Wool Free and Lovin' Knit

Moving Right Along. Easy Folded Poncho KAL: Week 3

My BKF warned me that weekly updates on our Easy Folded Ponchos were going to be as exciting for you readers as watching paint dry.   So this week she sent me an action shot (taken by her newly teen-aged daughter) in a valiant attempt to prevent a sudden dropping off of regular followers to this blog. 

One skein along in Berroco Vintage "Chocolate" -- caught right in the act of knitting!

I tried to follow her lead by making my own progress shot infinitely more interesting by posing my poncho next to the gorgeous hydrangeas in bloom in my garden.

Prism Yarns Custom Dyed Euroflax Linen, Lapis, 2 skeins along

If you are still reading, we've been successful at keeping your interest for another week.  Sure hope so.

Tomorrow I shall be taking said Poncho on a plane ride to Martinique via Boston (with a few days layover) and I'm equally excited about both destinations.  Hope you'll follow along!

Live and In Person

Yesterday I went to Imaginknit  and met a fellow blogger/knitter, Leslie  for the first time.  I've been following her blog for several years now so it feels like I've known her for a long time, even though we had never met. 

And there she was, live and in person, looking every bit as lovely as she does in her blog photos.  

We are standing in the wool-free room in Imaginknits which is now our shared LYS -- how amazing is that?  (yes,I'm wearing my Sothia shawl if you were wondering)

This room is the thing I love most about this yarn store which I first visited in August 2011.  A safe place for me to fondle yarns without fear of encountering anything wooly. 

Leslie's everything she appears to be on her blog and more and we had so much to talk about that we will have to get together again soon to carry on the conversation.  

If you don't know Leslie, check out her blog More With Les and you can see her impressive collection of knitting designs here.  

And hey, if you are ever in SF, be sure to let me know.  Meeting virtual knitting/blogging buddies is so much fun. 

Shout out for Little Cotton Rabbits

If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know I've long been a fan of  Julie over at Little Cotton Rabbits -- I've knit up her mini stocking and for years I've long drooled over her beautifully knit animals that she sells via her blog. 

So I'm super excited to share that she has (at long last) released two patterns for her beautiful knitted bunnies. And there's the promise of more patterns to come. 

You can find both of these patterns for sale on Ravelry.

Irresistable, right?  Think of all the little (and big)  people on your list who need one of these little guys.  Head off now and support Julie's new launch as a designer -- and be sure to let her know we can't wait for the rest of her designs to get published!!

 

 

One Size Fits All? Easy Folded Poncho KAL: Week 2

One Skein along -- My Easy Folded Poncho in Prism's Custom Dyed Euroflax Linen, "Lapis".

So, my BKF and I cast on this week for the Easy Folded Poncho KAL.  And the first thing we both began to question was whether or not we could trust that we'd be happy with the finished size of this garment.

To begin, this pattern is a one-size fits all.   My BKF and I would not normally choose to knit a garment the same size so how we could both be making a poncho of the same finished dimensions and expect it to fit us equally well was a mystery to us.  

It seems that everyone who has knit this poncho declares that this garment is magical in that way, but if you have any hesitaton (as we did) I found this tip written by the moderator at Churchmouse Yarns and Teas group on Ravelry, and we think it's very helpful indeed.  So if you've been worried about whether or not this is going to fit you, read on:

The poncho really does fit lots of shapes and sizes. But that being said…you can make a test poncho using some old cloth, a sheet, or a towel to try it out first and see if you want to adjust the size. The poncho is a big rectangle (22” wide by 50” long) that is seamed together along one of the long sides with an opening left for the head. So find some cloth that size and clip it or pin it together for a test drive. Then you can decide for sure if you want to make any adjustments. The drape won’t be the same, but you’ll get the idea.

Brilliant suggestion!  And, should you feel that adjustments are necessary, here's another very helpful tip from the same source:

" should you decide that you’d like a different width or more circumference, remember that adding stitches will create more length down your body, and knitting more rows to a longer length will add more ease through the shoulders."

So once we were confident in the finished size, the only thing remaining was to make sure we were getting our guage as we knit along.

 I'm right on target, but my BKF, after swatching , had thought she should go up a needle size.

Then, 5" along, she decided that was the wrong choice so she's gone back to the 4mm and increased the number of stitches instead.

My BKF's Easy Folded Poncho in Berroco's Vintage DK, "Chocolate".

Dee is now back on track and getting the guage she needs. She's already knit 2.5" -- it's a quick knit. 

Anyone else working on this poncho?  It's not too late to join us. 

