"I Don't Wear Shawls....So Why Would I Knit One?"

Here's why knitting a shawl is, to quote Martha Stewart "a good thing".....

Working in my LYS I am often in the position of assisting clients by suggesting patterns to knit and helping them with yarn selections and notions to complete their projects. When I suggest a shawl, the eyebrows raise, and a look of confusing appears on their face followed by the words, " I don't wear shawls, why would I knit one"? To that I say "I totally get where you are coming from, I use to think the same thing!"

What changed my mind you ask? Okay so you didn't ask but I'm going to tell you anyway....lol....

Months ago a co-worker approached me about taking an online class by Stephen West with her, kind of like a knit-a-long except we would know ahead of time what we would be knitting. As it turned out the project was his "Boneyard Shawl". My first reaction was "I don't wear shawls, so why would I knit one", second reaction why pay for a class to knit something I won't use? After a little friendly debate, she talked me as well as the rest of the staff  into taking the class with her. 

I've been knitting for about 15 years but still have a lot to learn, so I approached the class with this in mind and off I went for my very first online class properly attired in pajamas with no make-up. 

What I took away from the class included more than just new knitting skills, finishing information and ideas. It gave me a whole different mind set about shawls in general. Thus the inspiration for my new obsession in knitting.

Finished Boneyard Shawl
turned to the front.

First thing I took from the class---I will wear shawls! What changed my mind? Stephen West wears his and he is a dude! Wait....what? Yep he wears them! The trick is he wears them like scarves, well why in the world had this never occurred to me? Just turn that shawl around and bring the tails to the front. Voila! Shawl becomes a scarf and I WILL wear that!  That realization opened up a whole new world of ideas and creativity for me. WooHoo a new reason to buy more yarn!(Like I need one)

I got to thinking of the other benefits of knitting my "Boneyard Shawl" ------

Tension consistency(lots of practice k'ing and p'ing)

Repetitive use of a new stitch(so it sinks in)

Construction basics(seeing how it comes to be a triangle)

Memory skills(keeps the mind active)

"Boneyard" in the traditional
shawl position...lol

With these and other positive thoughts about knitting shawls running around in my head I think they are a great way to learn a new technique, hone the skills I have, be creative and create beautiful and useful garments for friends, family and myself. 

Flower Moon Shawl
First attempt at lace knitting

Serena Shadow Shawl

28's Cousin 53
Shawl/scarf hybrid?

 So having said ALL that......Give shawls a try, you just might have an Ah-ha moment like I did!

Knit on my friends!!!!!

Interested in Charity Knitting? This information might be helpful!!!  

8 Charities Looking for Knitted Items 

If you’ve got blankets and hats and scarves to spare, then there are plenty of people in need who would love these homemade items.

We’ve listed some of the most popular national charities below, but don’t forget to look locally for hospitals, shelters, churches, and other organizations that are eager for donations. Click here to see Lion Brand Yarns’s Charity Connection tool, which links you to groups near your zip code.

1. Binky Patrol, http://www.binkypatrol.org/
   Binky Patrol’s mission: to keep kids comforted while they go through traumatic times. Whether it’s an illness, disease, foster care, or another struggle, kids receive handmade blankets as a thoughtful gift so they feel just a little bit better.
   
   They can range in size from 2’x2’ (for preemies) to twin-size, whatever you’d like to make – then just follow these instructions for mailing it in. On that page, you’ll also find patterns and other helpful info.
    
2. Chemocaps, http://chemocaps.com/
   The mission here is simple: Knit hats to donate to your local hospital’s cancer treatment center. Infants, kids, and adults enjoy these comforting hats, and it means something special to get a handmade gift during a difficult time.
   
   The program is in memory of a young knitter who lost her battle with cancer, and the website features a special tag to sew onto hats so that hospitals know what charity the gift is coming from.
    
