Shawlette and Short Rows

Natalie and I were looking at knitting books at a bookstore and she pointed out a book on shawls.  I wasn't interested because I am not a shawl knitter, but later I did sneak a few glances at the book.  Darn it, but I did like the patterns in the book and with much ribbing (knitting pun here) she bought it for me.  One of the patterns, Heath by Amy Gunderson, in particular was just right for some Noro Matsuri (a cotton/wool blend yarn) I had in my stash.

Heath Shawlette Beautifully modeled by my baby sis

The pattern looked easy and I cast on, but encountered a problem.  There were many short row wraps, a stitch which I had not mastered yet.  I went to knit night with the hope that someone there might have a tip.  Brooke Nico, designer extraordinaire (http://tempestinapot.blogspot.com/2014/03/lovely-knitted-lace.html), showed me a quick and easy way to get those short row wraps under control.  I will never fear the short row again after this trick.  She said to put a stitch marker on the yarn and just turn and knit (or purl) back.  When it comes time to knit the wrap, you just pull the stitch lock and then knit it with the next stitch.  I love learning great knitting tricks like that, thanks Brooke.

I loved how the Heath pattern turned out with the yarn I used.  All in all a knitting win.  Yay!

A Tale of Two Scarves

It was the best of knitting, it was the worst of knitting. Same pattern, different yarn, both initially meant for the same person and a saga in the making. So to begin I have a friend who I will call Scottie Mom. I worked with Scottie Mom at Silly Hall and we still get together from time to time to dish about the people we know and the shenanigans that go on in city politics.

I wanted to knit her something that she would like and would be useful. I decided on the Noro Striped Scarf by Brooklyn Tweed. I loved the look and the knitting was a simple single rib. So off to Knitorious I went and dug through all the Noro trying to find some colors that I thought Scottie Mom would like. She looks so good in pastels, but it was hard finding Noro that I thought she would like, but I picked two colorways and thought it would be okay. I went home and started to work on the scarf.

As the scarf progressed I began to have my doubts on the colors. They were too garish for her, too me and not her. Then I lost my knitting on Cherokee Street; it was a drama thing I whined about on the blog. The knitting was retrieved, but I knew it was just not the right colorway.

Enter the Wisdom Yarn, Poems. I saw the colors at Knit and Caboodle in St Charles and the skeins literally fell off the shelf at me. There was a blue that just needed to be knitted for Scottie Mom. So I started all over again. Knitting and knitting that single rib, I am sick to death of knit, purl, knit, purl.

Scottie Mom's birthday came and went. Winter came and went, finally the scarf was done just in time for spring! The photo of her scarf is directly above. I gave it to Scottie Mom and she was very, very gracious. She said, "Hey, we will have a few more days of cold weather."

Once done with Scottie Mom's scarf, I went back to the original effort which was about half done. Back to the old knit, purl, knit, purl. At last I am done with both scarves. Photo of the Noro Striped Scarf is below. Same pattern, different yarn, two results. I don't think I ever want to do the single rib ever again.

Knit Masterpiece

Okay for the non-knitters this is a knitty-knit-knit post, and for the knitters this is the oh-my-god when is she going to stop flapping this throw in our faces kind of post. Please indulge me today, I need the little victory right now. Last summer I bought 5 skeins of this Noro Silk Garden. I spent a couple of months hoping I would stumble across a cache of a few more to make myself this awesome Lady Eleanor wrap. Well I may have stumbled, but no yarn turned up and I decided Lady E was a little above my knit abilities. So 5 skeins of Noro languished in my stash. I thought some project will present itself.

Enter my friend Debbie. Debbie has been sick, the last couple of years and has recently moved to New Town in St Charles. When she saw me knitting she hinted that she would like a throw for her new digs. I caught the hint, actually I would have been in another state to have not caught that suggestion. So I thought, hmmm, I do have that Noro and Christmas is coming. But still I did not have enough for a throw. Again the yarn went back to languishing.
Then I picked up a copy of Mason Dixon Knits and drooled over their mitre square afghan. I drooled some more and then a bulb went off over my head . Finally, a purpose for the Noro Yarn. I picked up more yarn in a complimentary color. I scoured through some other mitre square patterns and started knitting. Then I made a mistake and had to pull out three squares. Then I made some more mistakes and pulled out a few more squares. Slowly it started to come together before me. People would stop me as I knit at Borders, Knitorous, Ornesto's just to droll over the throw. But something wasn't quite right I needed an edge to pull it all together and more yarn in black had to be purchased. I learned to crochet to do the edging. I discovered I don't like crochet as much as knitting, but...

I present to date my most beautiful knitted project. The throw isn't perfect. I can point to all my mistakes, but I am reveling in just how beautiful it turned out. It is 42 inches by 48 inches and just yummy to touch. Come Christmas, I am going to have a little trouble letting go of this baby. I hope Debbie loves it as much as I do.