Color pop infinity scarf

I've been experimenting with color lately and wanted to create some knitted pieces with a nod to the trend of color-blocked fashion. I had the idea of creating a very neutral object with a pop of color at the edges or maybe in the middle. And because the whole pop of color reminds me of spring, I tried it out in a spring weight yarn. (I say this as I watch a rare snowfall outside my window.)

So, here is my creation:

Body: Cascade Ultra Pima in Mocha
Trim: Sirdar Snuggly BabyBamboo in Yummy Yellow
Needle: Size 6 32" circular
Finished size: 8 1/2" high x 60" circumference

Here is the pattern. (I am a loose knitter, so you may want to go up a needle size, but it's not critical for this pattern.)

Using the trim color, cast on 200 stitches.
Join for knitting in the round, making sure stitches are not twisted. Place marker.
Round 1: Purl 1
Round 2: K2 together, YO, repeat until the end
Round 3: Purl
Round 4: Knit

Break yarn and switch to main color.
Knit the entire skein.
Switch back to the trim color.

Finishing trim pattern:
Round 1: Knit
Round 2: Purl
Round 3: K2 together, YO, repeat until the end
Round 3: Purl

Bind off loosely. I recommend Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off. Block and wear!

Just for kicks, I entered this into the DesignSponge January Instagram challenge -- we'll see what happens with that!

I've bought both of these yarns in other colors and plan to make more of these.

What do you think?

Leaves!

Remember the Cedar Leaves Shawlette I wrote about in my last post? Yes, the one where I was almost halfway done and then realized I needed to rip it out?

Well, I finished it last weekend!

Here's a picture:

(I know, not the most flattering shot of me, but I love the way the scarf looks!)

I have been wearing it pretty much every day since I finished it. It's soft and really fun to wear, and the leaves turned out very nicely, if I do say so myself.

Now I'm making the Cascade Lacey Tee for a class -- learning the tubular provisional cast-on and waist shaping. Challenging....

And I'm also trying to finish the beautiful ribbed Joelle's Favorite Vest I started last summer. Never enough time to knit.....

The zen of knitting

I am working on the Cedar Leaf Shawlette pattern by Alana Dakos. It's a long, narrow shawl, with 270 stitches to cast on. On row 32, I came to the sinking realization that I had made an irrecoverable mistake in just about every row -- I miscounted the short row stitches.

So I did what I've done so many times before -- ripped it out and started over. I've just finished the border, again, and before I make the mistake again, I am checking with my favorite knitting "sifu" (master), Lisa Whiting.

For some reason, the fact that I had to rip it out is disappointing but not frustrating. I've learned how to wrap and turn, and I get to spend more time working with this lovely Malabrigo Silky Merino yarn in Manzanilla Olive.

This is the zen that knitting reinforces for me. Nice.

I'm looking forward to finishing and wearing the shawl, though!

Knitting and thinking

I find that when my hands are busy knitting, my mind is free to think. Sometimes it's small things like errands I've forgotten about, but often I get some interesting ideas, such as new ways to connect with others in my community or potential business ideas to explore.

Do you find that too?

I just finished a huge project that was just row upon row of garter stitch. It turned out to look really nice, and the singular stitch allowed my mind to really wander. (And I of course forgot to take a picture of it -- d'oh!) My list of to-dos and ideas is really long now!

Sources of Inspiration

Somehow, for me, discovering knitting also reawakened my environmental spirit. While I've been toting my groceries home in canvas bags for almost 20 years and have composted on and off for 10 years, I've started looking at the everyday things around me in a new light.

And I've started challenging myself:

Why buy premade what I can create myself?
Why not be the artist envisioning and making beautiful objects?

Some sources of inspiration:
Craftzine, which sends me a daily email featuring almost a dozen handmade items
local craft fairs, including the DIY Trunk Show, Urban Folk Circuit, and Renegade 
the beautiful pictures I see on Pinterest

and, as of today, a Tumblr blog called Unconsumption that my daughter shared with me

What inspires you?

Accidental spiral cowl, eyelet hand warmers

The milk is cooling on the stove waiting to be turned into yogurt. I use Trader Joe's lowfat organic milk because it's the least expensive organic milk that's not ultra-high pasteurized. Hopefully this batch will turn out okay -- I left the last batch in my oven's warming drawer on the medium setting, and it curdled.

While it cools and MJ runs, I'm working on my fourth cowl of the month -- hopefully, I'll get to keep this one. The pattern for the cowl was inspired by a mistake I made on a baby hat last summer. I miscounted the stitches for the 2 x 2 rib and next thing I knew, I was making a spiral.

For the cowl, I wanted to use the same spiral idea. Since I wanted to make it extra cozy and thick, I used Malabrigo merino worsted, which is so light and soft. I knit two strands together, using size 11 needles. First try, I did 73 stitches, and it was way too wide to keep my neck warm. Ripped it out and reknit it with 61 stitches, and it turned out to be just loose enough. MJ wore it around the house several times and requested one, and Roxy wore it once and liked it too. But its ultimate owner turned out to be my friend Deb for her birthday/holiday/no reason. Deb's is in Velvet Grapes, which I'd bought at Sifu Design Studio last year. I had enough yarn left over from the cowl to make hand warmers too -- I made elbow-length hand warmers with some eyelet detail, knit flat and sewn together.

Then I decided to make the same set for Pennie in the Hummingbird colorway. For Pennie's, I made the handwarmers shorter.

Next was MJ's cowl, in Stoneway and 53 stitches, because she wanted it closer-fitting -- I'll make her a hat out of the rest of the two skeins.

Now, finally, I'm making a cowl and hand warmers for myself, out of Malabrigo Rio yarn in Amoroso. Just started it, as you can see.



(The bag is by Piddleloop, in case you're interested; mug by Roxy.)


Accidental spiral cowl pattern

Size 11 16" circular needles

Cast on 53 stitches with two strands held together. Join in the round, being careful not to twist stitches.
Continue to hold two strands together for the entire project.
Knit 2, purl 2 until the piece reaches 10" long.
Bind off loosely.
Finished piece will be 22" diameter.

Eyelet Hand Warmers

Size 8 flat or circular needles

Cast on 30 stitches.

Eyelet pattern
Knit 2 rows
Eyelet row: K2tog, yo -- repeat until last 2 stitches, K2
Knit 2 rows

Row 1: Knit all stitches
Eyelet pattern
Stockinette stitch for 10 rows
Eyelet pattern
Stockinette stitch for 10 rows

Continue until piece is desired length.
Bind off loosely.

Sew seam, leaving a 1" opening for thumb -- opening should be around the second eyelet pattern.