We Interrupt This Afghan

The University of Michigan Afghan for my daughter has been going along well. The Cascade 128 Superwash is just wonderful, and the big needles and easy pattern go quickly. I've finished one whole strip and blocked it, to ensure that the afghan will be as long as my daughter would like it. It is over 60 inches long blocked, so with the addition of a border, this should definitely be long enough. My goal is to finish strip 2 by the end of May, strip #3 by the end of June, strip #4 by the end of July, and do the border/finishing in August.
In the meantime, though, now that the weather is FINALLY getting a little warmer, I decided I needed an alternative project to break up the afghan a little. I heard about the Roxanne Mystery Shawl KAL on a the Work in Progress Podcast and decided to cast on with some of my leftove KnitPicks Palette in Pool. I have always wanted to knit one of Liz Abinante's shawls, so this is my chance! I don't know that I'll keep up with the weekly clues, as this will get to be a pretty large project, but I am really enjoying it so far. I'm almost halfway through Clue 2. There's something very nice about a rhythmic lace pattern...I see more shawls in my future.

We Interrupt This Afghan

The University of Michigan Afghan for my daughter has been going along well. The Cascade 128 Superwash is just wonderful, and the big needles and easy pattern go quickly. I've finished one whole strip and blocked it, to ensure that the afghan will be as long as my daughter would like it. It is over 60 inches long blocked, so with the addition of a border, this should definitely be long enough. My goal is to finish strip 2 by the end of May, strip #3 by the end of June, strip #4 by the end of July, and do the border/finishing in August.
In the meantime, though, now that the weather is FINALLY getting a little warmer, I decided I needed an alternative project to break up the afghan a little. I heard about the Roxanne Mystery Shawl KAL on a the Work in Progress Podcast and decided to cast on with some of my leftove KnitPicks Palette in Pool. I have always wanted to knit one of Liz Abinante's shawls, so this is my chance! I don't know that I'll keep up with the weekly clues, as this will get to be a pretty large project, but I am really enjoying it so far. I'm almost halfway through Clue 2. There's something very nice about a rhythmic lace pattern...I see more shawls in my future.

Happy Endings

Just back from a lovely, relaxing vacation in San Juan where there was ample beach, condo and airplane knitting time! I started and finished my very first commission project, the Royal Llama Silk Slouchy Hat, which I will mail away tomorrow. I liked doing a project on commission, but don't know how much time I will have for this when I'm not on vacation! Now that my family is ever-more enthusiastic about my projects, I'd probably rather knit for them--but it's nice to know these opportunities exist when I am able to partake of them. The hat is very cute and the yarn was nice--warm, but not wooly. A little splitty, but nothing that my Denise circulhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifars couldn't handle. I used the Denises for the first time in awhile, because the pattern called for a 16" circ. Why doesn't KnitPicks make 16" cables for their interchangeables, I wonder?http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I also pretty much finished the Microfiber Ribbon Tank. I had traveled armed with my fusing supplies--FrayChek, Liquid Thread, regular thread. It turned out I didn't get to too many knotted ends until the very end, when I was already home. After all of the issues I had with this project, the final product is just beautiful and I think I have been enchanted with this ribbon again so that next time I'm at a fiber event where Tess Yarns is present, I'll probably buy more! I don't think I would forget how to wind it after my most recent debacle.
So now it's back to the University of Michigan afghan tonight. I ordered a yarn thimble from KnitPicks to see if that makes the Fair Isle easier--I'm determined to master it, and the stranding on these squares is so elementary (alternating one stitch in each of two colors--basically either vertical stripes or a checkerboard--that's it!), that I figure by the time I finish the entire afghan, I should be a master and ready to tackle more complicated Fair Isle (or I'll know that I don't like it!).
Also feeling a bit overloaded with all of the great new Videocasts out there...but I'm working through them. They're great company while I knit.

Happy Endings

Just back from a lovely, relaxing vacation in San Juan where there was ample beach, condo and airplane knitting time! I started and finished my very first commission project, the Royal Llama Silk Slouchy Hat, which I will mail away tomorrow. I liked doing a project on commission, but don't know how much time I will have for this when I'm not on vacation! Now that my family is ever-more enthusiastic about my projects, I'd probably rather knit for them--but it's nice to know these opportunities exist when I am able to partake of them. The hat is very cute and the yarn was nice--warm, but not wooly. A little splitty, but nothing that my Denise circulhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifars couldn't handle. I used the Denises for the first time in awhile, because the pattern called for a 16" circ. Why doesn't KnitPicks make 16" cables for their interchangeables, I wonder?http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I also pretty much finished the Microfiber Ribbon Tank. I had traveled armed with my fusing supplies--FrayChek, Liquid Thread, regular thread. It turned out I didn't get to too many knotted ends until the very end, when I was already home. After all of the issues I had with this project, the final product is just beautiful and I think I have been enchanted with this ribbon again so that next time I'm at a fiber event where Tess Yarns is present, I'll probably buy more! I don't think I would forget how to wind it after my most recent debacle.
So now it's back to the University of Michigan afghan tonight. I ordered a yarn thimble from KnitPicks to see if that makes the Fair Isle easier--I'm determined to master it, and the stranding on these squares is so elementary (alternating one stitch in each of two colors--basically either vertical stripes or a checkerboard--that's it!), that I figure by the time I finish the entire afghan, I should be a master and ready to tackle more complicated Fair Isle (or I'll know that I don't like it!).
Also feeling a bit overloaded with all of the great new Videocasts out there...but I'm working through them. They're great company while I knit.