Fireworks, Food and Fun

I had a lovely time celebrating the Fourth of July with my family. Hope all you Americans out there had a great time as well. We had a barbecue the evening of July 3, with hamburgers and hot dogs, and veggie burgers and veggie dogs for the vegetarians. Also potato salad, French fries, fruit salad, and of course mud cake and ice cream. Yum! Put the grandkids down for a brief nap while the grownups watched a movie. Then we got them up for fireworks at 11:30 p.m. (Yeah, it's kinda late, but it's the tradition here.) We live in a great spot where we can just sit on the porch swing and watch the fireworks. Perfect!

After the lovely fireworks show, we walked down to Main Street for the Pots 'N Pans Parade at midnight, another tradition. First, all the church bells in town ring for about ten minutes. Then, everyone starts beating on pots and pans as the parade begin. A few floats and lots of antique cars rumble by. Then the real noise: probably twenty fire engines and rescue units from this and surrounding towns, all with their sirens going at full blast. What a cacophony of sound! No way could you sleep through it.

On the Fourth, after everyone was up, we had a nice breakfast and then drove down to Concord, Massachusetts, to see the Old North Bridge, where the first shot of the American Revolution was fired, "the shot heard round the world." Seemed appropriate for the day. Got to hear an enthusiastic park ranger give a talk about how that battle came about, toured the museum, then home for a nice dinner.

How was YOUR holiday?

Naturally, those fireworks in all their glory got me thinking about not only liberty, but also yarn. ;-) Hey, the colors inspire me! A good friend of mine, Jen, brought me a homemade drop-spindle made with an old CD, a dowel rod and a hook. She also brought me some gorgeous apricot-colored roving, and taught me how to spin. Well, got me started, anyway. I can't claim the lumpy product I'm turning out qualifies me as an expert! But it's fun and something I've always wanted to learn. Thanks, Jen!

I'm also working on a pair of socks I've put off starting for a long time. Let's see if I can post a picture of what they'll look like when finished:

Here's the link to buy the pattern, if you like them as much as I do, from Knitpicks. Hey, for $1.29 for the downloaded pattern, you can't beat 'em. I had to start them twice as the first time I was occupied with other things and somehow ended up with the wrong number of stitches in mid-cuff, and I'll be darned if I could find out what I'd done wrong. So I frogged and started over.

Interesting thing about the pattern: you knit the lacy cuff, then turn the work inside out and knit in stockinette until the stockinette extends about an inch beyond the cuff, then do the heel. IOW, you'll fold down that lacy cuff when you wear it, so the fabric is doubled there. But I'm thinking the next time I make these socks, I might want to make the cuff and just keep knitting for another inch *without* turning inside out, then go for the heel. That way I'll have a single layer around my ankle rather than a double. Good experiment, anyway.

So, how was your Fourth (if you celebrate it), and what colorful projects are you working on?

New Hampshire Sheel & Wool Festival 2008

Had a lovely time at the New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival yesterday, and wanted to share my few but carefully selected purchases.


First came these buttons. They're handpainted in South Africa, and just lovely. I don't have a project in mind for them yet, but somehow they called to me and I couldn't leave without them. They could go with something pink, which is definitely me. ;-) But if I decide to be a bit more dignified (and boring), they could go on something cream-colored, or black. I've found myself drawn toward interesting buttons lately, which reminds me of the wooden button cask my grandmother used to have. Many times my sister and I made necklaces of buttons, being entertained for endless hours. I think it's time to start my own button collection!

My next purchase was a lovely shawl pin, purchased from The Elegant Ewe's booth (from Concord, NH). It's a beautiful pink shell pin that can be worn as a square, or a diamond. I like the diamond idea better[,] but it could go either way. It's a lightweight pin so will work well on delicate shawls. I never thought about the weight of a shawl pin when I acquired my first one, only to get it home and find it was too heavy for some of my lightest-weight shawls. So this one is a welcome addition to my collection.


