Shawl #8

This #8 shawl really should have been #9, but if you'll remember, I had a bit of trouble with the real #8.  While I was sorting out the yarn/colors for the Damson, I started and finished this one.

Here be my Olivine Summer Flies.  This shawl was a lot of fun to knit up.  The pattern is laid out in sections, which is the best type of pattern for me to knit.  When I sit down to knit, my goal is always to finish one section in a sitting.  With this shawl, I finished 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 sections in a sitting.

I modified the pattern just a bit.  It calls for worsted, but I used fingering.  I used US 5s instead of 8s.  This shawl is going to be my next favorite warm neck accessory to grab when I'm running out the door.  Cause we all know that olive green goes with everything, amirite?

This yarn is from Fiberphile, one of my favorite indie dyers.  This particular color, Olivine, is from a couple years ago.  I've enjoyed watching the transformation of Georgia's colors over the past few years.  She has a real talent for not just dyeing high-quality yarn, but also for mixing colors and putting together combinations that just make plain sense.  Her semi-solids are gorgeous, and I regret that my photo doesn't do this colorway justice.  Taking photos at night after the kiddos are asleep does not make for good light.

But what can you do, right?

Just keeping knitting and photographing.  That's what I say.

You heard it here first.  Bad lighting be darned, just keeping knitting and taking pictures of the knitting.

Winter Knitting

As I'm plugging away at the increase rows for my Damson, non-shawl projects have been creeping into my mental queue.  When I'm done with this shawl knitting, I'm going to begin a furious attempt at getting my winter knitting caught up.

Some projects that I have lined up are hats for the hubby, the boys, and the girl.  I have yarn set aside for a Botanic Hat (rav link) for my husband.  I made a Stephen West hat for him last year and it's still one of his favorites.  I think the Botanic will be a hit, too.

The boys are into superheroes like it's nobody's business.  I have a skein each of blue tweed and red tweed for their hats.  I'm going to wing it, pattern-wise, and use this chart in an alternating color (blue hat/red star and vice versa).  And I'm 99.9% sure that I have some sort of white yarn lurking around in my stash.  For their mittens this year, I'll be utilizing this pattern and doing some colorwork on the palms.  My husband had a really cool idea for their mittens -- do a white circle on the palm to represent 'Iron Man's powers.'  I think the boys will enjoy that!

For the girl, it will be easy peasy.  She has no idea what she's wearing anyway (she's almost 1), so I get to pick!  This hat is so, so sweet.  I'll be doing it in a lilac heathered yarn.

In other winter knitting news, I need to start my Christmas knitting.  Will is due for some knitted socks, so that's been stuck in the queue.  Since I've made about a bajillion (okay ... just 7 so far...)  shawls this year, they will definitely be used for Christmas gifts.  They've all been washed/blocked/folded.  I just have to decide who is getting what and wrap it!

What kind of winter knitting are you doing right now?  Any plans in the works?

A beginning

Well, I've finally decided to do it.  Last year, I tried dying some yarn with every intention of opening a yarn shop (if I liked it, of course).  Long story short, I loved it and ... just ... procrastinated on opening a shop. 

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to just do it.  Why not?  I don't have anything to lose, except the cost of the supplies.  And, let's be honest, I wouldn't really be losing anything because I am always knitting something.  So, win-win, right?

Last week, I worked on the 'business' aspect of opening the shop -- all those necessary things that you don't really think about until you're in the thick of starting up a business... at least, that's the way it was for me.  'Oh, right... I should probably have my own bank account.'  'Paypal, oh em gee, I need that, too.' 

But, this week, I feel like I've been in a dye factory!  Or... would that be yarn factory?  At any rate, the kids think I'm cooking yarn.

To quote Liam, after I told him that there was yarn in the pot on the stove, "Oh.  Hot yarn."

Darn right, it's hot.  Maybe it'll sell like hot cakes!

Ahh, anyways.  Hopefully all this yarn will be dried soon so I can re-skein, tag, list, sell, and send it on its merry way to someone who will love it and knit/crochet it.

Wish me luck!