New Yarn for the Stash

New Yarn for the Stash, originally uploaded by stelladanza's confections.

A visit to The Black Sheep in Encinitas, California, yielded this group of new yarns for my stash. Clockwise from upper left: two skeins of worsted cotton/nylon yarn (Cotton Twirl in "Lake Trail" colorway from Crystal Palace Yarns), bulky weight blue-green cotton skein hand-dyed in Chile (Patagonia Nature Cotton by Araucania Yarns), and a skein of sport weight aqua linen (Euroflax by Louet). Now to plan a few fall knitting projects....

Ragamuffin Handspun Yarn, Gauge Swatch

Ragamuffin Handspun Yarn, Gauge Swatch, originally uploaded by confections.

I spent some time yesterday working up a gauge swatch with my Ragamuffin cotton rag yarn for a rug project. This is knit in garter stitch on size 15 (US) knitting needles. I may tweak it up to a size 17, because the garter stitch is so dense. This would make a great bath mat or small rug near the kitchen sink.

I decided to use the golden ratio to determine a pleasing rectangular size rug. I'm no mathematician, but the fiberarts often encourage me to branch out and apply all that stuff learned in school.

I'll alternate colorful yarn skeins every two rows or so for a stripey effect. I gravitate toward the scrappy look in quilts, too.

Fingerless Mitt (almost done)

Fingerless Mitt (almost done), originally uploaded by confections.

I've been knitting fingerless mitts for the last month or so. My Mother and my next youngest sister received them for Christmas. This pair is being made for my youngest sister who selected the yarn from my stash when she was visiting before the holidays.

The yarn is Soy Wool Stripes by Patons. The pattern is by fellow Etsy artist Sand and Sky Creations and is very user-friendly and makes up quickly. If you've made a pair of socks and are comfortable wielding double-pointed needles, this project is a cinch!

Handpainted Laceweight Wool Yarn in Peony Colorway

Handpainted Laceweight Wool Yarn in Peony Colorway, originally uploaded by confections.

This is a laceweight skein of yarn that I handpainted for a good friend last summer. She has moved to New Hampshire and I miss her dearly. I am comforted by the fact that she will knit something yummy out of this skein and its fuzzy companion to keep her warm during that cold New England winter.

To distract me a little from the novel writing, a shipment of undyed wool yarns arrived on my doorstep yesterday. I'll be in the dye studio off and on throughout the month as an antidote to the intensity of writing at least 2,000 words per day (and my blog entries do not count!).

An Easy Triangular Shawl for Fall and Winter

Shawl of Many Colors 2, originally uploaded by confections.

I featured this triangular shawl in my blog last spring, but I didn't include the pattern. I'm going to add it to Ravelry soon, but here is the unedited version that I shared with a friend who is fairly new to knitting:

Here is the pattern which I got at a class taught by Colleen Davis, founder and former president of the North Coast Knitters Guild, which has meetings in San Diego County, California, each month (visit their guild website to see what they're all about). Colleen is a very inspiring teacher. This pattern actually was called "Cardigan Starting with a Pyramid", inspired by Hanne Falkenberg, interpreted by Colleen Davis. (Further interpreted by me....)

I used long circular needles (Addi Turbos) for this project; you can start on straight needles and then switch to (increasingly longer) circular needles as the shawl grows to the size you would like. When you cast on, you are actually working from the nape of the neck downward toward the point (apex) of the triangle.

1st Row: Cast on 3 stitches. (Right side)

2nd Row: Knit the row (wrong side), placing a stitch marker on each side of the center stitch.

3rd Row: Increase in the 1st stitch, slip marker, knit center stitch, slip marker, increase in last stitch. (2 increases made)

4th Row: Knit across (wrong side row).

The above 4 rows constitute the set-up for the overall triangular shaping technique. The shaping is as follows and continues until the shawl reaches the size you desire:

[*Row 5: Right side row. (Note: Put a safety pin on the right side so you can differentiate it from the wrong side in the pattern. All increases are done on the *right* side rows.)
*Increase in the 1st stitch, knit to 1 stitch before marker, increase in (that) next st, slip marker, k1 (this is the center stitch), slip marker, increase in next st, knit across to last st, inc in end st. (4 increases made) Whew!

Row 6: Wrong side row. Knit across. (That's easy!)*]

For clarification and in plain English: On every *right side row* an increase is made on the outside edges (i.e., in the first and last stitches of the row) and in each stitch on either side of the center stitch. The *wrong side rows* are knit straight across, with no increases.

Repeat rows 5 and 6 (between brackets) until the shawl is the size you desire.

You can use an additional set of circular needles towards the end to enable you to open up the shawl and gauge its length and drape more easily. After completing a row, use your second set of circular needles to begin knitting. (Cap the non-working ends of both sets of circular needles with tightly fitting point protectors--don't lose all your hard work at this stage).

Knit until you reach the center stitch and again cap your needle ends with point protectors. Now you can get an idea of the length and drape of the finished shawl. But remember, the *point* of the triangle won't be liberated totally until you bind off loosely and end the project. Change colors and textures of yarn to your heart's content. On the back of the shawl you will have a noticeable chevron design, especially if you change colors and make stripes.

Enjoy! If you have any questions, just let me know. It's a lot simpler than it sounds in the pattern.

Note: You may use any yarns that strike your fancy in any size and gauge. The shawl grows organically and you can try it on as you knit and get a rough idea of how it will look.

Back to Square One

Back to Square One, originally uploaded by confections.

The simplest of all knitting projects, a garter stitch washcloth of self-striping Sugar 'n Cream cotton is one of life's timeless delights. I've been invited to join Ravelry, and I'm getting my knitting muscles back into shape slowly.

I made this the other day as a sort of meditation on simplicity. I was trying out my new square needles (size 8 US), and I enjoyed the process immensely. As a bonus, I get to use it tonight in the shower with some equally delightful handmade soap. Life is good!