Learning What I Do and Don't Like

Since I learned to knit, knitting has been a way of keeping my hands busy, and making me feel productive even when I'm in a situation where all I can do is sit. As a teenager, it was also a means of making a little extra money. I would knit bags, and scarf sets to sell at Christmas time. Now mind you, I was by no means compensated for my time, but extra money was extra money. I did a lot of babysitting, so once the children had gone to bed, I would make the most of my time, knitting until I could no longer stay awake. 

Just recently, I was sharing some of my "adventures in babysitting" stories. It's amazing what a kid can do to you!!! If I had known then what I know now, I don't think that dollar an hour would have looked quite so good ;) 

Back in April, I shared THIS post where I talked about my knitting goals for this year. My goal is to finish 12 projects. At this point...I have finished a whopping 3 :/  

In that post, I told you about the Lorna's Laces factory that is very close to where I live. From time to time, the owner hosts an open house. Along with the open house, she includes a tour and demonstration. I found it to be especially interesting. She even did a little dying for us. Well, going to a yarn factory for me, is a little like going to an animal shelter to "just look" at the animals. Talk about playing with fire!!! Although, I only purchased yarn for 2 projects, and until I get a few more projects finished, I know better than to go back!

The third project that I just recently finished is a shawl using the Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace yarn. OMG!!!, this yarn is like knitting with thread. Not quite that bad, but the project taught me one thing, I don't especially like knitted lace projects.

The shawl has a pretty little picot edging.

To create the rounded shape, the shawl is knitted with short rows which forms wedges. When I purchased the yarn, the woman at Lorna's Laces had said that it was a 1 skein project. I remember looking at the skein and thinking that there was no way it would be enough. As I worked, it seemed that the yarn was somehow multiplying as there always seemed to be more. The instructions said to create 6 wedges, I had enough for 8.

My finished shawl. Please forgive my clothing and my lack of makeup. I thought I would quickly do the post before I head out for my walk. 

In the end, I was happy that I had enough to create 8 wedges as the shawl now has a lovely drape.

    

I really love how it drapes over the shoulders.

Crazy me, always looking for other possibilities! I think it will be fun to clip it at the waist and wear it over a pair of leggings.

This is one project that I am VERY HAPPY to have finished. Now that it's completed, I love it, but there won't be another!

There are lots of projects on Ravelry using the Helen's Lace yarn. So check them out if you are on Ravelry.

If by chance you think that you might like to make a shawl for yourself, you can find the free pattern HERE at Love Knitting.

Now back to my sweater. 

Nice bulky yarn, now that I like :)     

Cables, Seeds, and a Sweater

A big thank you to all who have commented on the post I did yesterday. I love reading your thoughts :) 

Anna asked if I would post more info on the sweater I'm knitting. She said that she is looking for a new project to keep her hands busy while watching television. Since she asked, I thought that more might be wondering as well, so here's all the info:

The sweater is actually featured on the cover of the Rowan Magazine Number 46.

A number of things caught my eye. First of all, the cable around the hem of the tunic. 

You may remember the sweater I did a few years ago, I'm a nut for cables!!! 

I also loved the simplicity of the pattern. I think that the stitch throughout the tunic is a seed stitch. I always have to look up the names of stitches. Anyway, it's a very simple to do stitch and perfect for an easy knitting project that will also travel well. 

As you can see below, the design is by Martin Storey and it's called Halifax.   

And last but not least, I had the yarn. 

Lorna's Laces is based in Chicago. The owner is so very gracious about opening her warehouse and hosting an ends shopping day. She will usually do a wonderful presentation on her process of hand dying her yarns. Be warned though if you do attend one of her sales, it's quite tempting to walk out with bundles! 

I was actually fortunate enough to be able to purchase an entire bag of the yarn I'm using for the sweater. Below is all of the yarn info. The Rowan yarn that was used for the sweater is Cocoon. It's also a bulky yarn and has the same stitch per inch as the Lorna's Laces Sheperd Bulky. You can find other colors of the Lorna's Laces Sheperd Bulky HERE at Love Knitting. 

What attracted me to the yarn was the color combination and especially the addition of the teal blue. It's my favorite color :)

I wasn't sure how the color combination would knit up, but I'm quite happy with how it is turning out. I'm especially excited about getting to the point that I can add the neckline. I think it will come together quite nicely.

I'll keep you posted with my progress. 
Happy Knitting!
Rhonda