed at one of my local yarn shops so now I am set to knit this sweater that I have been dying to cast on this Summer.  It may go with me to Camp as my knitting project.

I have to admit, I am like a kid when the mailman comes, just waiting for something fun besides bills!  Especially when I know there is something on the way! 

Have a great Saturday and I hope the mailman brings you something fun today!

Wednesday WIP

When is a WIP not a WIP?   When it is finished OR

When it is ripped out!

This is the second Meadow Grass that I have knit and not been overly happy with the size.  My first one was for Hospice and it was a fair size, but still not as wide or long as I would have preferred.  Last night, I had started the lace and found a problem so I popped it off the needles.  Big disappointment.  So small, there is no way this one was going to cut it.  

There comes a time when a WIP just doesn't make the cut.  This one definitely didn't and I'm moving on from Meadow Grass.

Last Saturday, I went to a wedding and I just wanted to share the candy bar picture from the reception.  What a super cool idea and it kept the kids busy and nice and sugared up before dinner.  

And the favors at our seats - for the adults, the mother of the groom's special recipe of Apple Pie in a cute little ball jar.  And for the kids, cotton candy!

Happy Wednesday Everybody!

Stash Dash Sunday Report

This week's stash dash is 800 yards or 731.52 meters.  As is this is my first week of Stash Dash, those are now my totals.

For more information on Stash Dash, please jump on over to The Knit Girllls on Ravelry Stash Dash Chatter Thread

Hope you are having a great Sunday of knitting, I am!

Friday Night Knits

I'm hanging out tonight in front of the t.v., watching the Cardinals and knitting some more on my Kailyard Shawl.  I am so enjoying the four plain rounds, but before the night is over, I'll be back on the charts.

The shawl is now at 512 stitches.  I've added stitch markers every 8 stitches for the repeat.  I think I may have used almost every little stitch marker I have and a couple of big ones to mark off the repeats.

I normally am not this careful with a knit, but with all these stitches and in lace and lace weight yarns, I am not taking any chances.  I've battened down the stitches on my needle with a couple of point protectors.

And after a row of two of the new lace chart, I think I'll throw in a life line, just for good measure.  Earlier this week, when knitting on the Bumble Bees chart, I found a couple of dropped stitches.  I pulled them up successfully, but I'm not taking any chances.

On tap for tomorrow is a wedding, which means I'll be missing Saturday morning knitting with the Knit Wits, but, I'll enjoy not having to go anywhere until in later day.  Perhaps, I'll get a couple of new  repeats done on Kailyard then.

Stay cool this weekend if you are in Central Illinois.

Wednesday WIPS

Ok, Ok, I'll say it again, I've got a few WIPS on the needles.  And yes, some of them are shawls.

This week's Wednesday WIP is my Three Color Cashmere Shawl from Joji Locatelli.  I can say it is on the down hill slide.  I've only got the rest of the picot bind off.

I'm liking this picot bind off.  I have never actually done a picot bind off, and it is not as fast as a normal bind off, but I think it is going to be very interesting on the edge.

This shawl has been fun to watch the Willy Wonka color ways evolve and yes, they are quite loud, but I'm looking forward to wearing this one.  When asked what I would wear it with, I immediately said black, but, now I can so many possibilities that it can be worn over.  I've got a lime green top, a brown top, a hot pink one, oy, they are endless.

It won't make Finally Finished Friday, but it will be ready to block by then.   The ends are pretty much woven end, so once it blocks I'll just clip them off and they will fade into the stitching.  I started doing that just recently.  I weave the ends in but don't clip.  Then, once it is dunked and dried, I clip them off then.  That way I don't have to re-clip them after blocking, which gives them a chance to settle in.

This has been a fun knit, but I am anxious to move onto another Shawl WIP, I just have to decide which one that will be.

Happy Hump Day Knitters!

How? When? Why?

How did I become a shawl knitter?  There was a time when I proudly announced I would never knit shawls.  I remember the day and where I was.  It was my first time at Knit Camp and every one around me was knitting them.  I just did not see me ever wearing or needing one.  I might have equated it with "being old" or maybe it was more of a skill set (fine yarns, small needles, lacey stitches) that had me making such a brash statement.

When did I become a shawl knitter?  Again, I can remember where I was and when.   It was on a plane to the Cayman Islands in February a decade or so ago.  The yarn was Lionbrand Homespun on big needles and was a simple triangular shawl.  The color was a beigey sort.  Always being cold, I thought it would be a great idea to take a shawl in progress on my trip and as luck would have it, I was able to knit it and cast it off while on my vacation and even use it a bit while there.

Why did I become a shawl knitter?  Honestly, I'm not a shawl knitter.  I just seem to be knitting a lot of them right now.  Let's face it, there is a ton of shawl patterns out there and some wonderful yarns to knit them out of.  Every time I see another new one on Ravelry, I want to cast it on.

My friend Becky says I knit them because I don't want to take the time to fit a sweater.  That may be a bit true, but I'm a compulsive knitter and there are some pretty cool sweaters that I have my eye on for this Fall.  But, in the mean time, I'm going to knit some shawls.

How about you?

I Lied

Instead of knitting on my shawl yesterday, I finished one of the blocks (the peach one, lower left), added a block (the dark pink one, lower right) and started another one (lime green, top right, almost off the pic) of my  Cozy Memory Blanket/Sock Yarn Blanket/The Kindness of Other's Leftovers Blanket.

It felt good and I might just finish the lime one tonight.

It was another great day today in Central IL and at knitting this morning at Panera's.  I have the best knitting friends, have I told you that?

Summer of Shawls!

I have a ton a lot of shawls on the needles, and one of my goals this Summer is to get a good portion of them off of the needles by the time of Fall sweater knitting commences.  This is just a start of what I hope to empty this Summer while knitting shawls.

One of the top WIPS to try and get off of the needles is the Three Color Cashmere Shawl.  The yarns are Yarn Republic and all three are Willy Wonka color ways.  I am finally ready to start the last band!

 I have to say the  band I just finished of fairly  super easy lace gave me a few fits and starts on it.  Really, it is a simple lace pattern and last week sometime,  I succumbed and ripped  it back to the third row of the chart and put markers in on every repeat.  Even then, I managed to foul it up a time or two, but it was easily fixed.

Now, with a few rows of 450 stitches plus to go and the picot bind off, I'm taking a minute or two to knit on something mindless, but yet still a shawl.  This one is going to be for Hospice.  It is Meadow Grass.

I have knit it once before for Hospice out of a teal and black Ultra Pima and decided to knit it again, only this time from Knitcircus' Greatest of Ease.  It is one of the larger skeins, but it still may not be enough for the entire shawl.  But, I've got a plan for that should I need it.  Hmm, I see a trend here in my Summer Shawls so far.

Do you have any Summer of Shawls  Goals?  I'd love to know what you are knitting this Summer.