Old Shale Scarf

Debbie Bliss Angel Prints yarn used

As promised a few months ago, before life got in the way of my knitting, here is a photo of the Old Shale pattern using Debbie Bliss Angel Prints yarn.

The pattern is quite easy to knit, and it's also easy to memorize.  The photo to the right is about what I have currently done on the scarf to date.  Though now that I think about it, I took the photo and then did some knitting on it a few weeks ago, so there would be a few more rows added to what is showing.

I've never worked with this yarn before.  It's quite soft and fine and I do need good lighting to work on this project.  So far I am enjoying the yarn.  I have another skein of this in a different colourway and I'm a little anxious to see how it knits up.  I'll have to look up what this colourway is at a later point (I don't have the ball band handy).  I would never thought of using all these colours together.  Yes, I know blue and orange go together, but the yellowish and the pink I would never have put with them.  I only have one skein of each of the two colourways, so I imagine this scarf will be a little on the short side.  We'll see how it looks after it's blocked, though.

I've also got a few more scarves knit up but don't have any of them (or the previous ones I mentioned) blocked yet.  My blocking wires and foam pads are in storage at my BFF's place since I moved back home this summer and I don't know when I'll get them. So, until then, my scarves will have to wait awhile to get blocked.

Maybe my next project will be something I don't need the blocking wires for when blocking - something like a hat or mittens or socks.  Anyway, I will worry about that when the time comes.  Until then, I have this scarf and another one on the needles to finish up before starting something else.

And, now that the colder weather is upon us (we currently don't have any snow yet where I am), I hope to get more knitting done and added to my stockpile of donated items.

So, that's what I'm currently knitting.  How about you? What are you knitting? Let me know in the comment section, and feel free to provide links to the pattern.  I'm always looking for new pattern ideas.

Irish Mesh Cowl Completed

My Irish Mesh Cowl

This past week I went to Edmonton with a few friends.  I decided to take some knitting with me to help pass the time in the car (it's about a six hour drive, maybe more, depending on how many stops are made, and how long those stops last).  I also worked on it at the hotel in the evenings when I was relaxing after long, busy days.

I didn't quite finish it on the trip, but had 99.9% of it done. I had to finish the binding (had some of it done in the car) at home Friday evening when I got back.  I blocked the cowl on Saturday, and it was dry this morning.  I'll be adding this item to the things I'm going to donate to charity.

The pattern I worked on for the trip is the Irish Mesh Cowl pattern.  It is an easy knit, and looks so pretty!  It called for 4.5 mm needles, but I didn't have any (bought some while in Edmonton though).  I had hoped blocking would have made it a little wider and longer, but it didn't increase much.

I will definitely be knitting this pattern again.  I have more yarn (Marion Foale 3 ply, 100% wool and gifted to my by my Alphabet Scarf Swap partner a month or so ago) like I used, which is actually darker than in the photo, and with the bigger needles, hopefully I'll get a different effect (wider, longer) with the lace part "popping" more.  I am pretty satisfied with how this cowl turned out. It's the first one I've made and I'd say I had a good experience knitting a cowl for the first time.

I'm working on another scarf now - the pattern I bought in Edmonton - and will post about that next time.  Until then, happy knitting!

Poppy Lace Scarf - In The Beginning

As I mentioned in the previous post, I have begun working on the Poppy Lace Scarf .  It is a 12-row repeat, and you knit these rows until you get to the desired length you want.

Unfortunately, I made the wrong choice of yarn for this pattern.  Unless blocking will help considerably, the pattern will be lost in the stripes.

I'm not too upset by the poor choice of yarn for this pattern.  To me knitting involves taking chances with your yarn selection or colour pallet.  You'll never know how a pattern will turn out unless you try it.  I've knit socks or scarves or hats thinking that they wouldn't look good in the colour or type of yarn selected, only to have it turn out looking quite beautiful.

As in life, you learn from your mistakes.  You can frog what you've started (if you aren't satisfied with it), or you can continue to go on and use it as a learning tool.  And what I have learned from this pattern and yarn choice is that if you use a lace pattern that has a specific pattern you want to show up, don't use a self-striping yarn.  This yarn would have been better in a plain stocking stitch pattern, or maybe an eyelet pattern that would show up on each (or every other) row.  Live and learn.

That being said, this pattern is pretty easy to follow, nothing too difficult, but it's one you need to pay attention to, otherwise you'll end up with a mistake (but then isn't that true of most lace patterns?).  I will likely knit this pattern again, though I'd use a solid colour yarn instead of self-striping.  I should have taken a cue from the pictures of the scarves on the Ravelry page (where this pattern is found) and used a solid colour for this scarf.

I'll post a picture of the completed scarf once it's blocked and see if it looks any better than it does now.  I don't know when that will be as this coming week I will be heading to Edmonton for four days and won't be taking this to knit in the car (since I need to focus on it). I'm looking for more of a "mindless" pattern to knit that is easily memorized. I haven't made the choice yet as for the type of item I'll knit, though it will probably be a scarf, hat, or socks.

Happy knitting!