New Knitting Pattern - KATRIEL Shawl

Hi everyone, I'm very happy to announce the release of my newest knitting pattern - the Katriel shawl!

This pattern is part of a shawl duo I designed last spring (including my Sothia shawl pattern) and features some similar characteristics including Sothia's wide, shallow triangle shape, graphic garter-stitch stripes and neat eyelet border.   

Katriel, offers knitters who are pressed for time (or short on yarn!) the option of a quick-knit project with the same classic look of Sothia, but with a fast, easy picot bind off edging rather than Sothia's ruffle.  And adding to the easy-breezy nature of the Katriel pattern are lots of photos, tips and detailed instructions to help along the way.

This pattern has been extensively test knit by some super knitters - I want to give a giant THANK YOU to Jessica, Laurie, and Gerald. 

The new pattern calls for just two skeins of fingering-weight, madeleinetosh Tosh Merino Light yarn, but most fingering-weight yarns will work well for this design, making it a terrific stash-buster for all those gorgeous sock yarns you've been hoarding ('fess up now!).  And like Sothia, Katriel is a perfect showcase for those fantastic solid and semi-solid hand-dyed sock yarns for those not interested in stripes.

Both of these shawls used less than a full ball of every color - about 80 grams of each.

The light, fingering-weight yarn lends itself well to four-season wear, perfect for a cozy, extra layer during cold months, as well as for wearing over sleeveless tops and dresses during cool summer evenings or in air-conditioned settings. 

A wide triangle shape is truly versatile, giving the shawl a long, scarf-like proportion great for tucking into a coat, draping around the neck,

or simply throwing over the shoulders for a little extra warmth or as a colorful accent accessory.

Last April's verdant moss along a gravel trail inspired the gray and yellow-green (grellow?) version. 

I enjoyed knitting with Tosh Merino Light (see a full TML review here), and after a summer of use, all of my shawls look great, albeit slightly fuzzed, but in a nice way. For such a soft-touch singles yarn, TML has a good resistance to pilling so far.

However, those things said, TML relaxed and grew in gauge in varying degrees, with wet blocking, depending on color.  Some skeins from the same dye-lot seemed to have a lot more twist than the others, so blocking your swatch is an absolute must!

I knit a second version (or perhaps I should say first as it was the prototype) in lavender, rose and green Noro Taiyo Sock striped with soft heather gray Dale of Norway Baby Ull yarns. 

This version took it's cue from the spring cranesbill geranium and grape hyacinths growing near a rock in my garden.

A caveat about Taiyo Sock yarn - although it's very pretty, it was annoying to work with.  The fiber has a terrible tendency to stick to itself and become tangled in knots as the ball is pulled from the center. I much prefer Noro's lovely Silk Garden Sock for this sort of look and would choose that, rather than Taiyo, if knitting this shawl again.  

Both Katriel and Sothia are available as individual, stand-alone patterns, or as a value set of two patterns, at a special price, through the Ravelry shopping cart. To receive the discount, just add both patterns to your shopping cart first, then enter the coupon code Sothiaknitter at checkout.

I want to especially thank YOU, my blog-friends, for all the kind comments and enthusiasm for my design both here and on Ravelry, I really appreciate it!

New Knitting Pattern - Sothia

At last, my newest knitting pattern design from Robin Ulrich Studio, Sothia, is ready to greet the world!  This shawl/ shawlette's (is there an official distinction?) simple garter stitch, textured triangle is knit from the top down in cloud-light, fingering weight tosh merino light yarn from madelinetosh.  

Bold, graphically contrasting colors or the subtle textural stripes of tonal solids look equally well in this design knit in such a lovely, hand-dyed yarn.  The main, striped version is knit in two grey tones - the lighter colorway is "silver fox", and the darker is "tern".

Colorway "calligraphy," a rich combination of neutrals in both warm and cool shades is a popular choice. 

Wider than it is tall, Sothia's base triangle is neatly defined by an eyelet row and finished with a deep ruffle, giving the shawl exquisite drape and an easy flow around the shoulders.  

 

 

The combination of whisper-light yarn, easily worked stitches, and versatile 'wearability' provide soothing comfort both during knitting and afterwards through many a hectic day.

madelinetosh (this yarn company likes to use lower case for their names) employs multiple applications of various glaze colors to achieve a layered effect that is quite stunning.  I did a review of this yarn in an earlier post here.