Also from The Elegant Ewe I purchased this beautiful glass shawl pin, black and silver, very classy. I've never been a gold woman, give me silver (or white gold) all the way. Don't wear gold jewelry, so I don't really want gold on a shawl pin, either. Only problem: this shawl pin came with a wooden stick. Well, the brown wood just didn't look right with the black and silver pin--like mixing gold and silver. I asked if there were a different stick to use, and they graciously swapped it out for a black one from one of the pink shell shawl pins, so that made me a very happy camper! And definitely a future repeat customer.


And finally, the yarn. :-) I was really looking for lace yarn this year. I searched high and low, and was disappointed to find very little of it in evidence. I don't know if it was just in short supply this year, or if previous years didn't have much either as this is the first time I deliberately searched it out. Finally, when I was nearly ready to give up and go home, I found this gorgeous 80% alpaca, 20% silk lace yarn from Ball and Skein. I bought two skeins in the "blues" colorway, enough to make the shawl I was shopping for, from the "Victorian Lace Today" book.

Anyone else go to the Festival? What did you buy? Inquiring minds want to know!

Needle, Needle, Who's Got The Needle?

I was just chatting with a friend about knitting needles, and how no matter how many of them you own, you never seem to have the size you need when you're about to start a project. For me, that's often because I'm a startophobic...i.e., I start multiple projects and have many going at one time. So while I may own needles in the correct size, the odds are they're already engaged in an ongoing WIP (that's work-in-progress, a writing term but I think it works for knitting also).

Until recently, size (and perhaps length) was my only concern with knitting needles. I had a bunch of needles from when I was a child (too many years ago to recount), and they were almost all aluminum. Susan Bates and Boye, mostly, I think. With a pair or two of colorful plastic ones thrown in for good measure. That was all there was back then, so you didn't have much choice. And while recently I've heard praise for different types of wooden needles, other varieties of plastics, various metals and even glass, I figured, heck, aluminum works fine for me.

But then I started a lace shawl, and found I kept dropping stitches when trying to do K2tog or even K3tog. The needles were just too darned slippery, and the tips weren't quite sharp enough. Also, the taper was too short and wide. I whined to my LYS owner about this and she suggested I try out Bryspun Needles. She even let me try them in the shop for an hour or so before making the purchase decision. (Yeah, she's terrific.)

I love them! The yarn doesn't slip off the needles when I don't want it to, but moves easily enough when necessary. The taper is long, the point is sharp enough, and I especially love the concave surface of the taper...an extra help to keep that stitch from dropping.

The website says they're good for arthritic hands because they're flexible. I can't swear to that, but I can say I haven't had hand pain while knitting since I started using them, so it's entirely possible.

They're lightweight, look like ivory even though they're plastic, and very reasonably priced. What more could you ask for? Next I'm going to try their circulars, and then the dps. I bet I'll like them, too.

Someday, I also plan to spring for some Signature Needle Arts knitting needles. Okay, they look like they're aluminum. ;-) But you can custom order them with various lengths, different decorative caps, and most importantly, three types of tips, including stiletto. So they're also on my wish list!

Do you have a favorite brand or type of knitting needle? What is there about it that you like? Or do you have needles you can't stand? Enquiring minds want to know!

Scarf City

Lately I've been working on scarves, scarves, scarves. My daughter had to have her thyroid removed, and since she's only 21, naturally she's concerned about the scar.

So first I made this one.
This is the Biggle Scarf by Louise Fabian Vouk. I made it using Plymouth Royal Bamboo yarn. My first time using bamboo and I loved it. So soft and silky.

Next came the Hattie's Rose Garden scarf by Christy M. Roosien. I did the drop stitch variation and here's how it came out.

This was made with Jaeger Trinity silk and cotton yarn. I have another skein of this in a cream color that I plan to make an additional, different scarf with. I have several patterns in mind to choose from. I hope this yarn washes up soft as it's a tiny bit scratchy right out of the skein.

