Age of Brass and Steam Shawl

Here's another finished project that has been hanging out waiting to be photographed and documented for several weeks now.

The Age of Brass and Steam Shawl was a quick knit when I needed something simple and relaxing to work on around final exam period. 

 

The pattern is The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief by Orange Flower.  It was exactly what I needed at the time, not complicated and soothing.  Now you can tell that I haven't gotten around to blocking this, one of these days I'll get my act together and have a blocking party. 

I dyed the yarn myself sometime last year.  From what I can remember, it is 100% superwash merino dyed using Jacquard.  I'm glad I had just enough for a small shawl!  Too bad it is too warm to get any use out of it for a while.

What do you find yourself knitting/crocheting as a soothing project?

Enjoying the Ravellenic Games!

After much thought, I decided to attempt my first Ravellenic Games!  I had been signed up for a team for a while, but didn't even start to think about projects until two hours before the start of the games.  I managed to pull my resources together and get some patterns picked out just in time, and am I ever happy that I did!

I have decided to compete in four events this year with the overall goal being destashing:

I've suddenly been in a sock making kind of mood (it might have something to do with seeing so many of Andi's beautiful socks) and cast on a pair of vanilla socks using this yarn I hand dyed last month using egg dyes. 

I've had a small skein of Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend sitting around for a while and desperately wanted to use it to make something I would use.  I decided on a pair of fingerless mitts, which work really well with the yarn and don't require much yardage. 

Perhaps my most ambitious project, which I may or may not conquer is knitting a Gemini top with this stashed, copper colored Hempathy I've been saving for something special.  I'm probably going to have to order more yarn for this project (why did I have to leave Webs?), but that doesn't matter because it is a perfect match for the project.

Of course I cannot do anything without somehow working spinning in.  So I started spinning up this disastrously hand dyed Cheviot wool, because I really want to see if dyeing it again after spinning might improve the color (ugh, pastels...). 

I've got a lot that I'm working on, but I'm loving the challenge and the fun of knowing that I'm knitting and spinning alongside some really fantastic people from all across the world! 

Colorwork Sweater Adventure!

Yesterday I was finally able to cast on my colorwork sweater.  Having this kind of project has been a relief to me as I have been surviving an overwhelming mixture of good and bad events this week.  It is also a huge comfort to be reading all of your blogs and sharing in your successes.

As you may know, one of the huge projects on my Fiber Goals for 2012 list is to complete a colorwork sweater.  I chose a recently published Knitty design: Velvet Morning.  I absolutely adore the colorwork patterns that she designed for this sweater; however, I'm really struggling with this design because it is worked flat.

After experimenting with steeking last month, I've become convenced that colorwork should only be done in the round.  I've spent many a night thinking this problem over in my head and then decided that I should stick with the pattern, I'm just not ready to make the leap that is required to alter a pattern yet.  I would rather take it slow for now and hopefully end up with a beautiful sweater!

Here's what I have so far!  I'm thrilled to be using some of my own hand dyed yarn!

Also, thank you to all of you who graciously shared your stories of how you learned to knit.  I truly enjoyed reading each and every one.  You are all so talented!