Chevron Scarf

It's finally done.


Finished Chevron Scarf, 10/20/2007

Pattern: Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock medium weight in Thistle and Nodding Violet
Needles: Knit Picks Options in US size 5



About two weeks ago, I decided to pull this project out of hibernation and focus on finishing it. (Thanks to Alice and Tiennie for the encouragement!) I kept track of my progress in Ravelry:

• 7/2/2007 - cast on
  
• 7/13/2007 - 13 inches
• 8/11/20007 - 28 inches
• (set aside for a while)
• 10/6/2007 - 42 inches
• 10/15/2007 - 53 inches
• 10/17/2007 - 59 inches
• 10/20/2007 - 64 inches - bound off!

Overall, the main thing I have to say about this pattern is: fingering yarn + a scarf =crazy! The pattern calls for 78 inches as the final length; I made it to 64 (but haven't blocked it yet, I expect it will grow some.) I'm really impressed that so many people have made this scarf, 'cause it is a lot of knitting. I bought enough yarn to make another in a different colorway, but don't expect to be doing that any time soon.

It is a nice pattern - easy to knit, pretty, shows off the hand-dyed variegated yarn wonderfully. I love the Socks That Rock yarn, but I don't like the lime color that seems really prominent to me throughout (that's from the Thistle). Also, pre-blocking I find it annoyingly curly along the increase/decrease waves, and I hope that blocking will help it lie flatter. Not sure if I'll keep or give it away.



And it sure is photogenic. (There's a whole bunch more on my Flickr).

WIP Updates

It's that time again. To tell you about my progress with two projects that just don't want to be finished. If I had had any clear idea that both would just keep going and going, I would have realized that casting them both on in the same week - the first week of July - was not a good plan. I snuck a little hat in last week just to be able to finish something.



Pattern: Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock medium weight in Thistle and Nodding Violet
Needles: Knit Picks Options in US size 5

I'm 42 inches in. I have to confess that the thought of going on to 77, or even 66 inches, just makes me want to cry. Can't I be done already? Seriously, it's like a slap in the face that this is from a book called Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Yeah, she says it will take a while. And, yeah, I've put it aside for long stretches of time because I'm burned out on it. I can't believe that some of you have knit more than one! Of course, I did buy enough yarn to knit two in different colorways...



Speaking of yarn, I adore Socks That Rock but find that there is noticeable pooling, especially of the lime green, and I just don't like that. I've actually considered frogging but think I will more likely give it away. What's your opinion?



Pattern: Kimono Shawl by Cheryl Oberle
Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss in Burgundy
Needles: Addi Lace Turbo in US size 5

I am exactly halfway through my Kimono Shawl. That's 33 inches of unblocked lace. I adore this pattern and I love the yarn and I continue to enjoy the knitting, but at this rate (one 24-row repeat per week), I'll be done in December. And I really want to be wearing it now!

I thought the Kimono Shawl would be a good first lace project since I wouldn't have to deal with shaping for a triangular shawl. But I think the triangular ones would go much faster. Also of note, I substituted fingering weight yarns (Gloss is 70% wool, 30% silk; the patterns calls for 100% silk). I ordered the same yardage of yarn as the pattern called but, at the rate I'm going, I'm only going to use about 60% of it. Amusingly enough, I'll have enough leftover to make a triangular shawl!

WIP Updates

I've been on vacation this last week, at home, doing projects around the house - painting the home office (which left me without internet for almost a week) and making jam. Plus an emergency root canal, oh joy. And, of course, some time for knitting. So here's the update on my two main projects:



I'm 28 inches into the Chevron Scarf. Which means I still have 7-10 inches to go to be halfway through, depending on how long I end up making it. The lime is a little more lime - vibrant lime - than the picture shows, and it's pooling a little more than I'd like - despite the yarn changes, the pattern of the lime is very noticeable. But I can think of several people who would really love this scarf, and I expect to be making one of them happy come the holidays.

