Chevron Ruana Finished

I finished my Chevron Ruana (from Iris Schreier's book "Lacy Little Knits") a few days back and finally have taken some photos:



Okay, I'm not the best photographer, don't have the best camera, and also don't have the best place to display things I'm going to try to photograph with less than sterling skills and equipment. ;-) Anyway, I hope you can see a little of how it came out. Above is the back, below is the front:



Tried to take a picture of myself wearing it, but alas, it was not to be. The only mirror in our house is a lovely oval silver-framed mirror above the bathroom sink. (Where I confess I can often be heard chanting, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest one of all?" Haven't gotten an answer yet.) I can only see my head and shoulders in it. If I stand up on the toilet, I can see the middle of my body. Just try taking a photo that way, I dare you. :-) Anyway, here's a closeup of the stitches taken while holding the camera at arms' length and hoping something would show up in the shot:



At least you get to see my shawl pin designed by Rosemary Hill of Designs by Romi. Lovely, isn't it?

So what are you working on? Do you work on things for the season we're currently in, i.e., you're a fast knitter? Or do you, like me, work on any old thing that takes your fancy since it's likely to take a year or so before it's done? Hah. Let that secret out, didn't I?

Seashell Shawl Finished

I finished up my Seashell Shawl, pattern by Kristin Omdahl in the October 2007 issue of Knit 'N Style. I think it came out wonderfully. Here's picture of it blocking:



Here's a closer picture of the stitch details:



I used Bristol Yarn Gallery's Buckingham yarn, which is SO soft…80% baby alpaca, 20% silk. The pattern starts with the bottom ruffle and works up, which is great as you decrease as you go, so you seem to pick up speed and work faster the farther you go. I was worried at first I'd run out of yarn as the ruffle took a full 25% of my yarn...but I worried needlessly. There was plenty of yarn to go around.

It came out looking smaller than the pictures in the magazine-–wrist and waist length rather than over the fingertips and hips. And that's after blocking the heck out of it. Here's the picture from the magazine:



If I make it again with this weight of yarn, I'd buy more yarn and work on larger needles to get a little more size. Probably my own fault for not swatching. (Shhh!) But it's lovely and quite wearable the way it is.

Hmm. I wonder how it would work in a heavier yarn? Because I do love the pattern. Off to rummage through my stash...