2 More Shawls

I love making shawls. Love love love. So thoroughly satisfying and a practical use of 2 skeins of 'nice' merino & silk yarn.  And it doesn't taking freaking forever to finish! 

I go through cycles, probably like other knitters. T-G !  I'm over the dishcloth period. Still - technically - in the bear-sweater period, as I have a new, naked bear, awaiting his cabled & seed stitch sweater. A charity auction project, goes with the blanket already started, a violet-purple cotton blend.

Saroyan Pine Scarf

Yarn =   Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy

DK / 8 ply / 153 yards

41% Cotton, 34% Hemp, 25% Rayon

 3 skeins = 459.0 yards (419.7m)

Color =  Pine Green 28

Pattern  =  Saroyan by Liz Abinante

Size after blocking  = 10"x77"

Needle =  US 6 - 4.0 mm

A lovely pattern, love the yarn. A beautiful teal green. I did 9-11-9 repeats (9-increases 11-center 9-decreases); unblocked was 9”x65”, after light blocking 10”x77”. Just enough left of the 3rd ball, I could have done one more center repeat.
Cotton/hemp has a nice drape, though a little color bleeding when I got it wet for blocking. Great weight for hot weather climates…hope to wear this all winter.

                    

Lemony Chinook Scarf 
Pattern =  Chinook Scarf by Ali Green

Size after blocking = 14" x 68"

Needle = US 6 - 4.0 mm

Yarn  =  Malabrigo Yarn Silky Merino
DK / 8 ply / 150 yards
51% Silk, 49% Merino

Used  =  2 skeins = 300.0 yards (274.3m)
Color  = Yellow

A dear friend’s mother will celebrate her 100th birthday in November and... yellow is her favorite color. Who wouldn’t want a little silk & merino scarf? Love love love the Malabrigo.

Hempathy Kerchief

A perfect little scarf for Arizona weather!  I'm pleased overall with the casual & rustic linen & lace look. 

Hempathy is a nice weight for hot climates, love the hemp & cotton drape in this little kerchief.

Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy
Weight:     DK / 8 ply
Content:    41% Cotton, 34% Hemp, 25% Rayon

After some serious blocking, it measured 56” across and 20” deep…

The Clara Parkes free pattern (below) is great for a beginner, as I'm still learning triangular shawl-making.  However, the flexible bind-off is just a little tedious! The straightforward instructions are easy to modify.

I call this:  Hempathy Kerchief
Pattern:   One-Skein Shawl by Clara Parkes

Needle:         US 6 - 4.0 mm
Yarn Used:    Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy
How much:    1.8 skeins = 275.4 yards (251.8m)
Colorway:      Pale Silver/Gray 34
Size:               20" x 56"

 A Light and airy scarf, I achieved what I had in mind, mostly---it did get a little tedious so I stopped sooner than I probably should have, for size. A little bigger would have been better, and wish I used 7 or 8 needle instead of 6. Another learning experience!

Serious Shawlette/Yarn Addiction Period

  My 2nd shawlette!  All finished, blocked & photographed. OMG. Love it as much as the first. Just need cooler weather, so I can wear it to work. 

I've learned a lot by knitting these "beginner" lace scarves---that is I've learned what NOT to do.  And please, would I just follow instructions & suggestions... one of these days !! 

Next time I will end the first skein before I run out, also remembering to join the 2nd skein at the end of a row (not in the middle).  I may not use every single iota of yarn yardage, but the  'lace points' will match and I won't be scrambling at the end to finish. I think (this time) I have learned that suggestions are made by experienced knitters FOR A REASON. I will pay attention from now on.            

I used the same Chinook Scarf pattern, but this time tried a different fine yarn:
Alpaca Silk by Blue Sky Alpacas
DK / 8 ply   Content:  50% Alpaca, 50% Silk
Yardage: 146 yards (134 meters)
Unit weight: 50 grams (1.76 ounces)
I used 2 skeins - 292.0 yards (267.0m)
Needle:   US 5 - 3.75 mm
Color: 110 Ecru                                          

I've started another small lace shawl - in the Elsabeth Lavold Hempathy. A teal-pine-green color. The pattern is  Saroyan by Liz Abinante.  More later, only just started knitting the first leaf.

A quick trip to Tucson/visit an old friend resulted in 2 LYS stops---well of course! Add 3 more yarns to my stash. Surely all the yarn I can possibly handle, in a lifetime. Or at least in 2012.   
The yellow Malabrigo is for my friend's mother; she will celebrate 100 years in November. What better reason to buy yarn/knit a shawlette for her, in her favorite color: yellow.

And I bought some other interesting yarns, but what to make?   Next project/learning experience will be the triangular style shawl.  Another 3 balls of the Elsabeth Lavold Hempathy, only in a silver grey.  Lovely lovely yarn. Nice weight/mix for this hot climate (cotton, hemp & rayon).

Then 3 skeins of Berroco Seduce. Darker greyish. Yum.

Can't wait to make something out of it.

More yarn please. I'm into shawls

Need more time. Certainly not less yarn.

I keep finding beautifully irresistible yarn.

And special patterns I can't wait to try.

More time, please.

Louisa Harding Kashmir DK

 Cascade Venezia Worsted. Lace scarf, please.

 Aslan Trends Ecolana in a beautiful natural oatmeal. Hat maybe?

Love my Noro Silk Garden, 2 skeins of this.

Maybe a hat, for a friend who wants a warm winter hat?

Cotton Ease is great for a Charity blanket, a cotton acrylic blend.

Nice to work with.

Rowan Pima Cotton DK, a lovely grey. I love grays.

Cannot wait to knit with the Blue Sky Alpaca, a silk & Alpaca blend.
I think a lace shawlette is in order.

Wool & Bamboo from JoAnn's,  a shawl with this...I think

Arizona Shawl

I love it !

I love how it turned out. I debated about adding fringe & then I tried, just to be sure and then found it didn't need the added length. The neutral color over black is great, perfect shawl weight for Arizona too.

It has a drapy-ness that I guess is only from linen/rayon combo, but a lovely weight for Arizona, hence the name. Beautiful friend & co-worker Kit models in the library. Finished size is 14"x80".

This is the yarn used:

Berroco Linen JeansWeight: Worsted / 10 ply (9 wpi)
Yardage: 80 yards (73 meters) - I used 8 skeins
Unit weight: 50 grams (1.76 ounces)
Gauge: 19.0 = 4 inches
Needle size: US 9 / 5.5 mm
Fibers: 70% Rayon, 30% Linen
Texture: linen tape Color: Natural

The pattern is One Row Lace Scarf, courtesy of Turvid : http://turvid.blogspot.com/2009/03/free-pattern-one-row-lace-scarf.html

I cast-on 64 stitches; any multiple of 4 will work and about 4 rows of garter at either end. I think of it as my Closer Shawl - I watched seasons 1, 2 & 3 of The Closer this summer, while knitting this shawl. I can't see Kyra wearing this :)