Then I decided to make the Angular Scarf by Silke Hupka, using Sockotta sock yarn I had in my stash. Not Helen's favorite color combination, perhaps, but I think she'll get some use out of it. What do you think of it so far?

And finally (or first? Since I began it first but then put it aside for scarves made from more summery yarns) is a lace scarf that's a variation of Wisp Scarf by Cheryl Niamath. I made it narrower and had the lace and garter stitch patterns run vertically instead of horizontally.

I'll finish that one last, since although thin, it's made with Madil Yarns Kid Seta mohair.

So that's what I'm up to lately! How about you?

Anyone For A Tarot Reading?

Finished my Tarot bag. It was a fun and fast knit, once I got the hang of the pattern. I like the two colors together better than the original colors shown on the pattern itself. But of course that's totally a matter of choice.

I had a little difficulty finding beads with large enough holes to go through the braided drawstring, and ended up cutting away some of the threads and just leaving a couple. If I make it again, I'll shop for the right beads instead of just raiding my bead stash, as it wasn't really acquired with beading on yarn in mind.

The seed stitch top came out significantly wider than the two-color bag, so if I make it again, I might try a size smaller needles for the top. That said, having the top a little larger is good as it allows you to slip the cards in more easily. Here's a picture of the bag with the deck (still in its box) protruding, so you can see how much ease there is.

I don't use the Goddess deck much. I have a collection of perhaps twenty decks, of which I only use 3 or 4 regularly. But since the original pattern (which you can find here) was designed with the Goddess deck in mind, I figured that was the deck it belonged to. I can almost hear the waves of smugness coming from my bedroom: "I have a nice knitted tarot bag. You just have a cardboard box."

If it becomes too much, I may have to launch onto a lifetime project of knitting enough bags for all...

Breezy Breeze Jacket Done

Ta da! My Breeze jacket, from Cathy Carron's book "Knitting Sweaters From the Top Down," is done. I used Plymouth Encore DK yarn, so I can machine wash it with impunity when needed. I love the top-down method, very little seaming to be done...just two tiny seams where the sleeves join the body. And I also like being able to try it on as I go, once the sleeves are done...that way I can customize the length, which I did. I made it several inches longer than the pattern called for.

Here are a couple of photos of the sleeve and neckline details:





I also chose to do something different with the closure. The pattern called for a simple tie at the neckline and that's it. Well, since I left out the wooden beads decorating the yoke and cuffs that the pattern called for, I decided a tie at the top was too boring. (Yeah, it looks like I changed almost everything, didn't I? Hah.) So I decided to do buttons. But the question was, one button at the top, in place of the tie? One button at waist level, as my younger daughter suggested? Or several buttons from the bottom up several inches, as my husband suggested? I held buttons up to the sweater in different spots, frowned and pouted at the mirror, and eventually decided on hubby's suggestion, figuring it would make my central portions appear smaller by virtue of the open "V" of the sweater above the waist. Or so I tell myself, anyway! So here is a closeup of the fabulous buttons I found at my LYS:



Cool, huh? Perfect for the spring weather that's *finally* arriving here. The crocuses are blooming, that's a sure sign!

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can't imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin.http://marniemaclean.com Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Isabel's Sweater

Here's my granddaughter with the sweater I made her for her sixth birthday. It's a little large, but that's good as it means she'll be able to wear it next winter also. She was pretty excited when she opened it: "What is it? A blanket? A scarf? Oh, it's a sweater! I want to put it on right away!"

So, she did. And she wore it all day. And kept saying, "I love my sweater, Nana. It's so soft and warm."

Ah, what else could a knitting Nana ask for? ;-)



The sweater, posing on my bed







A closeup of the stitches



In case you're interested, the pattern is "Little Miss Strawberry" by Jodi Snyder, published in Creative Knitting Magazine.

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...

Sweater Done

I've finally finished the sweater with interesting pockets. Not sure what else to call it. See what you think:



It's hard to tell from a small picture, but see that collar that runs down the front edges and across to the side seams? That's the pockets...you can tuck your hands in there to keep them warm. Very cozy.

