Sunday, November 30, 2014

Spreading Cheer with Wingspan


I have become obsessed with knitting shawlettes.  I had discovered the "Wingspan" from by maylin Tri'Coterie Designs on ravelry.com and had seen a finished version at the 2013 New York Sheep and Wool Festival.  I was given the pattern as a random gift and couldn't wait to get started.  My first attempt at this pattern was with Plymouth Stiletto in the Dillon colorway with Size 3 needles.  The 100g ball gave me the requisite eight "triangles," but the Size 3 needles made for a tighter fabric with not much drape.  

While the work was in progress, I had found the Plymouth Stiletto in the Villandry colorway and purchased two balls.  This time I used Size 4 needles and achieve the perfect weight and drape.  I began this project back in the early summer while on vacation.  While the pattern works up quickly and easily by using short rows which have always made me nervous.  However, the pattern provided a link to the German Short Row Pattern on youtube.com.  This method was extremely easy and left no gaps whatsoever.

This shawlette was a birthday present for my sister, but I do plan to make this again, mixing up the colorways to get different looks.

 

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

You're Such a Gentleman


One day at work, while I was bragging about my knitting prowess, I asked by my coworker to make him a hat and scarf for the winter.  His requirements were simple; something black to keep him nice and warm.  I took this opportunity to knit up another Compo Hat by Julz.  This was a recent pattern that I had tested in one of my Ravelry groups in a plain acrylic yarn.  Fortunately, the search for a comparable scarf wasn't hard to find.  I chose the Gentlemans Scarf by the Sheepwalk Fiber Arts Studio.

Both projects were knit in Knit Picks Swish Superwash Merino. The hat was knit with Size 7 needles and the scarf with Size 9. I felt it necessary to use a larger needle for the scarf to achieve the appropriate drape.  Each pattern was easy to follow and knit up quickly.  The Swish Superwash Merino made the cable patterns pop and the fine wool made for a more luxurious knit that could be dressed up or down.  I intentionally made the scarf extra long to wrap around the neck and have the ends hang down. 

The project, finished just in time was a big hit with the recipient.  Right after the delivery, our area experienced a drop in temperatures.  My friend came into work with his new hat, ready to pose for a picture.  Needless to say when there's cold weather in the forecast, this hat delivers comfort and warmth.