Zig Zag lace throw completed!

Shrink, Pakucho, shrink!! I know that this cotton is supposed to shrink vertically about 15-20%, so I made this throw about 64" long, knowing it would shrink. I put it in the washer and, of course, it grew considerably! Into the dryer on low heat, and it didn't seem to shrink up at all. This lacy pattern had a lot of give to it, so it was getting bigger, not smaller! I ended up drying it on high heat and it did shrink up to a finished size of 42" by 56", which is just what I wanted. I used 16 50-gram skeins of Pachuko and used a size 10 Addi turbo circular needle.

The pattern is Zig Zag lace from Springtime Throws, which is exclusive to Annie's Attic. These throws are designed my Melissa Leapman and they are all terrific. At only $6 for 6 designs, this booklet is a great one.

This throw, like the shawls I've made, is for my local cancer centre.

Zig Zag lace throw WIP

This is the zig-zag lace throw I've got on the needles. I'm using Pakucho organic cotton in vanilla and a 29" size 10 Addi circular needle. This pattern is from the Springtime Throws
booklet from Annie's Attic. It's a nice booklet and I'll be making all of the patterns in there.

Right now, it's knitting up very loosely, just slightly larger than gauge, but I know it will shrink up when it goes thru the washer and dryer.

As for the yarn, I'm finding that it's twisting up on me to the point of aggravation, but it could be due to the way I swifted and wound it. I'll try some other techniques to see if it gets better. Right now, I'm at 16 repeats and it's 20" long. I'm going for 60" long to allow for 20% shrinkage. I hope to make some serious progress this weekend!

Completed Flower Basket shawl

It's really done! It's been blocked and trimmed and is beautiful! The yarn is Heirloom (Australia) Easy Care 100% wool. It's DK weight and this took 10 50g balls using a size 8 needles. I started this on June 18 and it came off the needles on July 2. It's going to the local hospital's cancer centre where it will warm and comfort someone undergoing cancer treatment.

This pattern called for size 10 needles when using DK weight yarn. I thought that looked way too loose and I decided to use size 8 needles. I think the look is perfect! I followed the size guidelines for the large shawl on size 8 needles and ended up with 80 inches across the top (shoulders) and 38 inches down the center back. I did a total of 15 repeats; had this been 1 repeat shorter, I would have just 9 balls of yarn (50 grams, 98 metres each).

On to the next project!!

And the Flower Basket shawl is OFF the needles!

WHEW! It's done! OK, mostly done! I still have some end weaving to do and it really needs some serious blocking, but it's D-O-N-E!

Nearly done with Flower Basket shawl!

I wonder if the shawl is done or I'm done with the shawl! Last night, I pronounced the shawl DONE! Not quite done, of course, but nearly! I'm going to finish the current repeat, then I've got 12 rows of lace edging to do. It's getting so heavy on the needles. It will be done this weekend for sure, then I can wash and block it. I can't wait to see it all blocked!

WIP - Fiber Trends Flower Basket shawl

So, here's my 3rd shawl for the cancer centre at our local hospital. I'm using a gorgeous DK yarn from an Aussie company called Heirloom in periwinkle. It's machine washable, which is a good thing! I started on 6/18 and have completed 13 repeats. I've got about 350 stitches on the needles now and I'll tell ya, when you make a mistake and have to rip out a couple rows, it's a pain in the butt! I was zipping along at first, but now, I can only crank out a few rows a day. But, with vacation time coming this weekend and next week, I'll be able to finish it and move on to a simpler project. I think alternating simple/complex projects is the way to go!

WIP - Gary's socks

I'm using some Kroy Socks yarn in "Orangina" to make some socks for Gary. The pattern is "Classy Slip-Up" from Knit Socks. I started it on 6/29, and have completed about 5" (as of 7/4). I'm using a size 3 40" Addi circular and Magic Loop. Maybe that needle size is too big, but we'll see.

Cotton Colori socks

This is the first cotton sock I've made. It's Schoeller Esslinger Fortissima Cotton Colori in "Santa Barbara". I used a size 2 40" Addi turbo needle and Magic Loop. The pattern is just a "make a sock" pattern...nothing fancy! I did swatch and knit to guage.

I think it's a bit on the loose side. Next time, I'd use a size 1 needle and some elastic thread in the ribbing.

Baby sweaters!

These are the "twin" baby sweaters I made for two of the women with whom I work. They have the same patterns, except for the necklines. They are from a Peter Pan pattern that I got in England many years ago. I love the Aran style and they worked up pretty quickly in the baby size! I used Plymouth Dreambaby in pink (the collared cardi) and lavender (the v-neck cardi). The sleeves and back are also fully patterned, so these were lots of work, but worth the effort!