A Move, FO's and the Beginning of the End

So Kendra here, finally checking in again with lots to update you on! First off, I moved! It took what felt like ages to actually pack up four years of living in NYC, but we made it out after shipping 49 boxes and selling all of our furniture. 10 bags at the airport later...

...and we made it to California!!! It's good to be home, I gotta say. I miss my Brooklyn knitters dearly but it really is great to be back. We even found an apartment in San Francisco already, a gorgeous home up on a secluded hill. Here is the view from it, although the photo does not do it justice and the trees are about to be trimmed so it'll get even better!

And although I haven't been knitting a great deal recently I have finished two things since I last spoke up. My Scroll Lace Scarf, aka Whimsical Little Mushroom Scarf, was knit up ages ago (only took a couple of evenings in fact!) but I've barely stopped wearing it long enough to photograph/I forget to ask someone else to take a photo when I wear it. So here it is finally, in all its golden glory!

I knit it out of the beautiful Metamorphosis by A Verb For Keeping Warm in an awesome colorway that is naturally dyed with "locally foraged mushrooms". As an Oakland based company, this seems like the perfect welcome back to the Bay Area project! I love the color because it goes with everything so it's been my in-purse-in-case-of-chill-emergency scarf since I cast it off over a month ago.

The next big FO is a Color Affection shawl, the beloved pattern by Veera Valimaki. I love it!!! I picked out three colors of Miss Babs Yet Lace (in Pewter, Moss, and Oyster) while at Stitches West 2012 (with fellow WLKAer Lindsey's help!) and got knitting! And look how pretty!

This was one of those fortunate times when "blocking will fix that" actually worked out! The garter edge was just wee-bit-too-tight, but I foraged ahead because that's how I roll. By the time it was finished the effect was quite obvious and causing the points to spiral. I had pretty much decided to call this a Design Element and move on, but a goofy blocking on the bed with towels (this thing is HUGE!!!) where I tugged at the straight edge and smooshed the garter body and poof! Perfect shawl!

(Side note: Turns out adding a yarn over after the 2nd stitch then dropping it on the way back is good idea to help this tight-edge problem - little late for me, but thought I'd help a fellow knitter out.)

I love the pattern and loved knitting it, but making the lace weight version meant by the end I had probably 600+ stitches (although to tell you the truth I didn't actually want to know the number at the time) so the last 20 rows were a bit painful. Now that it's bound-off and blocked the painful memory is gone and now it's just the warm and fuzzy feeling of new love. Even Adam is a fan...

Now it's on to the next and last project of Whimsical Little Knits 2 with the Cotton Reel Mittens. I'm making mine in the fingerless mitt version out of Miss Babs Yummy Toes in grey and greenie-yellow. The pattern starts with an I-cord that becomes the bottom of the cuff which is super cool in this knitter's opinion, which is as far as I've gotten so far.

Luckily I'm casting on in time to take them with me on the flight back to NYC for graduation. Back already, I know, but it means I get to see some knitter friends so it's all good :) Stay tuned to see how the final project of this knit-along goes and what we'll be knitting up next!

Damson: Yarn Selection

Hi, everyone! Since Damson is the first pattern in the collection, we'll be casting on for it tomorrow. Claire, Lindsey, and I will be knitting this pattern, so feel free to join in! First, I want to talk a bit about yarn selection. One of the great advantages to Ravelry is that you can click on the "yarn ideas" tab on any pattern for some inspiration. Malabrigo Sock, Dream in Color Smooshy, and Madelinetosh Sock are all popular options because they're soft, bouncy 100% merino yarns. Here's what you should consider:

• Gauge. This pattern was written for a fingering weight sock yarn. Some laceweight yarns may work, but you might end up with a smaller shawl or a more open look.


• Fiber content. This choice affects two major components: size and drape. Wool yarns (especially merino) are a great option because they block well while having some stitch memory. Sock yarns work well here. This is the perfect opportunity to explore luxury sock yarns that are blended with cashmere, alpaca, or even silver! 100% cotton and alpaca yarns have the tendency to grow a lot, so be careful when using them.


• Softness. It seems obvious, but the yarn's hand is super important, especially in a project that will be touching your neck. Try rubbing your yarn on your neck and the inside of your wrist to see how it'll feel.

Somehow, Claire, Lindsey, and I all decided on the same yarn without even discussing it: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light. It's an incredibly soft single-ply merino yarn with an excellent drape, so it'll be great for this pattern. Here are our color choices!




The one disadvantage is that the put up recently changed from 440 yards (the amount required for the pattern) to 420 yards, so we'll have to get a little creative. There are basically 3 options for us: make the body in stockinette instead of garter, do fewer pattern increases, or use more yarn (either the same yarn or a contrasting color). We'll each let you know which changes we're making as we go along. I can't wait to cast on and share my progress!