Another Shawl!

I have been longing to start another shawl ever since I finished the last one, unfortunately I haven't made it to Dublin to visit my favourite knitting shop. So, absolutely tearing my hair out for want of something to knit, I went through my stash in search of enough wool to make a project. I stumbled across a bag of wool that I had bought last summer in Lidl of all places. It is a 4-ply yarn (which rather confused me as it is labeled 'sock wool' and I thought that sock wool was 3-ply) that is a cotton-wool blend that has an interesting colour gradient.

My Lidl Purchase!

I don't usually knit with yarn that is any lighter than DK, so I had to look for some ideas that for this lighter yarn. I still really wanted to knit another shawl, so I went to Ravelry for some inspiration! As I absolutely loved the last shawl that I made, I went back to look at Caitlin ffrench's patterns. I quickly picked out her Of The Moon pattern, which is both gorgeous and designed for sport weight yarn. It was an easy decision! 

The Beginning! 

I've only just started it, but I'm really enjoying it. Shawls are really my new favourite knits! I especially love knitting them from the top down. 

I'll keep you posted on the results! 

Miss Marple Scarf

The Finished Miss Marple Scarf!

Another project that I have been working on is the Miss Marple Scarf, another Ravelry find. I have been working on this for some time, but ran out of wool (Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in 028 Charcoal). It took some time to pick up another ball so I could finish it off.

It was probably the name that first drew my eye to the pattern - I love Agatha Christie and although I'm more inclined towards Poirot, I do like Miss Marple. I like this pattern as it is simple but a little bit unusual. I think it will go very well with any feminine or vintage-y outfits, but it will also work as a nice embellishment to simpler monochromatic outfits.

Right before I ripped back and re-did the end.

The only thing is that I had to change the pattern a little bit at the end. I finished it and was disappointed that the second petal turned out to be a rather different shape and rather larger than the first one. So, after ripping it back, I did a little bit of experimentation and came up with something that I liked a little better and was closer in shape and size to the first petal.

The finished product on the flat. 

The end of the pattern as written is:
Divide stitches, change needles to 4.5mm dpn, rib both pieces for 14 rows and rejoin.
Change needles to 5.5mm and knit for 7cm (22 rows).
Then decrease by:
Row 1: k1, k2tog, k until last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1
Row 2: knit
Repeat these 2 rows until last 3 stitches.
Cast off.

My slight edits are:
Divide stitches, change needles to 4.5mm dpn, rib both pieces for 14 rows and rejoin.
Change needles to 5.5mm and knit for 7cm (22 rows).
Then, decrease by k1, k2tog, k until last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1
Repeat until 5 stitches left.
k2tog, k1, k2tog
Cast off.

Happy Knitting!

My First Shawl

Lace is not something that I would normally choose to knit. All I remember from the last time I attempted lace (about three or four years ago) are frustration and some tears... and maybe a few expletives. Nor have I ever made a shawl - probably because all the shawls that I liked were very lacy! But, as the last time I attempted to make lace was one of the first times that I attempted to work  from a pattern, I decided that it was time to try again. I started this project with a lot of enthusiasm and a little bit of trepidation!

Knit knit knit!

For my first shawl, I picked the lovely 'Common Bean' pattern by the talented Caitlin ffrench (she has designed some amazing patterns!) from Ravelry. I wondered if it was a bit ambitious for my first lace project and my first shawl project, but I fell in love with the pattern!

Not wanting to wait to start knitting, I picked up four balls (although I ended up using under three) of Debbie Bliss Rialto Chunky in Sky.

Pre-Blocking

So, with excitement and a little bit of trepidation, I started my project... and finished it in under three days. I was absolutely shocked at how fast it knit up! I have been having far too much trouble with getting bored halfway through projects and having to start another project to relieve monotony. This pattern was difficult enough to keep my attention, but easy enough to allow me to watch TV at the same time (except for the times that I had to fix little mistakes). The pattern did involve blocking, which I usually don't like - simply because I live in a very damp climate so waiting for any items to dry takes forever and thus my table stays out of commission for a long time!

During the Blocking Process

I absolutely loved this pattern! It was so much fun! The complete opposite of my previous experiences with lace! I've already picked out the next lace shawl that I'm going to make.

The Final Result!