Thursday, July 2, 2015

The Wednesday Whatknot

Hello? Is it me you're looking for ...

Or maybe just some good old fashioned knitting?

I have been rather busy lately personally and professionally and unable to spend time in the blogosphere as I'd like. But rest assured. I'm good, my people are good,  I'll be around to visit soon and ... why yes, yes I have been knitting.

Today we're going to talk about a little bit about TWINLEAF


I took a break from it to finish some baby knitting. Then the plan was to do some more baby knitting, and then literally there were TWO MORE people that I found out are going to have small people. You're killing me, people. Seriously, get some cats, how am I ever going to knit something non "wee-sized" again?

Babies are born. Babies are going to keep growing on the inside and getting born and well ... they have to wait because Ellen needs to do some summer knitting that can fit something larger than a potato!

Well I'm a rebel (ask my mother, I think she's still recovering from my youth) so I'm working on my  shawl.

Here are some highlights:

I am doing the EXACT yarn and color combinations as described in the pattern notes. Why? Because I lack imagination and I thought it was pretty.

But in all my exactness ...

* For some reason I didn't notice in the project notes where people said that it really required 3 hanks of the Main Color. So ... I sent off for another hank of yarn. I haven't really eyeballed how close the dye lots are, because I just can't feel disappointed now. Also it's gray, I'm hoping the dyelots are forgivable. shh! cross your fingers and let me dream!

* The gray yarn seems to bleed a little when my paws have been working on it for a bit. Will be interesting to see how the color of this fibre company holds after it's blocking.

* The initial border is 40 rows of 340 stitches. Yeah, it was some serious garter stitch. I was ready to work on something else at that point. (baby sweater)

* I'm almost done with the first short row section after the initial border. It's been fun. I'm already thinking how I'd modify it to make the stripes of contrast color wider a second go and what possible color combinations I would do.

* I went up a needle size. I'm using US6 because I'm usually a fairly tight knitter. Hmm. No, maybe it's because I feel like all my shawls and wraps could be a tad bigger. Well ...

* It's gonna be a big baby. I mean huge. In the pattern she says it blooms. Oh dear.


17 comments:

  1. I just took a peek at the Ravelry page and it is a BIG baby, isn't it? It's gorgeous though. Very dramatic.
    As for that baby boom, good luck keeping up. If anyone can, you can!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a gorgeous and luxuriously large shawl. That is going to be fabulous in cold weather!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like it will be gorgeous - I can't wait to see the FO!

    ReplyDelete
  4. lovely knitting and I was wondering where you were...

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's always nice to return refreshed to a good knitting project! Looks pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  6. hee hee....we're doing the exact same thing; my twinleaf is looking JUST like yours (and the bleeding is driving me CRAZY~~ can't knit with it while wearing white capris)....and I keep getting distracted, too. I've made a couple other of Grace Anna designs (she wrote the Fine Line and I love everything in there!!!!).....after she was a cabin-mate at Squam a couple years ago. She is TALL (like 6'2" tall+) and pulls off these lovely large knits like the gorgeous model that she is. My 5'4" doesn't look as good in them, but the shawls have all been...WOW!

    ReplyDelete
  7. you always make me laugh. I was just reading this post to Al! She is reading Ali went worth book and she is honest and funny too. Love ya Ellen!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh! LOVE that shawl. It will be gorgeous. I finally finished my lace work shawl and it is more shawlette -- a little smaller than I had anticipated (but probably a good thing since this was my first lace work). And...finally...am just about finished my first ever sock! Using some "cheap" yarn for my first attempt...but I'm thinking my next pair will be with the Tosh yarn I won from you the other month. Excited to start a new pair (and only almost half done the first pair - lol).

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm knitting a blanket in these exact colours, although I have six rows of the light blue.. I also may have to order more grey. And I won't be looking close at colour matching either. The shawl promises to be lovely. Well knitted my friend. CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. That is a big project there. I personally wouldn't mind the different dye lots. They add character.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Give in to the baby knitting, you know you want to!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm doing MY part ......I GOT a cat. LOL

    I like the grey on grey color combo! But, oh my! That's a crap-ton of garter stitch to get started. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  13. Bigger is ALWAYS better when it comes to shawls and wraps - so knit on baby, knit on!

    ReplyDelete
  14. 340 stitches! That's impressive! It must take a while to get across just one row? Love that tiny baby knitting, but they do grow up fast, sometimes before I can finish a project. BTW, we have 2 cats and promise no more kids unless they are the grand kind. ;>)

    ReplyDelete
  15. HAHAHAHA...people get some cats. :) You crack me up.
    Your Twinleaf is very beautiful so far.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ellen you are so funny! Thanks for my morning laugh! I know just how you feel because it seems I have been knitting baby things for-ev-er. Sometimes we just have to say "enough" and knit something for ourselves--which I am doing now. I love your shawl and can't wait to see the finished product.

    ReplyDelete