The Newest Shawl Off The Needles

Last night, in my Awesome Thursday post I mentioned a shawl that recently came off the needles. It's a basic garter stitch shawl, but I really like it. It's a nice light grey, super soft synthetic yarn (I think all acrylic, but I'm not sure) that is just the right size to wrap around your neck and have the tails hang in front. I've been doing a lot of shawls with this wider triangle shape, because it is easier to wear than the right angle triangle that I used to make all the time. I have a couple very similar shawls made, and I will probably make some more the same way.
What do you think? Do you like the triangle shawl shape? What colour would you like to see?

Some Never Ending Knitting AKA A Knitting Black Hole

Sometimes, I don't like knitting. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's true. I've knit a few projects in lace weight yarn, and I really don't think I will be buying any more, any time soon. It definitely gives you the most bang for your buck, though. This skein cost under $7, and has provided a month of knitting entertainment. In any case, I swear I've been knitting this thing for hours today, and it hasn't grown a centimetre. I'm in another one of those knitting black holes. No matter how fast I knit, I can't escape its pull. Now, this wouldn't matter in normal circumstances, heck, it might even be a good thing. But this project has a deadline. It's coming up soon, and I'm running out of time.
What do you folks recommend to get out of a black hole?

Currently Listening To:  F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X. ~ The Fall Of Troy

The Alpaca Cotton Candy Shawl, and Pictures of Me in a Dress

When I was working on this shawl, I didn't have a name for it, but now that it's finished, it reminds me of yummy blue cotton candy.
Yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in the Wonderland Heather colourway. I used the ENTIRE skein. I had less than 5 inches left after bind off.
Needles: size 7 or 8 Knit Picks Harmony interchangeable (I can't remember the size, unfortunately, and I'm not organized enough to remember to write things like this down)
Pattern: A combination of a couple different triangle shawl patterns I came across on Ravelry. I mostly winged it, after I got the basic shape down from the pattern.
Neither of these pictures really show off the shawl, but I really like them. I'm not in a dress often, so this is a change. They're from my cousin's wedding a few weeks ago. The tall dude in the suit is my "little" brother, André. He's almost 19, and too damn tall for my liking. He often uses me as an arm rest, now that he's well over 6 feet tall. Next to him is his lovely girlfriend, Katie. And next to me, in the orange, is Richard.
We clean up pretty nice.

The Finished Blueberry Jam Shawl

Pardon the dirty mirror picture. What is this, MySpace?

A couple days ago, I cast off my Blueberry Jam shawl. I did a picot bind off, which took approximately two and a half forevers, but looks spectacular. I think I should block it, but I haven't got a clue how I will do that, as I don't have pins or wires or a place to do it. I might just try to dampen it and spread it out on the bed, but we'll see.

I'm not quite sure what to do with this shawl. Part of me wants to keep it, because it feels great, but I'm not in love with it. The other part says list it on Etsy, and see if it sells. I'm planning on moving to more higher end yarns, and I think this would be a good start to my luxe line. I can offer it in different colours and materials as custom orders.

I have another skein of Ultra Alpaca Fine in the Blueberry colour, and I think I might knit a rectangular stole with it.

I'm also browsing Ravelry for some things to make with all the yarn I got yesterday. One of them will probably turn into a birthday gift for my mother in law. Her birthday isn't until October, so I have lots of time to figure that one out. Her winter coat is a bright cherry red, so any of the neutrals would go very well with it.

The Blueberry Jam Shawl

In an attempt to be a good knitting blogger, I am going to show progress photos of my newest shawl. I have named it the Blueberry Jam Shawl, as it is being knit out of Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine, in the Blueberry colourway. This is the yarn from the failed Colonnade shawl I mentioned in this weeks Awesome Thursday post.
I am mostly making this up as I go along, with a little help from a few different shawl patterns on Ravelry. KFB in the first and last stitch of every row to make that nice, wide triangle shape. Every other row, KFB in the stitches before and after the centre. On all the other shawls I've made, I did YOs, but for this one, I didn't want the column of eyelets running down the centre.
If you look carefully, you can see a row of eyelets just below the needle cable. I am putting these somewhat randomly throughout the shawl to add a little interest, both visually when it's finished, and in the knitting while I am doing it.
I can't wait to see how this develops. I will try to be a good blogger and post about it regularly.
As for the Findley Dappled 3S Shawl, I haven't worked on it since we were in the car on our way to the Apple Store. It's sitting in my purse, waiting to be brought out while on a drive again.

A New Project, This Time, For Me!

It's been quite some time since I've knit something for myself. I won some of Juniper Moon's Findley Dappled in the Woodland colourway from Midwest Yarn a while back. I knew it would be turned into something for me, I just had to find the pattern for it.
With almost 800 yards, I have a lot of options. My first thought was a rectangular, somewhat lacy stole. I gave it some thought, and I don't think knitting lace is something I am ready to take on. I have a hard time concentrating on patterns, and I would probably have to tink/frog a few times, and I don't want to ruin the yarn. I searched some more, and decided on a few things: something easily memorized, something that I can knit until I run out of yarn and not have to worry about pattern repeats, something worn around the neck among a few others.
I found the 3S Shawl on Ravelry and it fit the bill perfectly. Plus, being a shawl, I knew that I would love it.
I just cast on, and I am a couple rows in, and this yarn is a dream! Half and half merino and silk, it's super soft, and super sturdy. I can't wait to get back to knitting this!