Category Archives: Shawls

I Just Can’t Be Trusted

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I was minding my own business in my office at work and I looked over at my coat and shawl and saw……a hole!! I just fixed a hole in another shawl last month! What am I doing to my knitwear? I obviously cannot be trusted!

After some careful sleuthing, I don’t think this is a broken yarn kind of issue. I could not find any ends. Just a dangling loop, which means a dropped stitch that has been hanging around since I finished and blocked this thing in 2016. I just so happened to have some EXACT MATCHING YARN BASE AND COLOR left from one of the section of my Mini Solutions Scarf so I snipped a bit off to fix my Old Man of Storr. I used a crochet hook and fixed it to match the pattern to the best of my ability and then used the scrap yarn to tack it down on the wrong side.

It’s clearly not perfect and the pattern did get interrupted. But it doesn’t look bad if I do say so myself! No one will notice going by on a galloping horse so I’m calling it a job well done. That stitch shouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. I’m paranoid now…should I be checking all my shawls??

Happy Knitting!!

Cashmere Addiction

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Hi, my name is Rachelle and I have a cashmere addition. My Mini Solutions Scarf has consumed all of my knitting time because I just can’t quit it! It’s gloriously soft and squishy and requires zero complicated brain waves. It’s my comfort object and I can’t wait to wear it!

I’m already in color four of my five color gradient set. The stripes are getting thinner and thinner as I add more stitches. I did pull some solid white when I was originally planning this project but I can’t decide if this project will need it? This yarn is gloriously variegated and I don’t know if a solid will throw off the vibe. I really want this to wrap nicely around my neck without constant adjustment. What do you guys think?

I guess I could always knit a few row of white and see what I think? A little tinking never hurt anyone right? Maybe I will see how big this scarf/shawl is after color number 5…hmmmm

Happy Knitting!!

Beer and Knitting

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Sometimes life really kicks you right in the knitting balls, am I right?! It’s busy season at work as I’m an accountant and we are in the throes of audit season. And then I have two tiny humans at home who seem to be hellbent on giving me grey hair. These are the days I really need my knitting (and alcohol in moderation).

Last night I had a perfectly poured frosty beer and my Mini Solutions Scarf. I’m all the way into color three and working up to where I need color four. I’ve said it before but I really can’t put this project down!

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My brain was so overloaded that I just sat and knit listening to the fire crackle. No music, no TV, no podcasts….just silence in the wake of chaos. It was glorious for all of 42 minutes until someone needed something. Oh well…there’s always tonight!

Happy Knitting!

I Heart Gradients

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You guys, I’m addicted to this gradient. I finished up the first color of my Mini Solutions Scarf on Tuesday and added in the second color. The color change rows are just genius and make the perfect transitions where it’s perfectly half and half for the yarn overs.

The gradient set is very well done and the color shift is subtle but yet still noticeable. And the cashmere content makes my fingers happy. The pattern is in my brain and only once in awhile do I make a mistake. But garter stitch is very forgiving in that way.

I really should be giving my Charlotte Winter, bright socks or dad’s socks some love. But I can’t put this scarf/shawl thing down. It’s calling MY NAME!

Happy Knitting!!

Mom Paradise

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Jellybean had a sleepover at a friends house this past weekend and PB went down for a morning nap. The dishes were done and laundry was not taking over the laundry room. So I decided to take a moment for myself. I had coffee, knitting and a knitting podcast playing. My Mini Solutions Scarf was just the right amount of soothing garter stitch for a slow knitting moment.

I managed to make good progress on the first color section before PB woke up. And then at bedtime I worked through the rest of the first color. I’m ready to wind up the next mini skein and work the color change row. Working with the Treasure Goddess MCN set is just SOOOO luxurious.

I may or may have fallen asleep with my knitting in my lap right after this photo was taken. I spent too long looking at the fire dance and exhaustion took over. Oh well, I guess there are worse places to catch 40 winks!

