Finished Projects Updates

Yikers! I have been a very bad blogger when it comes to posting my finished projects. I just scrolled back and realized I hadn't posted a finished project since May!! Bad me!! (Sorry Ellen!! - have to say that before she chastises me at knitting group ;) )

OK, first up is the Gail shawl. I loved knitting this shawl as it was very different from any of my other previous shawls. I may actually knit this one again as a Christmas gift for someone else, but this one I am definitely keeping for myself!


Pattern: Gail (Nightsongs) Rav link
Yarn: Fresh from the Cauldron - Silk Sock
Colorway: The Volturi
Needles: KnitPicks Harmony size 8
Modifications: completed 7 repeats and then the edging. The pattern called for a double YO at the center stitch. I thought that made to large of a stitch and changed it to a single YO.

Here's a nice close-up of the motif. Believe it or not, the yarn is a variegated colorway. The dyer blended the colors so smoothly and the changes are soft enough that it worked beautifully in this lace pattern. I couldn't have been happy with the results!



Here's an outside shot so you can see the colors a little better.



Next up are just a few dishcloths. I was on a kick. I had made one for my sister a while back and last time I was over her house I noticed that it was seriously on it's last life! So I gave her the top two that are pictures and I kept the bottom two for myself. I'm thinking of making a whole bunch more and giving them as part of family Christmas gifts this year.







Next up, I test knitting a baby sweater pattern for my friend Sheila over at Wullenstudio and Sheila Rovelstad Designs. What a fun knit and you can knit the smallest size with one skein of her sock yarn!! I made this sweater to give as a baby gift for my cousin's wife, who is pregnant, but they are holding out till the baby is born to find out if the child is a boy or a girl. Since the sweater design really leans more toward a girl I"m holding on to it and going to start a more boyish sweater here soon.


Pattern: Bebe Sweater (test knitted the pattern for Sheila Rovelstad Designs)
Yarn: Wullenstudio Sock Yarn
Colorway: Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys
Needles: KnitPicks size 2 (30 mm)



Lastly is a birthday gift for my friend - KnitRedSox. OK, so she's a July baby and a wool cowl isn't really ideal - BUT there's a good reason for this. She has just recently moved back to the Chicago area and the winters up there can be brutal, so it will be put to good use in a few weeks I'm sure ;) Plus, her favorite color is purple! (Miss you Girl!!)

I cannot tell you how many times I frogged and started this cowl over because it just didn't look like it was coming out right. I looked on Ravelry on other people's project pages and no one had any comments about errors or anything, so I casted on again and worked through one full repeat during at a knit night. I showed some of the gals there the directions and what was coming out on my needles and it wasn't looking like the picture on the pattern. Finally I gave up for the night and decided to give Ravelry another look-see in the morning. On the actual project page is where I saw a more explicit explanation of the pattern directions and finally understood the pattern, but thought the pattern directions could have been written more clearly to reflect that! Well, I was finally able to get the cowl finished and the birthday package put all together and shipped out :)

I just may have to make one of these cowls for myself as well!!

Pattern: Darkside Cowl Rav link
Yarn: 100Purewool
Colorway: Storm
Needles: KnitPicks Harmony size 8
Modifications: none

Prayer Shawl finished

Gloria's prayer shawl is complete. It is not to the dimensions that I had originally wanted for it, but time is not on my side and I didn't want to chance it being too late to give to her. I had cast on 249 stitches on size 11 needles. The pattern is simply *K3, P3,* repeat to last 3 stitches then K3. Every row. The colors blended nicely. When it came off the needles the shawl was about 6.5' long with some knotting fringe work on the ends. Can't really see that in the pictures.

I printed out 2 different prayers. a tag that listed the names of all the people who contibuted yarn to the shawl as well as a list of the colors and their meanings. I think Gloria will really appreciate it.
Gloria is home now. We are all just waiting for the news to come.

Prayer Shawl

A co-worker is out and battling her 3rd bout with cancer. She is a very sweet woman and I wanted to do something special for her. I knew she was a very spiritual person and a very humble person. I came across some sites that talked about Prayer Shawls, how they are made, meanings behind the colors and prayers to go with them. I just *knew* this was the perfect gift for Gloria. So I sent out an email to all my co-workers and told them of my special project. I solicited yarn contributions and emailed them the list of colors and their meanings and the only specification I stated was that the yarn be wool, otherwise, any color went. They could pick a color for what they thought Gloria needed during this hardship or they could pick a color that was significant to how they saw her. It was amazing to see the colors that people chose! I decided to make each row a different color. I have about 16" of tails on both ends of the scarf to do a pretty knot pattern at the end. I'm using a simple K3, P3 pattern in an odd numer of 3s so that every row starts with K3 to avoid ribbing.

I told my co-workers that I would bring the shawl to work everyday till it was finished. I invited everyone to stop by my office and they could add their prayers to the shawl and if there were any other knitters they were welcome to knit their prayers into the shawl. I can't wait till this project is done and I can give it to Gloria.

My First Shawl

Holidays have kept me away from posting for a while. Too busy knitting those gifts and of course silly me forgot to take pics of them all!

As I started unpacking my winter clothes, yes believe it of not I've just started (Mother Nature has apparently extended her vacation in Fiji and I am NOT complaining *grin*) I found the first shawl I crocheted.

I used Lion Brand Microspun yarn. A nice soft yarn, but I think it would be a yarn better suited for knitting. I crochet the shawl longer than the pattern required and I love it! Apparently so does my cat. If I leave it out within 5 minutes he's burrowed himself down and is taking a nap! I'll have to add that picture if I can find it!