The yarn for the main body of the sweater is Patons Divine in the "Floral Fantasy" color. When I saw it in the store, I had to have it, even though I didn't know what I'd make of it yet. It reminded me of a Renoir painting, all soft, blurry colors. It feels like a kitten's fur and is so luxurious to wear.

The yarn for the collar/pockets is Plymouth Encore Worsted and it worked well, except the bottom band was done in a smaller size needle and I think that was a mistake. The Plymouth Encore Worsted should all be knit in the larger size, since it's a somewhat thinner yarn than the Patons Divine.

Now I'm back to working on Dan's heavily cabled cardigan--I can only work on it periodically as the cables are rough on my arthritis. And I'm also finishing some lace fingerless gloves for a Christmas gift.

What are YOU working on for the holidays?

Balaclava--Anyone Hungry?

My latest finished object is a balaclava for my husband, to wear under his bike helmet as he commutes to work. It's getting cold now and he needs something to cover all but the middle part of his face.

I found a pattern for World War I Red Cross Balaclavas and he chose this one:



He requested it in black. It came out very nicely, and he's already gotten some good use out of it.

Next, I'm working on some fingerless lace gloves for my mom. She works at her church, and her hands get awfully cold, but she can't type with regular gloves on. Here's the pattern I found: Lace Fingerless Office Gloves. So far they're coming out looking nice, but they seem very tiny. We'll see when I have one glove finished. I'd hate to have to start over...

What's the "hungry" part of my post, you ask? Well, I can't help but think "baklava" when I hear "balaclava" so it makes ME hungry, anyway! Anyone know what "balaclava" means? Wish I knew how to make a baklava as easily as I made the balaclava...

So, what are you working on? Christmas/holiday gifts? Can you talk about them, or are they a secret? ;-)

Finished Jacket, and Gorgeous Shawl Pins

First, I have to brag a little about a finished object. It's a bulky top-down jacket in seed stitch, and it was my first top-down pattern. But it definitely won't be my last. The combination of the top-down knitting and the bulky yarn made it go super-fast and kept my interest the whole way. The pattern is called Verandah (I think) and it's from the Knitting Sweaters From the Top Down book, which has a bunch of other lovely patterns in it, as well as general instructions on how to design your own top-down patterns.

Here's a photo of the finished object. Hope you can make it out...I think I need a new camera. ;-)



The only change I made is leaving out the button(s) at the top. The original design has two ties at the top with large buttons sewed over them. I was just going to do a button and button loop. But the jacket is also designed to not quite meet in front...and with my...ahem...generous proportions, I figured if I just buttoned the top button and the rest gapped, I'd look like I made it a size too small. So, no button and it looks great.

Second, I recently asked Rosemary Hill of Designs By Romi design a shawl pin for me. It's a simple design, but one that seems to really speak to me. Here's a picture:



The spiral design seems like infinity...world without end...life goes on. And that message is very important to me right now.

While I'm on the shawl pin topic, here's a picture of a gorgeous shawl pin I picked up at the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival last May:



Not the best picture, sorry about that. The pin comes from Gita Maria. This is a link to the pin I bought, just in case my photo above is less than adequate. ;-)

So between the two gorgeous shawl pins, I have something to go with every shawl. So far. But just looking around at those two websites makes me think I need more...

Okay, enough for now! Talk to you again soon.

Fun Quiz, and Ravelry

First, here's a cute quiz to try:

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted. You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes. Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Hope I copied the code right.

Second, I finally got my invitation to Ravelry! You can find me there as "delisi" and I hope you check out all my ongoing projects and finished items, since it took me an entire day to post what's up there. And that's not even all my stuff. ;-)

I organized some of my current projects into separate bags...mostly grocery bags, but some tote bags or knitting bags where I could find 'em. Now I can see how shamefully many projects I have planned or started! Takes over a whole corner of the living room, right next to my side of the couch, which is where I usually sit to knit. But did that stop me from starting a new one? Noooooooo.