Happy Knitting

(Re) Cast On: Mini Solutions Scarf

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Next up on my breast pumping/lunch project rotation is my Mini Solutions Scarf. You can remember here that I misread the pattern and had to rip out the whole Christmas Eve cast on progress. So this past week I decided to get back in the saddle.

This little wedge is one 45 minute lunch worth’s of progress. And its WAAAY better looking than my first attempt. And how cute is this subtlety tonal yarn?? Or is variegated? I really stink at deciphering….nonetheless its pretty!

Now I’m cruising through all soothing garter stitch until I run out the first mini ball of yarn. This super tired working momma sure loves her some garter stitch. It keeps my hands busy and my brain pleasantly calm.

Happy Knitting!!

That Niggling Feeling

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I’d like to think I’m a pretty good knitter. But mom brain and sleep deprivation on are real things. I cast on my Christmas Eve cast on and merrily knit along. Isn’t the yarn pretty?

I had this niggling feeling that this shawl was turning into a funny shape. It was getting very wide very fast. But I kept knitting anyway trying to see if I could finish the first mini. Well I stopped and actually re-read the pattern. I missed ONE SMALL TINY DIRECTION for the end of the right side row. One solitary K2tog that makes a HUGE difference.

So this whole tiny shawl is headed to the frog pond. The yarn is cashmere based so I don’t mind working again with it. And Jellybean really really likes helping me frog things. He thinks its soooo cool to watch the stitches come out. I just feel like a little silly for not being able to follow what is super simple directions. Oh well, at least I listened to my inner knitter before this go to much farther!

Happy Knitting!!

Christmas Eve Cast On

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As the mom in this house I am pretty much in charge of Christmas. The presents, the schedule, the food and the holiday cheer. It’s been a little rougher this year with stress at work and then not sleeping a whole lot because my kids are anti-sleep. But this year I NAILED one thing….the Christmas eve boxes.

The hubby is getting new fleece pants and a bottle of whisky. Jellybean is getting new jammies, a book and his knit Dinosaur. PB is getting new jammies and a teething book. And me…..well just look at this glory!

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New fair isle pajama leggings (paired with nursing tank I already own), some liquid holiday cheer and MY CHRISTMAS EVE CAST ON! I pulled my Treasure Goddess Super Toes Cashmere sock gradient set and some Cascade Heritage sock to make the Mini Solutions scarf by Kelene Kinnersly. I am in love because A) CASHMERE and B) squishy garter stitch that requires very little brain involvement. I cannot wait for tonight to bust open this box and get to knitting!!

Merry Christmas to all!!

A Zipper Incident

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I had a hand knit meet with an unfortunate zipper accident. You guys…I zipped my Age of Brass and Steam kerchief into my coat zipper. And I broke the yarn! Got it right in an eyelet…

I was at work when I noticed the problem. And I could tell it was going to spread quickly. So I grabbed some waste yarn from my knitting tool tin that was close-ish to the scarf and started securing off the running stitches.

It was a little tricky because it was in an eyelet row. And I did lose a full eyelet hole in the process. But I was able to catch all the open stitches and anchor them to the next eyelet over. Is it perfect? No…but I guarantee that bunched up on my neck no one is going to notice. And if you are close enough to notice then you might just be too far in my bubble and get a little love tap as a reminder to back away, lol.

This was 100% my fault and I’m a little sad I messed up a beautiful knit but I’m super glad I could save it. Now it’s just a shawl with character and a good back story!

Happy knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Easy Peasy Triangular Scarf

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Good Wednesday morning, I wanted to pop in and show you my Easy Peasy Triangular Scarf progress.

Knitting with the ramen yarn is still kinda kooky but I don’t mind it. And I have the pattern in my head now. I just have one stitch marker to remind me to work the faux icord edge thingy.

And with the growth I’m really starting to see the yarn colors start to play. I have progressed through the primarily pink and I’m getting oranges and purples popping in and out. The best part of this project is that Jellybean likes to sit with me and I let him help pull the yarn out of the sock blank. Very slowly and carefully of course! It delights him to no end that he can just go ‘riiiiiippp’ and mommy has yarn to knit with. This project will have good memories for sure!

Happy Knitting!!