Bag Obsessed

but, tell me that is not cute:

At half the height of the original, it is perfect for a skein of sock yarn.

I think they are trying to tell me something...

Okay, Laura, here it is!

In the previous post, Laura wondered what the Blue Moon Fibers Twisted (Valkyrie color way) looked like knitted up.

I had pondered the same thing, and it took all of five minutes after the yarn first arrived in the mail for me to wind up a ball and find out.

From top to bottom, I used needle sizes:  US 7, US 8, and US 9 with a purl row between.  As I have mentioned previously on this blog, when I swatch, I usually begin with the smallest needle and work my up for several different samples.  The cast on tail has 7 little knots in it and the bind off tail has 9 little knots in it to remind me later what needles I used to check gauge.

The yarn has spoken and, with spot-on gauge, it actually wants to become this:

This pullover has an interesting construction.  It is knit from one sleeve cuff to the other with minimal finishing, basically the sleeve and side seams.

With temperatures of 103 degrees today, I have not yet cast on for this one yet, but school did start today!

In other news, the sewing machine and I have become reacquainted.  Always in search of the "perfect" project bag, I decided to make one myself.  I have several drawstring bags that work well for keeping WIPs safe and portable, but I have found to determine what is in the bag, I have to take everything out of the bag.

When Anne Hanson (knitspot) was in The Knitting Nest a couple of weeks ago, she had all of her projects in nifty little brick-shaped bags with zippers that opened up fully so the contents could be inspected without emptying them.

(drum roll, please...)

Mad Light and Twisted Valkyrie

My yarn purchases of late may well be signaling a decline in my mental health, for no other reason than their names.

First up is Blue Moon Fibers Twisted (an Aran weight) in the color Valkyrie.

I spotted it for sale or trade in another lady's stash and just knew it wanted to become a sweater for me.  Three skeins at 560 yards, it should make a fantastic sweater.  Problem is, it just has not yet decided which sweater it wants to be.  With a heat index of 105 degrees, I think it can takes its own sweet time reaching a conclusion.

Next up is that doggone Madelinetosh addiction, again.  When I spied these, they practically serenaded me with the song of the shawl.  If you have not yet heard it, spend a little time with me, it will certainly enchant you, too.  This is Madelinetosh Merino Light in Amber Trinket Purple.  Mad Light for short.

School starts on Monday!

Yay!


Notwithstanding what the thermometer says, that marks the beginning of fall and serious knitting weather.

Anyone have a rash of startitis, too?

Knitspot was here

The warm and gracious Anne Hanson of Knitspot (as well her lovely niece Susan) popped into The Knitting Nest this evening to join us around the knitting table.

She had several projects on the needles she allowed us to pass around.  I must say, she uses gorgeous yarns with the most wonderful hand to them.

Here she is showing us a shawl she just finished yesterday (it has not yet been blocked).

She was also nice enough to allow me to take a picture of her with the Butternut Shawl I made.

Just before she left, I managed to get a shot of her with my younger daughter.  They share a love of green, I see.

Many thanks to Stacy for hosting and all the ladies who brought snacks and shared their knitting.  It was a great knit night!

Stacy on the needles!

This afternoon Feisty is teaching a class at The Knitting Nest, (see side bar) featuring this Stacy Shawl that she designed. If, like me, you live too far away to take advantage of it, don't let that stop you from tackling the project. For a newbie, it's extremely do-able. A few challenges that you'll master in no time.

More experienced knitters will find it an absolute JOY. Just enough thinking on either side of an expanse of stockinette!

I'm not a real speedy knitter, and I have several other projects in the works, too; but in about a week, I've knitted 11" of it. So in these pictures, I have it pinned out to show the beauty of it!

My suggestion - use some yarn that you love, love, love! You only need one skein of either lace or sock yarn (two of worsted) and as the shawl grows, you'll be rewarded with the beauty of your creation. I'm using Madelinetosh Prairie, 100% merino lace, held double. Colorway: Vintage Frame. Ravelled here.

The little cable on the top edge adds a delicate look which really provides strength to the part of the shawl that gets the most stress.

And the bottom lace edge...

...well, is that not classy?

Speaking of Malabrigo...

...as Feisty did in the previous post... I recently finished a project made with a skein of sock weight, which was gifted to me last Spring, in the colorway Stonechat, which I'll confess was a color I had admired in the E-stores for quite some time, but had no idea where the word stonechat came from. (You do find yarns out there with the most unusual names!) Somewhere I learned it was a bird. For this post, I googled it and after several minutes of scrolling through the bird images, still did not find one that matches the colors of this yarn. But yarn and birdie are both very pretty. While the bird appears to be shades of gray/black and orange/red, my yarn is more a combination of shades of olive and reds tinged with pink - not orange.

Anyway, after a few hours, and a few more hours, of photographing my finished project, and culling those pictures which turned out too purplish, I readied a few to share. This one shows the true colors (and those squishy garter stitches) fairly well.

This next one shows the colors well, too, along with the smooth stockinette and lace diagonals....

Have you guessed yet what I made with this one skein of Malabrigo sock yarn? This next photo might help. There's bird's eye lace around the edges!

The pattern was designed for using one skein of Malabrigo sock yarn. I followed the pattern exactly and I ended with about half an ounce of yarn left over.

The blocking took a few pins!

My finished Damson is not without a couple of slight mistakes; but I'd still rate it as a fairly easy pattern for an "intermediate" knitter.

Now, I just have to wait a couple more months (at least) for weather cool enough to wear a bit of wool around my neck and/or shoulders. Or I could take a trip to see the last of Summer in Canada or Alaska (yeah, when I win the Lotto.)

Till then, my Stonechat Damson will just be hanging around

Mmm...Malabrigo!

Stacy at The Knitting Nest has a new shipment of Malabrigo in!

This morning, I hovered as she opened the box, ready to dive in.

In addition to lace weight and worsted, she had some beautiful sock yarn.

Three skeins actually leapt into my hands and begged to go home with me.

The trio

Solis

Cote D Azure

Light of Love

The possibilities...

Knit it up Posh in Anthro 205

Malabrigo sock in Eggplant

Malabrigo sock in Archangel

These two are begging to work together.

Anthro reminded me I had a skein from a sock club (Yarn Love Juliet

in Sugared Grapefruit) I had been wondering what to do with...hmmm.

Stitchery

Like our good friend, I also invested in some stitch index books recently. There was a sale and I thought Why Not. (I'd gotten at a book thrift shop one of the card index things but was not as happy with it. Gave it to a young friend, instead.)

These few books have a lifetime of inspiration in them. The Lace and Eyelets was a real favorite and the Cables book was AMAZING. But I have to admit they were all worth the expense. I don't think the Interweave book sale is still on but if so these are worthy of consideration!