Kate's Shawl

Kate, now the Dutchess Of Cambridge was seen soon after her wedding shopping at a local grocery store. This is the shawl she wore. The knitting community at Ravelry.com is all a twitter over this shawl. Many people are knitting their version of the shawl. No one can find the one she wore to get the correct yarn-cotton, wool etc. or the stitch pattern. All knitters are going off photos which aren't as close as we'd like. I want to make one of these. But as you know, I have 2 shawls already on the needles. So, as soon as I finish one, I may start this.

Blue Shawl update

After much gut checking, I have decided to rip out the blue shawl and start over. I have knit 10 rows so far. With such thin yarn it is very slow going. In contrast, my Rowan shawl I have knit 49 rows. I am almost done with my first skein. With the blue shawl, I have made many mistakes, knit the wrong row,developed holes that shouldn't be there, got messed up mid row, etc. I decided to retype the pattern making extra spaces bewteen each row and each stitch direction. Example: then: k1,p2 now: k1 p2 I need more space so I don't mess up. I want this blue shawl to look good. Plus if I left it as is, when I block it, it will be glaring every mistake I made and I will hate it and wished I ripped it out. So, here I go, rip rip rip....

First dishcloth finish

Technically this is my second dishcloth. The first one was quite holey. This one has a few holes but is much better.

Update on shawls

Here is the progress I have made since May 18th. The Rowan Shawl is coming along nicely. I will finish that much sooner than the blue shawl. I am between 1/2 and 3/4 done with the first skein. I am only on row 9 on the blue shawl. It really is slow going. I have to concentrate greatly on both shawls. I love knitting the blue shawl and then switching to the Rowan shawl. It's so soft and luxurious! Neither of these shawls with be mistake free-especially the blue shawl. But I am doing my best to not make mistakes. I shudder to block either of these because the mistakes (especailly the blue shawl) will be glaring.

Another project

After I wound up my skeins last night I had to start something with one of them. I decided to try making a shawl/scarf. This is a picture of the shawl with a pretty white/off white color. Mine will be made of this color: It is fingering weight with is really thin lace weight yarn. I am using size 5 needles and that makes it doable. I don't think I could use size 1 or 2 with this thin yarn. I am using my "new" size 5circular needles that I got at St. Vincent DePaul. They are good! Needless to say this will take me a long time!

My birthday presents!

I love them!

I love this yarn and my needles!

The yarn-you can see the fuzzy mohair in it. I couldn't get a good picture of my 3 row progress.

I cast on for my shawl. I am using Rowan Cocoon yarn. It is made with 80% wool and 20% mohair. What is Mohair you ask? Well here is a description of it:

"Angora goats produce a very beautiful, luxurious and incredibly durable fibre called mohair. It is one of the warmest natural fibres known and one of the most versatile. Angora goats took their name from Ankara, an ancient Turkish city where they originated. Although the goats were farmed for their fibre from early times it was not until the 16th century that export of the goats was permitted. The first exports were to France and Spain. They later spread to many countries, reaching the Americas in 1849 and Australia in early 1900s. South Africa currently produces more than 60 percent of the total world production of mohair. Australian production totals approximately 250,000 kg. World production is 5 million kg per year.

It is a wool-like textile fibre ie it is a protein fibre. It has a smooth cuticular scale pattern on the surface that imparts lustre and it has low felting capacity. This scale is different to the wool fibre scale and consequently is not 'itchy'. The mohair is generally shorn from the animals twice a year. The mohair grows rapidly at about 2 cm per month. The fibres range from 23 microns in mean diameter at the first shearing to as much as 38 microns in older animals. The wide range of uses of mohair fibre is a result of the range of diameter of the fibre produced. Mohair from young goats (kid mohair) is used in knitwear, from intermediate age it is used in suiting materials, and the stronger 'fine hair' types are used in coating and rug manufacture." http://www.binhaitimes.com/mohair.html

I love how this yarn feels! Soft, warm, squishy. I needed to concentrate when I was casting on because there is not a lot of twist to the fibers so it's harder to see where the stitches are. One blends into the next. But after the cast on row, things got better. There are little white hairs-from the mohair that sheds as you knit.

Important finding

Something I just learned. If you click on any picture you will see a close up. If you click the picture again it will make it even more close up. Try it with the needle pictures to read the words on the packages.

Happy Birthday to me!

These are great double pointed needles! The wood ones are good Clover dpn's the problem with all the double points is they only come in sets of 4 not 5. I hear using 5 is easier with working in the round. I am going to learn how to knit with these if it kills me! Notice the prices on everything I got was $.50 each.





I found all these at St. Vincent DePaul tonight. Normally I would not buy these because I don't like plastic but they are circulars and I want some. When I can afford to buy really nice ones, I will and then decide what to do with these. In the meantime I can start all sorts of projects! I love how old they are. How far needles have come in 20-30 years. Now the best you can buy are made of airplane metal and cost $40 a pair and are wrapped/shipped like they are some precious jewel. I don't own any but saw a picture on a blog.

Oh No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I broke my favorite needle! It somehow got smashed in the car door. $8.00 door the drain. I will have to buy another pair. I would have taken a picture but I threw the needle away and It got lost in the garbage.

Selene Wrap

Yes, I just finished a shawl. But is is one I want to knit! I saw it made at Knitch and fell in love with it. It was done in gray and that is my favorite color. But Knitch was discontinuing the colors and they were out of gray. So I picked blue. This is going to be a challenge and I pray I don't make to many mistakes. I will put lifelines in every 4-5 rows. That will slow me down but I don't care. I will count my rows. I will focus and not try to quick knit a row. Tomorrow is my birthday and it will be a great gift. I have my circular needles. They are Knit Picks Harmony options. I can't wait to use them!

Shawl is done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finally finished it! It took forever and I will never make another one k3 p3 again. I am convinced now that I know how to count to 3! So relieved! There are holes and mistakes in it. I'm kind of embarrased to give it away but I worked so hard on it.