 

San Francisco Metro

I finally completed the Metro Cardigan. It is a pretty quick knit if you don't end up reknitting most of it twice (as I did due to some mindless mistakes that had me frogging and reknitting all too frequently).

Also, I used Kollage Riveting Worsted which is a denim yarn which meant I had to knit the entire sweater 20% longer in length which added a few hours to the project as well.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finished cardigan BEFORE washing/drying --see how long and stringy it looks?

Finished Cardigan AFTER washing/drying -- shrunk to perfection!

I learned a new technique from this pattern which was "grafting" -- something I've never tried before but is the secret to the seamless collar.  

For a wonderful instructional lesson on grafting,  check out this great video by Cheryl Brunette. I found it SO helpful and now that I've learned her method I have no fear of grafting at all. 

Here's a shot of the collar on me. The wall in the background is our newly painted livingroom wall -- the color is Benjamin Moore's "Ocean Air".  I love it!

Back view of the sweater  -- I'm really happy with the fit!

The cabling up one side is the detail that drew me to this pattern -- I think it takes this very basic sweater design up a notch, don't you?

 You can't beat the wash/wearablity of a denim yarn and I have a feeling that this sweater will soon be as soft and beloved as my favorite pair of blue jeans.

 

Let the Fun Begin: Easy Folded Poncho Knit-A-Long Week 1

Well, it's the start of our Easy Folded Poncho KAL and it's still not too late to join us so feel to pull out your needles and yarn and cast on with my BKF and I.  Details of our yarn choices are here. 

If you aren't familiar with the optional provisional cast on using waste yarn, you'll find an excellent video tutorial by Lucy Neatby here.

We'll check back in with a progress update next week.  Be sure to leave us a comment if you are knitting along with us!

Easy Folded Poncho Knit-Along

May 6th - June 30th  (more or less)  Feel free to Join In. 

So, my Best Knitting Friend and I are starting a KAL on Monday.  The pattern's the Easy Folded Poncho by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas.    

The pattern calls for Rowan Felted Tweed (not exactly a wool-free yarn) so I will, of course, be using a substitute.

Update on the Metro

I'd planned to show you the completed body of the Metro Cardigan last week this time, except when I was almost finished it, I realized that I'd flipped the left and right sides and by the time I'd got myself sorted out I'd lost a week of knitting time.  

It looks like a long stringy vest at the moment, but that's the way Denim yarn hangs before you wash it -- very loosey goosey.  I know it will look wonderful once that 20% shrinking in the length takes place.  

But, before we wash it, there are 2 sleeves and a collar left to knit up.  Thankfully the instructions for the right and left sleeves are the same  -- no way I can mess it up this time, right!

 

His name is Bo

 

At the moment, he just has a head, but he's eventually going to look a little like this wonderful creation by Susan Hickson.  

I've knit a couple of her rabbits before but this is the first from the Nordic collection.  I've been meaning to make him for awhile now, so it is exciting to finally see his wee face take shape.  

For the head/body I'm using a delicious blend of  50% alpaca/raw silk .  It's Blue Sky Alpaca's Metalico Platinum.  I just fell in love with the shade of it.  

Oh, and for you gardeners out there, he's posing with an Aenonium.

Praying for Boston

Yesterday was the 117th Boston Marathon.  For each of the 8 years that I lived there, I walked the few blocks from our home to the finish line to join the crowds of cheerleaders as the runners came in.

 I didn't go to see the winners, I went to see the persistent.  Those who were running hard to achieve a personal goal and those who were running for the ones they loved who could no longer run.  Often, just yards from the finish line, a runner would falter and someone would jump out from the sidelines to encourage them and give them the strength they needed to make it over the line.  It always brought tears to my eyes. 

So yesterday, when the race went on without me I was a little sad to be missing out on this annual event.  And then, when the terrifying news came of the bombings, I felt relief and then guilt.  I would have been there, I should have been there. And in the end, the truth of the matter, I was not there this year. 

Old neighbors, colleagues and friends have reported in that they are safe but we know that it is not the case for so many others who lost life and limb as they sat on the sidelines to be a support to others.  It makes one heartsick to think of it. 

But I also think today of those who jumped in to help the injured, who carried them to safety, who whispered words of hope and encouragement who stopped and prayed.  

The spirit of the Boston Marathon was alive and well yesterday even in the midst of such terror and chaos.   In the great race of life, it is heartening to watch as goodness triumphs over evil.  

image from www.star-telegram.com

Boston, our thoughts and prayers are with you -- keep running the good race!