New Yarn and a Goal Off My List

     Its already the middle of the month and I have no challenges posted.  Not good.  I have several things in the works though.  So, first things first.  More Yarn!

   When the new challenges were issued, I spotted an opportunity to knock a goal off my knit years resolutions; colorwork.  Of course this potential project needed yarn so here are the fruits of my trip.  Sheep Thrills! Yarn Company, my favorite LYS, had just started stocking Cascade 220 Superwash Sport so I went in with a plan.  I even made a list, since I wanted to get buttons for my dissertation and I needed needles...  Often I don't make a list or anything and then get overwhelmed with all the yarny goodness and forget what I went for in the first place.  

These two colors are going to be for a Stargate themed hat.

I'm using these two colors now for the colorwork hat I've been eluding to.  More on that in a bit.

This was my on a whim purchase.  Its a DK weight wool/silk blend.  I have numerous DK weight patterns in my queue but my DK stash is weak. 

This is Malabrigo March, I am partaking in at least one KAL in the Malabrigo Junkies group.  Since I enjoyed the first batch of Twist I worked with I decided to get another color in Twist again.  Its an Aran weight wool, very soft and squishy.  This color is so bright and pretty, its Tuareg.  I got just the one skein, so I'm thinking hat for this, perhaps.

Last, but not least, the buttons I picked for my Dissertation Cardi.  I love the un-even edges and antique looking patina.

     I finished up one project but I don't have pictures sadly.  I started a cowl at the very end of the last round and then worked on it the first week or so of this one.  I finished it at "the farm".  My husband's grandfather was put on Hospice a couple weeks ago and he is failing fast.  An uncle and aunt came up from Florida to visit for what is most likely the last time.  We all got together for the weekend to see grandpa and each other.  I found it truly relaxing to knit while chatting with my in-laws and grandpa.  The cowl is Thorny.  Its a double sided lace pattern, knit flat, of course, then kitchenered together to make a cowl or infinity scarf, whichever you want to say.  I used the Mochi Plus I got in the Nerd Wars Swap.  I used both skeins, save a yard or two at the very end.  It needs to be blocked, so I'll have pictures of that eventually.  I love how it turned out.  

     I do have pictures of my other two WIPs.  First off, the colorwork project.  It is Norwegian Fairisle Snowflake Hat.  The specific colorwork technique is faire isle.  Both colors are used simultaneously.  The second color is floated along the back while not in use.  There is quite a bit of twisting involved.  The strands must be twisted so that holes don't appear when switching from one color to another.  It looks and sounds complicated but it isn't.  Its actually super easy.  I wish I would have tried it sooner.  Here is what I have so far:

I have only a couple more rows to go on the snowflake chart.  Then I have a second border motif, then decreasing for the crown, which is also patterned.  I need to get back to it.  I got this much done in two sittings.  I started this at my parents house that same weekend and worked on it in the evenings while we were there.  The trickiest part with faire isle is keeping the tension loose enough so the stitches don't pucker.  So far I think I've got the hang of it.  The Cascade is super, super soft.  I mean amazingly soft.  It was also very reasonably priced, in my opinion, for 100% superwash wool.  Each skein was under $6.  I'm really hoping this fits me.  It looks to have some good stretch, so I think it might.

     My next WIP is also a hat.  I should call this post Three Hats and a Cowl or The March of Hats, ha ha get it the March of Hats.... no?   Anywho.  This is the KAL with the Malabrigo Junkies group.  It is Donnie's Hat.  I'm using Malabrigo Rios in Indiecita.  This was, in fact, the first Malabrigo I ever bought.  This is for me to match the scarf I recently made from Mal Twist (also in Indiecita).

This picture doesn't show off the slip stitch pattern very well.  You can however, see that I did a 1x1 twisted rib for the brim.  I only knit 10 rows of the brim since I don't like to fold up my hat brims and this pattern is designed to do just that.  I'm, therefore, totally winging the row counts.  I plan to try in on as I go to guesstimate the length correctly.  I want it to be a beanie that covers my ears.  Steps onto soapbox... I think that's the really cool thing about knitting, specifically knitting for myself.  I can pick out a good pattern, see the things I like, or don't like, and make it to exactly the specifications I want.  Maybe its part of being OCD, maybe its because I'm an "artist" and I don't like to fit into the status quo... maybe its just because I like single brimmed beanies that look pretty and keep my ears warm...  end rant... steps back down off soapbox...  I really really love this colorway.  This is what its supposed to look like.  (I think my Twist was from an odd batch, it didn't have purple in it.  I love it anyway though.)  The Rios is a superwash, but its not a soft as Twist.  It is still absolutely wonderful to work with.  All the colors are perfect with each other.  I've been wanting to get my Snowflake Hat done but I cant seem to put this one down.  It's sooooo pretty.  I think if I had to choose one colorway to use as my life's palette it would be this one, Indiecita.  Its got all my favorite colors in every shade, soooo pretty!!!!  (I'm not obsessed, shhh.)  Until later, Happy Crafting!
-Q