Sunday, January 22, 2006

WIP - Estonian Lullaby Blanket


This is my first Fiber Trends' Estonian Lullaby blanket. I'm using Plymouth Encore worsted weight yarn in a pale jade colour. The photo is of the garter stitch border and the first 16-row repeat. The pattern is very simple to follow and is working up beautifully. I'm using a size 10 32" Addi Turbo needle, and I've got 6 200-yard skeins of yarn. The pattern called for 850 yards of worsted weight, but I've got 156 sts on the needles, more than the pattern required, but I want to make a larger lap throw so I added sts to the suggested number in the pattern. It's working up quickly and I hope to have it finished before the Knitting Olympics begin!

Flower Basket shawl complete!



Here's my third Flower Basket shawl, designed by Evelyn Clark for Fiber Trends. This was done in Dale of Norway Falk sport weight 100% superwash wool. The colour is light peach, even though the close-up photo is quite washed out...still trying to get the hang of the new digital camera! I used 9 skeins of yarn (each 116 yards) and a size 7 32" Addi Turbo circular needle. I thought that a size 8 would have been better, but when I blocked the shawl, it was just right. The finished size was 76" by 36". This shawl took 7 days to complete.

On to the next!

Monday, January 16, 2006

Another basketweave throw



Forgive the terrible photo...I'm still trying to learn how to use my new fancy-schmancy digital camera. This is another basketweave throw I knitted for the local cancer centre. The yarn is Plymouth Encore in a discontinued colourway called pale jade heather. It took 5 full skeins, in all, 1000 yards of worsted weight wool. The pattern is a basketweave that I came up with decades ago, although I wouldn't call it an original design. I like this weave better than any I've seen. I used a US11 needle and it took about 8 days to make. The finished measurements were 45" x 50".

WIP - Fiber Trends Flower Basket shawl in Dalegarn Falk


After finishing the Nashua wrap, I made a basket weave lap throw in Encore (for the local cancer centre), a scarf in a varigated thick/thin wool yarn called "Landlord" for a dear friend (would have to be in order to get me to make another scarf), and I started another Flower Basket Shawl. Given my past experience with this pattern, the needle size was up for debate. The pattern calls for a US8 for sport weight wool, but previous shawls using DK weight and the suggested US10 needles were way too loose. I started this on, using Dale of Norway Falk in light peach, with US6 needles, but that was too tight. I am now using US7 needles and it seems to be a bit snug, but I know it will relax quite a bit when blocked. I think it will also make a warmer shawl, perhaps a bit less lacey, and that's good. I started Saturday, January 14 and am half way through the 3rd ball of yarn. I'd like to get it completed next weekend.

Like the others, this will also be donated to the local cancer centre.

Monday, January 02, 2006

Besotted scarf complete!


Here's the Besotted scarf that I finished yesterday. It took me about 2 and a half days to complete. I used 2 4-ounce skeins (190 yards/174 metres; 4 ounces/113 grams) of Candide, in an ecru colour. This was yarn I bought decades ago, before Reynolds bought the original company (Candide Yarns in Woodbury, CT). Fortunately, the yarn is still available and it's terrific (it's now 100 grams instead of 4 ounces, and about 20 yards shorter). It's a good "old fashioned" itchy, scratchy, durable, warm wool complete with bits of weeds...who would want anything more! The good news is that when it's washed, it softens quite a bit and it produces a great garment I washed it in Eucalan and then added a bit of unscented fabric softener. The finished size is 6.5" x 65" (17 cm x 170 cm).