Happy Autumn

Quicker than the next project can be planned, the new shawl/scarf is complete.  The construction here is quite simple.

The body follows a typical pattern of increases at center back and each shoulder to make the piece hug the neck and shoulders.  This piece is only about eight inches in depth.

Then an edging is worked to match the total outer measurement of the body.  The most difficult part of this was sewing the edging to the body.

Black yarn is not my easiest endeavor these days.  

The yarn really makes the little shawl special.  All of those dangling bits add flair.

I thought I was being very swift by purchasing the yarn as soon as it arrived on Friday and returning to my yarn store just a few days later to share this sample of the yarn.  One weekend of sales and there were only three skeins remaining when I hung up this sample.

That should tell you how gorgeous this stuff is!

If you have not already, check out the color selection here.  And don't forget the free pattern that is available on the same page.

Dark Edge to Autumn

The new black shawl made from Autumn is a more of a scarf than a true shawl.  My stitch count of the body matches the pattern perfectly with almost all of one skein used up.  And I've laid the lace edge against the body to judge how wide the "shawl" will be when the two parts are sewn together.  Definitely not of a depth that fits my definition of a shawl.

It is looking like the finished product will be more of a shaped scarf.  And that is perfectly fine because the yarn is the star - not the pattern.  Black yarn, dangling bits and a simple edging that hints at a repeating leaf.  That is what you should see in the photo.  Alas, black yarn is just black yarn and my skills to edit are not so great.

Forgive me for not sharing each stitch with you.  Already I am fretting the final photo.  Shall it be taken of the shawl/scarf elegantly and artistically tossed over a white shirt?  Or will a beige turtleneck show off the casualness better?  

These are weighty issues for sure.  Pondering the next blog post and photo can be distracting.  So distracting that Bert can feel ignored even when I sit with him to ponder the knit world.

Here is the man himself, wondering what I am wondering about.  Click on the photo to enlarge and follow the arrow to Bert's new blanket.  Of late, nothing for him has come from my needles.  Luckily, Bert has another lady in his life who  loves him enough to crochet new blankets. 

Seduced By The Dark Side

There I was, sitting amongst friends enjoying the chatter that is Designer Hand Knits, working merrily along on the green vest.  After all, the back which is composed of one hundred twenty bazillion rows of nothing but stockinette makes a fine diversion from the laughter and camaraderie of the shop.  Less than one week of work and the vest is 3/4 complete.  Not bad for a rank amateur!

Any way, we all heard it.  Yes, two tables of knitters all heard that sound that causes any yarnaholic to pause, set the needles aside and jump out of the chair with a speed unmatched by the launch of a rocket.  That one sound, which when it breaks into the merriment causes us all to stretch up, body at the ready and looking like a clan of meerkats posing for National Geographic.

What sound?  The slicing/yanking of the closure on a huge box.  DELIVERY TIME!  

Now, where did I put that green vest??

Specifics:

A New Yarn:  Autumn, which is made for KFI.

Color: black with stuffage (beads & dangling polyester leaves)

Content:  47% Acrylic, 44% cotton, 9% polyester

I do believe that I have found my Halloween Costume.  It should be ready a whole week early.

WIP - Fast & Furious

It does not feel as though my fingers are flying quickly.  Every now and then I sit and knit.  Already the front of the vest is nearing completion.

So much progress has been made that it actually looks like a garment.  I like that.  This combination of yarn and pattern is one of the best bits of luck I've had recently.  The subtle shading results in a casually muted stripe, but the tweed breaks it up.  The shades are most visible in the stockinette sections.

The pattern is one of those that works out well, is easy to memorize, and looks much more complicated that it actually is.  The cables and lattice are interesting to work without requiring huge amounts of concentration.  

I think that starting this wool vest has brought a bit of luck my way.  Nice cool evenings, foggy mornings and this afternoon the temp did not break 80.  Maybe the temperature is correlated to what I knit in the same way that rain correlates to getting my car washed.

It's a thought. . . .

Onward

The slippers are completed but not photo worthy as they are just utilitarian slippers awaiting my next trip.  Moving onward, the next project is cast on with hopes that the triple digit temperatures have moved onward for the year and even the current high afternoon heat will give way to daytime temperatures that complement the cool evenings.

Onward to something wooly and of a worsted weight.

Onward to cables and a center panel of lattice stitchery.

Onward to an Irish green tweed.

Yes, Onward.

The calendar says that it is squarely autumn time even though the daylight has not yet done the "fall back" thing.  I'm ready for a stretch of days - dare I pray for an entire week - of cool days, a bowl of soup and the flicker of a flame in the evening.   And this design is perfect for creating the mood associated with changing seasons.

I have to tell you that the photo is a bit misleading.  On the left side of the picture, above the knitting and below the bowl of yarn is a cable needle.  Funny thing that cable needle.  It is really just a security needle as I do not use the things.  I prefer to work all cables (well, maybe not when made of slippy sliddy yarn on the Addi lace points) sans additional needles.  Sure, using a cable needle is the way most of us were taught.  But I find that method to be slow, cumbersome and it breaks the rhythm of knitting.  

Emotionally, I am feeling better  just because of working on a heavier wool blend and creating cold weather patterns.  Realistically, it never gets cold enough for a traditional heavy sweater here in Riverside.  Being the wise woman that I am, this one will not have sleeves - a vest of many cables!

Onward.