This is a great knitting project to take with me when I'm out and about, and I'm looking forward to trying it in some of the other yarns I have - which is partially why I'm leaning towards a 70, not 77, inch final scarf. I'm also happy to report that I'm doing a lot of Continental knitting on the scarf - pretty much everything except the k2tog and kfb rows. (I've found the knit front and back to be very hard to do left-handed.) This is making the tendinitis in my right arm happy.



Almost done with the third repeat of the Kimono Shawl. I put a lifeline in after the second repeat. Luckily, I haven't had to use it, but I have had another instance or two of tinking a few rows. When I do the purl rows back, I have a tendency to somehow drop the yarnovers. I have to be much more vigilant with lace than I'm used to. Despite that, I'm still passionately in love with this shawl.

Travel Knitting

I recently traveled for about a week and a half. I made progress on the Chevron Scarf:


13 inches in. That's somewhere between one-fifth and one-sixth done, depending on how long it ends up being.

After knitting and blocking the swatch while traveling, I finally cast on the Kimono Shawl:



I'm almost done with the first repeat. I was actually a few rows closer when I realized that I missed a yarn over - 4 rows back. Aarggh! I hadn't put a lifeline in, because I was planning to finish the first repeat first.

I attempted to fix it by dropping four stitches back the four rows, but that made it worse. I tabled it until the trip was over and brought it to my knitting mentor. His verdict was: tink the four rows. I did this last night, but after purling a row to get me all caught up and clean, I found - a missing yarn over! So, one more row of tinking to fix that, and then I'll be ready to move forward again.

Oh, well, it's my first lace project. I didn't expect to be an expert!

Socks that Rock Score

My yarn arrived.


Socks That Rock mediumweight 100% merino wool in Nodding Violet, Thistle, Lagoon, and Rolling Stone colorways

I took a lot of pictures.


Thistle and Nodding Violet


Rolling Stone and Lagoon

(This is really just the tip of the iceberg. See more pics on my Flickr.

I wound up some balls with my new ball winder and swift set.


Nodding Violet and Thistle


Lagoon and Rolling Stone

I cast on and started knitting.


Chevron Scarf from Joelle Holverson's Last Minute Knitted Gifts, knit in STR Nodding Violet and Thistle



Dreamy.

Anticipation

It's possible that project-deprivation, that fear of having nothing on the needles, made me order too much yarn. I was also able to justify it because I am getting ready to do some travel knitting, and it's important not to run out while far from my familiar LYSes.

Anticipation part the first:


Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock destined to be two Chevron Scarves. (I'm going for more tone-on-tone than contrasty).

1. Nodding Violet 2. Thistle 3. Lagoon 4. Rolling Stone


Anticipation part the second:


1. STR Nodding Violet 2. STR Thistle 3. STR Lagoon 4. STR Rolling Stone 5. Berroco Ultra Alpaca (alpaca/wool) in Oceanic Mix 6. Swift and Ball Winder combo 7. KnitPicks Options Knitting Needle Set 8. Gloss (merino and silk) Fingering Weight in Burgundy 9. Alpaca Cloud Lace Weight in Iris Heather 10. Shadow Merino Lace Weight in Grapevine Heather 11. Shadow Merino Lace Weight in Sunset Heather 12. Elizabeth I Lace Scarves Pattern

1-4: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock destined to be two Chevron Scarves, as I mention above.
5: For a Clapotis. I'm listening to old episodes of Cast On, and her description of how much she loved her Clapotis (before it felted) convinced me that I needed to make one.
6-7: Simply because I need them.
8: Knitpick's wool/silk fingering blend in enough yardage to actually make the Kimono Shawl.
9-11: Three single skeins of Knitpicks' lace weight yarns to give them a try. I'm planning on knitting the lace scarves seen in #12.

All now winging their way to me in the mail! I don't think I'll be project-less for quite some time. Hoo-ray!