Thank you all so very much for your comments about my green log cabin blanket. Rest assured, I’ve only lent it to Blue Moon – it will one day find it’s way back to our home. I don’t think Georgie would forgive me if I let it go forever. (Honestly, I don’t think I’d forgive myself!) It’s wonderful to knit such a project, but the cherry on top is your appreciation for its beauty. Thank you again!
The knits have been at a stalemate lately. Everything needs something – and I’m just not in the mood. The koigu knee socks are stalled out because I need to start the heel flap which means changing the yarn and I just don’t have the energy for that. The pomatomus sock needs to be ripped back to the start of the gusset because the pattern called for a k2tog and I really think it needed a k2togtbl. I KNEW it when I first knit it but ignored it and now I don’t like how it’s laying so rip rip rip. Which I really don’t have the energy for. The Random log cabin – eh. (One day I’ll go back to that, I promise!) That sore throat I had after Rhinebeck somehow morphed into a dry cough a week later which only last night turned into a bonafide cold. I’m feeling drippy.
BUT! Something came in the mail yesterday to give me LOTS of ENERGY!!!! Remember how I said that the only thing I regretted about Rhinebeck was not buying any yarn at Briar Rose for the Casino Shawl? Well I bought the pattern from Anne as soon as I got home but the yarn proved a bit more tricky. Chris from Briar Rose told me that they were pretty much out of yarn after Rhinebeck, but I could custom order some Sea Pearl if I wanted. DID I WANT? You know I did! So I told Chris that I wanted purples – lots of different purples – because purple is the new black – and she came through for me BIG TIME!
That’s 1500 yds of Briar Rose Sea Pearl – 50/50 Merino/Tencel. It is so so soft. Almost as soft as the purple sheets we just bought for our bed. (Seriously. Modal. Like sleeping on silk. Who knew?) I couldn’t wait to start it! So last night I provisionally cast on 305 stitches.
And then did nothing with it. I can’t decide which needle size to use. Anne says that she knit the sample at Rhinebeck with size 8s and Christy‘s knitting the shawl in Sea Pearl with size 6s. So I turned to my conscience in all things knit, Ann, and she told me to – get this – SWATCH! Well I never! But I did….
The top 20 rows were knit on 7s, the bottom 20 on 6s. The middle pins are at the middle point. Duh. I may still swatch a bit on 8s, but right now I’m leaning toward 7s. The fabric on the 6s is a bit too tight and things loosened up considerably with the 7s. It’s funny how at US 6s you get much bigger jumps – 4.0mm, 4.5mm, 5.0mm. I think 8s will be too loose. This is the same thing that happened with Seraphim, but maybe I’ll just try the 8s.
I’ve never done a top down shawl before so it will be interesting starting out with all those stitches. And I’ve never really used a provisional cast on before so that will be interesting too. I cast on the stitches with size 6 needles, so I hope I can get the 7s to work with that – don’t tell me if I can’t. Recasting on all those stitches is not something I’m looking forward to. One strange thing about the pattern: It’s called Casino because the shape running through the shawl is a spade. But the spade is actually upside down (yes Christy – I noticed that too.) Which would probably bother me except I think the upside down spade actually looks a lot like a heart. : )
Wait! There’s more! In really blow your mind news I’ve collected this batch of yarns:
We’re about to get a little crazy with the swatching: Blackwater Abbey, Cascade 220, NatureSpun, Alice Starmore & Rowan Scottish Tweed. Am Kamin. I’m gearing up.
I’m off to vote. I voted. Have you?