Heeheehee! Yes, I freely admit I'm not only yarn/fiber addicted, but also new project addicted. And I don't want to be cured!

I try to justify it by telling myself I only have this many projects going right after my birthday, when birthday money was spent on as much yarn as it would buy. And that's true. But...some of the projects I've bagged up to start are with yarn I bought with LAST year's birthday money. ;-) Oh well!

Okay, back to work but needed a break to post the yarn quiz. Hope to see you on Ravelry! Add me to your friends lists.

Liz

Finished Seatbelt Cover

Don't know if you ever have this trouble, but I drive an older car, and the seatbelt height is not adjustable. I'm short, and thus the seatbelt always runs across my neck and is very irritating. The only solution I've found is a seatbelt cover. Walmart (and other places, no doubt) sell one that looks like sheepskin and closes with velcro. I've used one like that for years. A little heavy in summer, but better than the alternative of the seatbelt digging into my neck.

Well, the velcro on my seatbelt cover is all shot and the darned thing won't stay on. I was going to buy another one, when I came across this pattern:

Seat Belt Snuggles

I was enchanted. Knitting things for my car is a novelty...and although buying the Berroco Suede yarn for the project was probably more expensive than going to WM and getting another velcro thingy, somehow it FELT thrifty to knit one.

So I bought the yarn yesterday, finished up the snuggle last night and put it on the seatbelt in my car this morning. Fits like a dream and is prettier than the pseudo-sheepskin. Now I just need an excuse to drive somewhere so I can test it out.

I'm really curious now. I've knit my fair share of sweaters, afghans, socks, shawls, and baby blankets. But this is the first thing I've knit for my car.

What are the most unusual things YOU have knitted? Inquiring minds want to know!

Finished Tendrils Shawl

A few weeks back, I finished my Tendrils Shawl from Knitty. I decided not to use beads because of the weight, and also because I had no experience working with beads and knitting. Since then I've been working on the Mystery Stole 3, which has beads and I'm having fun with them, so someday I may try it again with beads. Anyway, here's a picture of the finished object:



I ended up wearing it over this past weekend, while my husband participated in the Timberman Triathlon. It was cold...much colder than expected for mid-August! And windy. I was thankful to have a nice, warm shawl...though three or four of them would have been better. ;-)

Here's a closeup of the stitches:



There's a mini-cable, a "regular" cable, and a ladder stitch. It was a lot of fun to work on.

The yarn I used was Classic Elite Premiere. It's a gorgeous yarn, 50% pima cotton and 50% tencel. It's SO soft, I spent a lot of time just patting and stroking it. Came out beautifully after washing and blocking and feels great next to the skin.

So, what are YOU working on? Something you'll still use this summer, or have you all started your fall and winter projects already?

Dreaming of Yarn

I had a dream last night about knitting. Although I often remember bits and pieces of my dreams, this one is unusual; I don't think I've ever dreamed about knitting before, no matter how much knitting I've done during the day.

In this dream, I was making a pullover long-sleeved sweater out of either worsted or dk or sport weight yarn, and I can see the color clearly in my mind. It was a variegated yarn with peach and a denim or Williamsburg blue. It didn't make tiny little stripes of color, but instead made big blotches of it. The pattern was just a plain one to show off the yarn colors.

Now, naturally, I'm hung up on finding this color, but searching every online yarn store for it would take forever. I've already checked my LYS and no such luck, they don't carry anything in that color combination.

So if any of you out there know of a yarn that's peach and Williamsburg blue, would you please send me the link to it and end the torture? ;-)

In the meantime, have you ever dreamt about knitting? If so, what did you dream? Did it result in a project in real life?

