Nanine's Cowl

As usual I have been extremely busy however this time I had time to put in some fibery fun!  I went to the Studio 66 Retreat and took several projects with me (knitting, weaving, spinning).  Of course as I was procrastinating I did not take Nanine's cowl with me.

The retreat was in Forest Falls, CA in the mountains and the cabins are very good.  I don't particularly care for camping so cabins with showers, sinks and toilets are my idea of how to spend time in the mountains.  Linens and towels are provided so there was more room for yarn in my bags!

There were several demonstrations and I attended Navajo plying on the fly, pickups on a rigid heddle loom and making paper beads.  We also all got to dye silk ribbons (the ribbons and dye were provided)!!  I ended up with Victorian rose colors. I promise to put pictures up soon.

Anyway, it is time for my friend to move so I had to get her cowl done. I thought to myself about what pattern would be good for her cowl as my requirements were that it was black and thick (she is moving to a cold place).  I had only one skein of Wool Ease Thick and Quick left over from my Charley bonnet so I had to figure out how to make her a cowl with one skein and it still be substantial.  I had a backup skein of Paton's Divine just in case it would not come out large enough.

Lion Brand has a cowl on their website named Ribbed Cowl and so I took the stitch count and rib pattern from that.
Here is what I came up with:

Materials:

One skein Wool Ease Thick and Quick 80% Acrylic, 20% Wool, 106 yds, 90 m.

One spool of Offray Double sided satin ribbon 7/8” by 18 feet (only part of the spool is needed).

Size 13 (9.0 mm) circular needle (24” size is probably best).

One stitch marker.

Cast on 80 stitches being careful not to twist the stitches.  I knitted on the stitches in k2, p2 ribbing so that the cast on would be stretchy.

Knit for 4 inches in k2, p2 ribbing.

Make eyelets:

K1, yo, p2tog, p1 around the row.

Knit the next 4 inches in k2, p2 rib.

Bind off in pattern (k2, p2 rib).

Measure out enough ribbon to go around the cowl and then some to make the bow and tails.  As it is a gift I cut more ribbon that is needed.

My gauge: 15 rows and 12 stitches equal 4” by 4”.  As it is ribbing and the ribbon is there for adjustment, unless you are wildly off gauge it does not matter.

VirgKnits94

More lace

As I said before I am always bitten by the lace bug, I am now working on more than 4 lace shawl patterns, it has grown to 8.  Ideas always come in feast or famine quantities, never one or two at a time.  Of the 4 new patterns 2 are knit with Mini Mochi, 1 with Chroma (fingering) and 1 with Malabrigo lace.

A few new toys, one Victorian and two Russian style spindles.  The Russian spindles are the best for spinning my dog's fur.  His is the white mohair looking yarn on the spindle.

Not much other fiber stuff going on right now!

Newsletter!

Today seemed like mostly a normal day and when I came home from work I did my normal tasks, take out the dog, check e-mail...  Today was no longer ordinary!  I had more new email than I thought, and to my surprise I saw that my shawl was featured in the Crystal Palace newsletter!  Hooray!
Crystal Palace Newsletter

My Pattern is named Secret Shawl and is under the heading Indie News!

Finally finished!

I finally finished a shawl that I had been working on for months!  Of course it should not have taken that long but life got in the way of knitting.

It is knit in Mini Mochi yarn (Crystal Palace) and was inspired by the character Anne Elliot from the Jane Austen novel Persuasion.  As I am forever bitten by the lace bug I have already picked up another unfinished lace shawl pattern that I am in the middle of writing and intend to knit that out.  Unfortunately I have 4 more after that I need to complete.

Finally! I finally figured out how to add a picture.  That is a picture of my dog and the yarn so far.  Hopefully I can have at least 2 balls of yarn done soon and then it will be time to ply the yarn.  I will post again when after plying.  Have a great day!

Time Flies

What a lame blog!  I have not posted in almost a year. So many things have changed since I last wrote.  It would be a shame if it had not actually as it would be quite boring to have the same life a year later.

Currently spinning is taking up some of my "leisure time" as I am trying to spin up the fur I have collected from my dog.  Yes, I said my DOG!  Do you know where the sheep has been whose wool you wear or spin?  I know where my dog has been at all times.  He is super soft and fluffy (especially right after he is washed).  He is especially furry right now (and sleepy) so I should have another bag of fiber shortly when I take him for grooming.

Before you shout that it is winter and he will be cold, it is 78 degrees outside and he has 3 dog sweaters, a dog coat and several shirts.  Even if I could not find any of those garments I have quite enough yarn to knit or crochet him 50 more!

When I last wrote I was submitting patterns to a magazine.  That was an exercise in futility that I have no interest in repeating any time soon.  I rushed to get everything in, paid overnight postage fees, only to have the designs not used and the entire package of samples, drawings and patterns never returned to me.  They were either lost by the magazine folks or the mail.

I am currently finishing a shawl pattern that the company whose yarn I wanted to use so graciously sent me 3 skeins to make the shawl.  I am hoping to complete the shawl itself and move on to the edging today.  It should have been finished ages ago but there is the "little" thing called work that pays the bills and buys yarn that has been getting in the way of knitting time.

I will try to write again soon but I will not promise as I have learned better than making promises I may not keep.

Schlep

I said I would write sooner, I guess I was wrong!  It is already April and the last time I wrote was in February!  I have been slammed at work however I have been sneaking a little knitting in here and there.  I have had more shawl ideas so hopefully soon things can calm down at work and I can actually finish something instead of creating more UFO's.  I also better get started soon on my holiday knitting as it never got completed! :(
I have a few shawls in the works and one is inspired by my little furry buddy!