3. Knit for Kids, http://www.worldvision.org/get-involved/knit-for-kids
   If you know how to knit sweaters, then consider making one for a child from around the world. Knit for Kids sends sweaters, infant caps, and blankets internationally to children in need, so they can stay warm and comfortable even in rough climates. You can download a pattern from the website, or use your own if you like.
    
4. Newborns in Need, http://newbornsinneed.org/
   After donating more than 500,000 items last year, Newborns in Need continues to take donations this year for baby booties, hats (including NICU), blankets, and toys. Booties, blankets, and toys are in higher demand, but anything is greatly appreciated – and you can click here for some knitting patterns.
    
5. Precious Pals, http://www.tkga.com/?page=PreciousPalsProgram
   Precious Pals sends out stuffed animals to police departments across the country – something that first responders and child agencies can use to help comfort children after a traumatic event. Simply purchase a stuffed animal from the store and then knit a sweater for the teddy bear or animal – then contact a local fire or police department about your donation, or mail your sweater-wearing stuffed animal to the address on the website. 
    
6. Project Linus, http://www.projectlinus.org/
   Another charity dedicated to helping kids find a sense of comfort and security, Project Linus donates handmade blankets to children in hospitals, shelters, social service agencies, and elsewhere around the country. Once you’ve made your blanket, click here to find a local chapter where you can drop off your gift. Just make sure the blanket is brand-new and washable.
    
7. The Ships Project, http://www.theshipsproject.com/
   If you’re looking to support the troops, consider sending a hat or slippers through The Ships Project – which has been sending items overseas for more than a decade. Click here to read the specific item guidelines, which include directions for color and type of knitting.
    
8. Snuggles Project, http://www.snugglesproject.org/
   If you’re an animal lover, then consider donating to this charity. It accepts blankets – aka “snuggles” – to give to cats and dogs in shelters who might be frightened and scared. These blankets help comfort scared animals, and there are plenty of knit patterns on the website.
   
   Click here to see where you can donate these blankets – find your state and area code, and then see which shelters have the “snuggles” kitten icon indicating they definitely accept donations (or call ones that don’t and confirm they’ll accept blanket donations before sending).

There are countless other charities out there looking for donations, so don't forget to look locally. Just make sure whatever you make is brand-new and washable, and we're sure someone will appreciate the special gift.

Next Page of Knitting »

Finding my Zen.....

Several months ago a post came across my timeline on Facebook with the most beautiful colors and textures of different yarns. I explored the corresponding page and immediately fell in love just looking at all the saturated colors and colorways in these hand-dyed beauties. Thus I was turned on to Zen Yarn Garden. 

Unfortunately no one in my area stocked this eye candy, so I was on a mission to find it somewhere just to get my hands on it. My search for a store on line that carried the yummy yarn was fairly easy, finding one that had some of it, any of it no matter the yarn content or color, well that was the tough part. I began to feel that this must be popular with the customers at the LYS's I was calling. Naturally that made my desire to capture some Zen Yarn Garden for myself even more urgent...lol....finally I tracked down some of the awesome Serentity DK (90% superwash merino/10% cashmere) at Knit and Stitch in Bethesda MD. SCORE!....not so fast there Wonder Woman...they had a very limited amount in very limited colors, sooooo I went with the advise of the very nice lady helping me via telephone and ordered the Serenity DK in the colorway Magenta.

FINALLY, it arrived. Didn't take long, it was really here in a jiffy, it just felt like a long time because I was so excited to get it.

Now, what to do with the wonderful stuff. I knit a swatch just to feel it, awesome. Then I let it sit and sit, every now and then I would take it out just to pet it, sounds weird I know, but fiber freaks will understand.

I just waited until late on night trolling Ravelry and voila there it was! Elk Tooth by Caitlin ffrench! If any of you have seen her modeling those awesome shawls you are aware of her infectious smile and demeanor in the photos, she actually makes me want to knit what she's modeling when I'm not even sure I want to knit the item, go figure. Anyway, I saw her pattern Elk Tooth and checked it out. Yep that's the one for my Serenity DK and for me as well! Very quick and fun pattern to knit. These two aspects speak to me and always get my attention. 

