yvonne shawl from cocoknits

It feels like no time has passed at all even though it had been too long. Same breath but it feels like ages, but really nothing's changed. Now it's only the distance without a foil.

My son started school and it's been a blur-- I didn't even realize I hadn't written until taking these pictures today.


Yvonne Shawl by Cocoknits
Handspun 3-ply from scoured, combed corriedale lamb (Tour de Fleece spinning)
Started & finished: after the TdF? srsly it's a blur :)
US 6 40" Addi Natura

I wouldn't have even taken pics today except for the fact I need to weave in one end and send this and the remainder of the skein to Schacht... I was thrilled to learn yesterday that my 2 handspun skeins as well as the tablet woven band made on my Flip were chosen as finalists for the 40th anniversary contest Schacht Spindle held. The actual entries are due in CO next week, and as distorted as I've been I need to get them out the door before I forget :)

I say one end to weave in because the whole shawl took under 2 skeins... two giant skeins. This is the big one I entered...


5.5oz, ~925 yds

That's my hand! That came out of one bobbin!

::blushing::

The skeins really did get this wonderful texture after I really aggressively fulled and shocked them-- hot water, cold water, hot water, cold water, agitateagitate, moremoredontstop... SMACK! against the walls. Too fun... and knit up into a beautiful, felted-tweed type cohesive fabric.



Looking closely you can see the hopeful shots of grey in the brown in the occasional one of three plies. The welt pattern gives this simple shawl a really interesting depth as well.

It really is a simple shawl, but so lovely. I know, I should have modelled pics :) but I really do like it on me even if I hate looking at myself. I'm ox-wide across but the exact same shawl looked just as great on Adrienne when she tried it on at the Workshop. On both of us there remained movement when worn, a hint of ruffle or grace at the edge echoing the staggered increases. A ridiculously simple and effective pattern.

I keep thinking that this would be a great beginner project, so much better than a scarf-- just knit and purl, with LOTS of practice. The first rounds would be closer to the body and hidden, the cast off edge is the display side and after so many stitches any new knitter would have to have improved :) Not to say more experienced knitters wouldn't enjoy it-- it replaced my walkaround socks/mindless knitting project for those times when my hands just couldn't be still and needed something to touch.



The real joy was the yarn though-- working with my handspun and in so visible a project, I can SEE how consistent my spinning was with every bit pf progress and it thrills me because that's just what I was trying for. A definite lesson learned that I am applying to my current fleece-to-sweater project...



I've finally picked it up again, my gorgeous, painfully true black sweater from trueblack fleece. Marble Peaks Ranch breeds for true black corriedale and corrie x rambouillet sheep (they show and win ribbons for both sheep and fleece, an anomaly among shepherds)... and I just love the black fleece I won at last year's auction. (The same one I used in the English combs combing post.) I didn't allow myself to buy another black fleece at Monterey this year since I needed to finish this sweater, but bet you me it'll be done soon cos I want another Marble Peaks fleece!!

The reason I stopped knitting on this was partly because I started spinning for the Tour, but also because the skein I'm knitting with is visibly lighter than the previous ones. I'd say "shaping!" and "design detail!" but it's 11" in from the bottom and at a weird spot on the bust... you can see I just crumpled the poor wip up in exasperation. I think I'll just set the lighter skein aside and start spinning again-- all of the yarn I need to complete the sweater. Even, consistent yarn... the lesson taken away from the Tour for me :)

Missed you!

Zimmermann Surplice Baby Jacket

I'm still on a baby knitting jag-- my sister isn't getting any smaller and time still keeps marching on :)


EZ Baby Surplice Jacket
Vogue Knitting, Sp/Su 2007
Knit Picks Cotlin, Moroccan Red-- 3 sks
US 4, 3.5mm 32" addi
Started and finished: January 2009

For those of you familiar with the in/famous Baby Surprise Jacket, this is another EZ garter stitch origami construction that doesn't look quite right til you're just about done. Not as blobby as the BSJ, but still I was scratching my head on how the construction worked til the last minute :)


(the sts between the increase lines becomes the armhole)

I knit the pattern as written (I think this is my first time knitting a pattern from a magazine?), using the 2nd type of increase in the pattern for the arms (lifted bar plus purl on WS for a stst "seam")...





I like the line it makes... if this was for a girl baby, I may be tempted to use a more lace-y increase instead.

I did add length to the arms after the body was seamed together (using 9R of garter st in the round then k2p2 ribbing)... they seemed too short for a baby as written but now I worry they're too long.



My kid always grew out of everything arms and legs first, so it may not be too bad a thing (also, they easily roll up pretty far). You can see I maintained the stst increase "seam" from either side of the arms and kept another stockinette stitch between them, that one sort of flowed from the 3 needle bindoff I used at the shoulders. Can't see any of it when the ribbing is rolled up :)

The only change I made to the pattern was Becky's mod of slipping the last st and knitting the 1st st tbl... it looks really really good and eliminates the need for any i-cord bindoff or finishing.



If you take a look at the very bottom few rows here, you'll see where I didn't slip the sts-- they look bumpy and not bad, but not as good as the rest.



I have to say I really like this little sweater. When I first found out I was pregnant, I went a little crazy at a Tea Collection sample sale buying up wee sweaters for my son-to-be and this one reminds me a lot of one of those, both in color and in garter.



I bought 5 different machine-washable yarns from Knit Picks* to try out for baby knitting; this was my first time working with CotLin and I like the feel of it a lot. I don't think I have a good idea about what cotton *is*-- I've used dishcloth cotton and I've used Rowan Calmer/RYC Cashcotton but they all feel like extremes where CotLin feels like a nice middle ground, really perfect for warmer weather baby knitting. We'll see-- I'm wetblocking each sweater as I go, but I'm planning to throw each in the washing machine/tumble dry low before gifting just to see how they hold up (I'd rather them shrink now than the first time being washed by sis and getting one wear out of them).

I've also decided to do all the button-assembly and shopping at the same time for all the baby sweaters... I have no idea where I'll be shopping for them (bay area suggestions? BART-able?) but I'm counting this one as done for now :)

Til then, never soon enough.


ps, Speaking of EZ, I was linksurfing and found a new copy of Meg Swansen's Fair Isle Vest DVD on Amazon for $4. I bought one and have been watching it... my first knitting dvd! :)


*Swish worsted, Comfy, Risata, Shine Sport and Cotlin