Sothia is the first of a set of two 'sister' shawl patterns, the second will be released at a later date this summer after I finish up a couple of other projects.  The second pattern is finished but I will have it thoroughly test knit as well, so stay tuned to this page for announcements about that version.  

I had such a nice time knitting these shawls that I was kind of sad when they were done, as this design provides the simple, easy knitting I love to relax with in the evening or when I'm knitting around others.  Perhaps this design would make an excellent prayer shawl for a loved one, or meditative project for when you just need a break from complication - either in knitting or life itself.

I've been totally overwhelmed by the response from blog readers and Ravelers alike, asking when the pattern would be ready!  Wow.  THANK YOU very much everyone for the kind words, enthusiasm and anticipation for this new design, I truly appreciate it.  

And many, many thanks to my wonderful test knitters Diana, Emily, Josefina, Jessica, Becky, Melanie, Wiktoria, Michele, and Gillian.  You ladies did an outstanding job not only with your own shawls, but also with the feedback that helps me make this pattern more thorough, error-free and easy to follow!   I've enjoyed working with all of you - some old friends returning from previous test knits, and some new friends as well. 

Sothia is now available as both a Ravelry page download and as a download here on my blog.  Thanks again everyone, and peace, blessings and happy knitting to you!

Knitting with Madelinetosh - Yarn Review

Knitters all over Ravelry make such a fuss about how much they love Madelinetosh yarn, I decided I might as well see for myself and bought some to try.  After agonizing over the mouth-watering array of choices, I settled on several colors of Tosh Merino Light (TML) to get started with.  

The colorway selection is impressive, with everything from solids, to tonals/ semi-solids to variegated combinations.  This stunning green color is called Grasshopper. 

Madelinetosh.com describes Tosh Merino Light as:   A 100% superwash merino wool, single-ply fingering weight yarn.  With a generous 420 yards per skein, one skein is more than enough yardage to complete a pair of socks and two skeins can complete a full-sized lace project. Each incredibly soft skein is hand-dyed in small dye lots. 

This yarn has an interesting fuzzy halo, often in a different color, that stands out from the main fiber strand.  Even skeins that appear to be one color are, upon closer inspection, layered with multiple analagous colors that give the yarn the incredible depth that knitters rave about. 

The wool itself is silky and lustrous, and very soft without being limp, knitting up into beautiful projects with amazing drape and very little color pooling or blotching.  

My little shawlette in the Calligraphy colorway had only one or two minor spots of darker color, most others were in the fuzz and easily picked off the surface.  And in all of the 10 skeins I've knit with this yarn, I believe I may have found only one knot - wow. 

The yarn is so beautiful that it looks wonderful knit in the most simple of designs, but even something a little more complex is enhanced by the depth of color.  The same shawlette design shown above is also shown below, knit in stripes of boldly contrasting gray colorways Tern (dark) and Silver Fox (light).

Interestingly, some skeins of the same dye lot had a different feel to the touch and a differing amount of twist, leading me to believe that although dyed together, they were from different batches of base yarn.  The green skeins were so tightly spun that they liked to kink around themselves and had to be controlled in  little plastic bags.  The others were fine.  

I also found the darker colors to be, naturally enough, less soft as the dyes saturate the fibers more completely; however, this mostly changes once the finished project is washed and blocked to a consistent softness.  Colors were very fast with only a faint tint of green from the Grasshopper in the rinse water.  

These three skeins show colorways Silver Fox (L), Logwood (Center), and Antler (R).

At under $20 for a generously-sized skein (all of my mine were over 110 gr.), the price adds even more appeal to sampling this yarn.  That is not to say; however, that I would use it for every knitted or crocheted project.  

The very fuzz and singles softness that appeals to so many people may make it pill-prone, only time will tell.  The lush texture and light weight make it ideal for low-abrasion items like shawls, hats and scarves, but I might not make a pullover with TML until I see how it wears in other items.  I'd also love to try it for a dressy cardigan that did not get heavy wear, or for a light, but snuggly cowl.

Listed as "superwash", the company suggests machine washing in cold water and laying flat to dry, but I tend to hand wash fine knitted items, so I cannot comment on that aspect of this yarn. 

Overall I love looking at this yarn, touching this yarn, knitting with this yarn and wearing this yarn.  And at this price, Tosh Merino Light is a standout in the crowded field of artist palette yarns out there.  I definitely recommend giving it a try.