Log Cabin Washcloth
The center is knit on the bias as follows:
CO 4 sts
K2 sts, YO, K to end of row.
Increase to 31 sts.
K1 st, K2tog, YO, K2tog, K to end of row.
Decrease to 4sts.
Cast Off
The outside stripes are knit in a log cabin pattern.
Yarn: Sugar ‘n’ Cream in Hot Blue and Robin’s Egg; Peaches & Creme stripes (blue, purple, green, white)
I’ve been toying with the idea of knitting myself a wedding shawl for a while now. I wanted something lacy, but I’m still a bit of a newbie at lace, so I needed something relatively easy as well. And I’m kind of picky about lace…. I finally decided on a shawl that I absolutely love – Waiting for Rain by Sylvia Bo Bilvia. I chose my yarn: Feza Yarns Harvest, a lovely coral pink for the garter sections, and Ella Rae Lace Merino, an undyed ecru for the lace accents.
I have had the hardest time getting started with this project, though. First, I kept forgetting to grab my needles on the way out the door. Then I forgot my ball winder. Then I had left the yarn at my fiancé’s apartment. Then I couldn’t find the pattern. I tried to be a smart knitter by prewashing the coral yarn so it wouldn’t bleed onto the white. But then when I went to wind the yarn it was very tangled – even though it was tied into the skein when I washed it. And then my cat decided it was a plaything, so I had to spend an entire day untangling it.
So here I am ready to start: I have my pattern, and I am even reading through the whole thing before starting. I have my needles – 2 different sets so I can decide which tips I prefer. I have the yarn wound into cakes.
What is Murphy going to throw at me now?
Do you remember in the movie Bambi where Bambi is learning to talk and mistakenly calls a skunk a flower?
I am absolutely bogged down with wedding planning, but I had to make sure to show you my wedding shawl er my wedding shawl plans.
Pattern: Waiting for Rain by Sylvia Bo Bilvia
Yarn: Ella Rae Lace Merino in Natural, and Feza Yarns Harvest in Cherry
One of my coworkers walked up to me last night: “I have something for you.” She handed me this.
“I’ve had these for 10 years and they’ve never been used. I thought you would enjoy them more than I will.”
Why, yes, I will enjoy them!
I work with the best people.
I am on day 4 of Not Knitting. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I have been having some wrist pain. My plan at the time was to take it easy on the knitting, knit things at loose gauge, and work on other crafts besides knitting (this coincided nicely with the beginning of my spinning obsession). But that didn’t help. My wrists didn’t hurt less. So starting this past Sunday I have been not knitting. It’s funny how you don’t realize how important an activity is to you until you stop doing it.
What do you like to do when you aren’t knitting?
LYS: Local Yarn Store, AKA Heaven on Earth
I’ve been knitting for almost 4 years now. I love it, of course, but most of that time I have been knitting alone. I don’t have a lot of friends who knit, and it can be a little lonely. I feel like I’m living inside my head a lot. Recently I needed specific needles for a project, needles that the big box store I went to didn’t carry. So in desperation I searched for a yarn store near me. Little did I know that the search would change my life.
The yarn store is wonderful. Beautiful yarn, the needles I needed, and nice people. The lady at the store was so friendly, making sure I had the needles I needed and telling me about the events the store was hosting. They have several knit nights a week and a spinning group! I’m hooked! (Literally)
I don’t have enough time to knit. So obviously I need another craft to take up my (already precious) knitting time. I’ve started spinning! And I couldn’t be more pleased. I find spinning to be meditative but challenging, in many of the same ways that knitting is.
I think I’m in love.
The dyed roving is from Three Waters Farm in the colorway Before Flowers. The spindle I’m using with it is made by Schacht.
The rustic spindle is from Sheeps Creations, and I’m spinning an undyed Corriedale wool on it.
Sometimes I want to knit all the things. But I don’t really want to knit them, I just want them to be knitted. I want to wear them with pride: “I made this.” Sometimes knitting is just too slow.
I want to knit this top, and I’m planning for Christmas already with this sweater. And then I want to knit shawls and a cardigan for work. And socks.
Right now I’m working on socks, but my wrists have rebelled against me. It seems the tight gauge is causing more strain than I thought. So now I am reduced to knitting only a few rounds a day if at all.
I’m also knitting on my Smaug shawl. It’s slow going with this one, since each row is over 300 stitches. At least this is at a loose enough gauge that it doesn’t cause pain. It doesn’t abate pain either.
Recently I have been craving garter stitch. I used to hate garter stitch. I didn’t like the way it looked. I have since seen the error of my ways. Garter stitch can be beautiful, and washcloths are useful, meditative, and easy. It’s amazing how having a simple project to work on during stressful moments soothes the soul.
Sometimes I have to be patient. I know if I work at knitting long enough I’ll eventually have a lot of items I can showcase with pride.
Dramatic Lyric 