Hurricane knitting

Just cast on a quick project with a new yarn (Blue Sky Alpacas Techno). I need to get busy on Christmas knitting anyway and what better time is there to start ... when you're "shut-in" during a storm. Yet I'm happy to say, "Good night, Irene."

So here it is! The pattern is from Wendy Knits Lace and called Rhossili Beach Watch Cap by Wendy D. Johnson.









Winter weather warm!

Can't have too much lace or too many shawls!

I finished another shawlette. Another design by Wendy D. Johnson. It's her Summer Mystery Shawlette ... so I called it "Summer Dreaming Shawlette. Check it out, it's a free pattern.




It was very quick ... yah, I know it was. So I highly recommend it to even a beginner. I cast on for another using sport weight and with 2 more sets of 48 stitches cast-on it'll also be larger and more "shawl" size. If there's enough interest I will give a workshope at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn in January on this one. It's knit from the bottom up!

And while my new shawlette was blocking, I whipped up a flu-flu ruffled scarf.



The color is called White Silver and it does have a rather Holiday glow about it.

Well I'm getting back to my knitting. Lot's of knitting on the needles already. But ...
No time to stop now, there's a hurricane headed this way!

Baby needs a Monkey too!

Needed to use up some of the left-over yarn from the Slip Stitch Baby Blanket. And since the new Mom is decorating the baby's room in a jungle theme I knew there would be monkeys in his jungle. But this is not just another Monkey ... this is a New Sock Monkey.





And the book, That Darn Yarn will be included with the gift!



Could you resist a New Sock Monkey?

Yes ... Another shawl!!

I can't resist a really nice yarn or a really nice shawl pattern ...



This pattern is the Stacy Shawl by Wendy D. Johnson from her new book "Wendy Knits Lace." It's a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to either new lace knitters or experienced ones. I already have the book because the publisher asked me to write a review. I first knit a couple of projects so I can get the feel of the way the patterns are written. In this case, I am very very happy with all aspects of this book. I'm working on the review now and I'm giving Wendy high marks on this one. There's at least a half dozen more knits in this book I want to do!

This shawlette was a pleasure to knit and only took 6 days including the day & a half to do the knitted on boarder. Another day to block ... and I'm "In Love" once again.

Just look at the detail. Of course, I had a lovely yarn to work with too ... Dream in Color Everlasting.



The next picture shows a closer likeness to what this color looks like in person ...



From the same book, I also knit up the lace cowl that is easy enough for a beginner lace knitter to do ... and came out so lovely using the Madeline Tosh DK yarn.





So what's next ... more lace?? You bet!!

Baby needs a blanket ... Updated

Modification made ...

Note: a few days after blocking the baby blanket the boarder started to curl again so I did a crochet crab stitch edge. I like it better and it gives the edge a little more weight.

A Slip Stitch Baby Blanket

Pattern:

Slip Stitch Blanket by Linda Medina Craft
Needle size used: US 7 - 4.5 mm

Yarn:
Cascade Yarns Pacific

How much?
3 skeins = 639.0 yards (584.3m)

Colorway: beige

and 1 skein each:
Yellow

Orange

Turquoise

Purchased at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn in Salem, Massachusetts

I was worried about the curling in the border at the beginning but DON’t worry, it does block out in the end. Although, the borders aren’t as nice & thick as the rest of the blanket so if I do this one again I think I’d double up on the yarn for the border and just drop the extra strand when continuing on the body of the blanket, reattach for the end borders.

It felt like it was taking me FOREVER to finish this blanket but it was very easy and has a nice feel to it.

Okay, I'm just an "Instant Gratification" kind of person and anything that takes more than 2 weeks to knit doesn't fall in that catagory of "instant".

But happy!