On Board For Mystery Stole #3

I've signed up to do the Mystery Stole #3 KAL. To sign up (hurry...you have to sign up by July 6), send a blank e-mail to mysterystole3-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. As you may guess, this is something that's gone on before since this is the third in a series. Some of you may know what i's all about, but I didn't know myself until a few weeks ago, so I'll fill you in if you're similarly uninformed.

It's a group that's doing a lace stole KAL (knit along) together. The interesting thing about it is, the "clues" (i.e., bits of the chart) are sent in small pieces, so you only get 25 charted rows per week (equivalent to 50 rows of actual knitting as the purl-side rows aren't charted). You receive hints about what yarn type and color to choose, but the finished stole pattern is a mystery.

Also, this stole features beads and though you don't HAVE to use beads to participate, I've decided to give it a shot. Heck, in for a penny, in for a pound, right? I'm feeling brave about the beads since I learned of what sounds like an easy way to add the beads. Check it out: Beading Made Easy.

Another challenge for me is the clues come out in chart form. I've only rarely worked from a chart, and then only in filet crochet. I much prefer written out directions. But the question is, could that be because that's all I work from? We'll see! I've ordered a magnetic Chart Keeper from KnitPicks, so that should help. A little.

And the stole even has a theme! Of course, no clues about that just yet either, though there have been many interesting guesses.

Here's my swatch with my chosen yarn (Skacel Merino Lace in white), though this is NOT the pattern for the stole, we've been assured:



I'm really excited about it. Of course, I need another project like I need a hole in the head. But I've had this laceweight yarn in my stash for maybe five or more years, just waiting for the right project. So the time is right!

Have you worked on lace projects before? Do you enjoy it? Do you work from a chart or a written pattern? Tell me your best tips! :-) I'm gonna need 'em.

Liz

Felted Knitting Bag Finished

I finished knitting the felted bag, and finished felting the knitting bag. Which are one and the same. Hah! The colors in the picture are a little off...it's actually dark purple, dark blue, magenta, teal green, and light purple. But for some reason it ended up looking almost all blue. Anyway, you get the idea.

Didn't turn out one hundred percent the way I planned. For one thing, I think it felted a teeny bit too much. My fault; I checked it at ten minutes and it was hardly felted at all, so instead of setting the timer for another five minutes, I set it for another ten. Oh, and I added my "secret weapon" to the second felting session: a kettle full of boiling water.

Word to the wise: check your felting objects frequently.

But it's still large enough to carry a knitting project in, so I'm happy.

The other weird thing about it is, the top edge came out ruffly. This is definitely NOT the way it looks in the pattern (see previous post for link), but I kinda like it, so again, I'm happy.

It's drying now...and drying...and drying. Has been drying for three days and still damp inside. Felted stuff sure takes a long time to dry! Another word to the wise: don't felt something on the same day you want to use it.

So now I'm back to working on a shawl from this pattern at Knitty: http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATTtendrils.html Only, no beads. It's coming out quite nicely, if I do say so myself. Only problem: the cast-on edge is tight. This could just be a function of how tight my knitting is in general. But...does anyone have a suggestion for a stretchier cast-on method? I just use the single cast on...or thumb cast on? Would the double (or long tail) cast on be better?

Well, back to work. I need to start more projects!

Liz

Goddess Shawl Finished

I finished the Goddess shawl I purchased the kit for at the NH Sheep & Wool Festival. I think it came out nicely...I never would have thought of putting all those yarn colors and types together, so it was fun to see how they worked. I just did a single strand of each of the nine yarns, and while they were all probably a baby yarn weight, some of the novelty yarns came out thicker or thinner. But that's part of the charm of the shawl, I think. I wore it yesterday and although it's light in weight, it's very soft and warm.





Here's another picture, this time a close-up of the nine different yarns so you can see a stripe of each one.



Now I'm back to working on this felted tote I'm going to use as a knitting bag: http://www.karpstyles.com/catalog.html?item=1592 But because I couldn't find five different shades of the same color in my LYS, I'm going with five different jewel tones. We'll see how it looks after it's finished and felted!

So what are you knitting?

Liz