This picture is more representative of the color
than the others due to lighting

If you have never used yarn overs, seed stitch, passing stitches over or increasing by knitting in the front and back of a stitch, but wanted to, this is a great pattern for it. Give it a try you can do it!!!

Knit on my friends!!!!

Lace Knitting...Not as hard as I thought....

Lace knitting has always intimidated me...until I saw what was the perfect pattern for me to give it a whirl! 

I had previously purchased a beautiful hank of Madeline Tosh 'Tosh Merino Light' in colorway 'Cathedral', I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with it, but it looked so lonely in the store I decided it needed a good home so I just had to adopt it! Couldn't just leave it there. I drooled over it for a few weeks and late one night while trolling Ravelry for inspiration, I ran across a lace shawl pattern that I thought I could handle. (I've been trying to increase my knitting skills this year). As I said previously lace has always intimidated me, I look at it and think how beautiful, but all those YO's, ssk's etc. scared me! Many of the patterns I have seen have you knitting top down with short rows or bottom up with short rows and my brain just can't process all that, at any rate while trolling I came across some patterns by Mindy Wilkes, they were sooooo beautiful and in reading the description I saw one that was knit sideways, meaning you knit the lace as you knit the body of the shawl, well that got my attention, because that meant NO short rows! Yay me! I found something my brain could handle. I immediately thought of the 'Tosh Merino Light', could even see it finished in my minds eye.

I got stymied a few times with rows 5-6, but that was totally me forgetting a YO, nothing to do with the pattern at all, it was all me.(Luckily I have a great friend and knitting teacher to correct me and get me back on track. Many thanks Teresa Shankle). The result is beautiful, light and airy!

Project Info:

Pattern: Flower Moon by Mindy Wilkes

Yarn: Madeline Tosh 'Tosh Merino Light'

         Color: Cathedral

Needle: 24" #6 Addi Turbo Click

Blocked using blocking wires(my first attempt)

Close up of the lace

This is my year to challenge myself and see what I can really do, and  I encourage any knitter to try something 'out of your box', something that is a challenge. Don't let all the symbols scare you off like I have done in the past, after all they are just letters and someone, somewhere can help you decipher it and create something awesome!

Knit on my friends!

What's Your Favorite?

What's your favorite yarn to knit with and why?

Mine:  That's a hard question to answer....hmmmm....at this moment in time I would have to say anything by Malabrigo. I'm in a color frenzy and they deliver in all weights!

What's yours? Excited to see your answers!!!

Knit on my friends!

Eliminate Bleeding

Using hand-dyed yarns is always fun...

Until they bleed...eliminate this when wet blocking by adding a little white vinegar to the soak!

Another Flower Headband

How I Almost Ruined Christmas....

I always knit something for my niece at Christmas. Around December 20, 2012 I suddenly realized that I hadn't knit anything for her. I had been busy with everything else in life etc....Panic set in....what in the world could I do in that amount of time? Thankfully my friend and knitting teacher came to my rescue, she had the 'perfect project in mind'.

 'Another Flower Headband'

This headband is super cute, super easy and super quick.......

My niece modeling again.
This one is a little too big for
her but I didn't feel like modeling.
She's cuter anyway.

My niece modeling her
pretty pink headband at Christmas

I used Mirasol Sulka for both headbands shown. 
I chose not to do the wrap and turns in the section between the K2,P2 rib sections so it is the same width all the way around. The only bug-a-boo for me in this pattern was knitting the flowers, not hard it just took my ADD brain a little while to 'get' it, after the first one it was no problem.


The pattern can be found on Ravelry: 
"Another Flower Headband" by Susan B. Anderson. 
It is very well written and easy to understand. 

Enjoy and knit on my friends!!!!!