KAL Mania, Continued...

It seems that this time of the year is a popular one for KAL's (Knit A-Longs) if the many newly-formed groups on Ravelry are any indication. In my last post I mentioned a couple of KAL groups featuring my scarf patterns, and this week Kathleen Cubley, editor of Interweave Knits' Knitting Daily announced a new cowl KAL, including my Orbs Cowl design as a nominee. 

The Orbs Cowl pattern originally appeared in the Knitscene Accessories 2012 magazine and has been knit in some very lovely and creative variations on Ravelry. 

This little pattern is super easy to knit, and makes a cute accessory in a very short time. Orbs can be worn inside out, downside up, or any way you wish as it is completely reversible! I love the rugged, 3-dimensional chevron texture of the stitches inspired by the rough surface of the moon. If you are interested, you can read more about it in the publication release post here. 

If you don't have the issue of the magazine that the pattern was published in, not to worry! You can download the individual pattern PDF from the Interweave website. 

Knit-A-Longs are a lot of fun; group members encourage each other, answer each others' questions and share project notes as they work together through the pattern. If you'd like to participate, be sure to go to the Knitting Daily post and vote for your favorite pattern to join in the fun. Even if you are not interested in participating, you can still vote and follow along vicariously as others knit.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post today. I wish everyone a terrific weekend and happy stitching!




Modeled photos via Knitscene Magazine

FO - Fall Shawl

My Fall Shawl is finished just in time to wear for our Thanksgiving festivities!  I love how a colorful scarf dresses up the simplest of outfits.

This project was inspired by a photo of colorful autumn leaves and berries I took out in the woods this month,

using this Noro Kureyon Sock yarn,

 

as well as a skein of Isager Spinni (Wool 1) in a deep charcoal heather for an edging to ground the multi-color striping effect a bit.

The colors are rich, autumnal and more subtle than usual for many Noro yarns.

I used every scrap of the Noro and only had about 5 yards of the Isager left over.

The rustic, slightly rough feeling of both of these yarns has great appeal for me, although a few spots in the Noro yarn were a bit too slubby for my taste so I cut those out.  

These are not yarns for someone in love with soft, soft, soft, rather they are alive with texture and color in a way a smooth yarn cannot be.  However, I still cannot imagine wearing socks knit with the Kureyon Sock - too rough even for me!

Last week we attended another spin-in at Temptations in Dublin.  It was a small group but it made for interesting conversations.

One gal in the group owns Himalayan cats and is in the process of spinning up their fur into yarn to knit mittens.  For the kittens. Seriously.

ACHOO!!!!!!!!!

 

I am still slogging away on some boring Louet Coopworth roving that came with my wheel.  I'm planning a 3-ply and since I have 2 pounds of the stuff, probably something like a chunky cable sweater.  That's going to be a ways down the road though.

 

As I reflected on the many blessings I have to be thankful for - love, freedom, knitting! - it occurred to me that there are also some things that can go unappreciated.

These things can sometimes even be annoying or difficult to deal with, but viewed through a different lens, they can sometimes also represent good things.  I bring you my new Thanksgiving list of things I am grateful for:

1. A tangled mess of yarn - because this means I have the physical ability to knit and the yarn to do it with.

2. A mountain of laundry to wash - because this represents the fact that I have not only enough clothing to wear, but enough multiples of things like socks and shirts that I'm able to let them stay dirty (a few days at least) until I find time to wash them.

3. My husband's dirty underthings - (ugh!!) but really, it means I have someone this close enough to me in my life and still love him, and him me.

4. A dirty bathtub and toilet - because this means I have a home with clean, hot, running water with which to bathe and with which I am able to clean these things - something so many people in this world do not have. 

5. A sink full of dirty dishes - because they are evidence that I have had not just enough to eat to keep me alive, but abundant choices as well.

Wishing you a peaceful week of great cooking and knitting, safe journeys and lots of Thanksgiving goodies!

Spin In and Interweave Knits Fall 2010 Favorites

This week my husband and I attended a spin-in at Temptations (their website is rather minimal, look for a full shop review in an upcoming post!), a shop featured in a group on Ravelry.  This was the first event of it's kind that either of us has attended.  

The group numbered about 10 and included both spindle and wheel spinners of all skill levels.  What a blast we had!  We really enjoyed discussing wool and fiber festivals, learning about different fiber and techniques, and seeing what everyone was working on.  

  

I brought along my own terrific little Majacraft Rose wheel, shown here spinning up the roving in the photo at the top of this post.

 

Another person brought the wheel that her husband made for her - very interesting!

Hopefully I will have finished yarn photos to share soon.