Tag Archives: cascade

Clapo-Ktus: An Experiment

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I’ve never been a shawl knitter. I don’t enjoy charts as they don’t make sense in my brain. And honestly I’m a bit sporty in my attire and shawls just didn’t fit my esthetic. But I’ve recently changed employment. It was a good career move and got me out of an unhealthy emotional environment. But I’ll leave that part at that. My new building is an ice box with A/C and I hear the heat is wimpy on the flip side. I’m going to need some business casual options for keeping warm (and possibly a space heater)!

I have a pretty skein of Cascade Heritage Silk in a lovely blue. It’s a merino silk blend and just gorgeous. Here is a terribly lit picture of my skein after Jellybean went to bed.

 
I’ve decided to to knit a Clapo-Ktus by Loredana Gianferri. It’s a cross between a clapotis and a baktus. It’s a free download and designed to use every bit of your skein. The pattern is written and it should be easy to memorize.

I’ve printed and read the pattern 15 times. It took me a bit to wrap my head around how it worked but I think I have it now. And I’ve hand wound my yarn and pulled needles. This is worked on size 6s. I’m not going to swatch per se, I’m just going to go with the flow as “fit” isn’t a huge thing with a scarf/shawl. Those could be famous last words….

Wish me luck!

Mothers Day Yarn Splurge

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My husband surprised me with a lovely lunch with friends last Saturday! We had yummy Asian food in Lawrence and both jellybean and his friend were fairly well behaved. Jellybean was still in a good mood after lunch so I batted my eye lashes and convinced him to let me wander into Yarn Barn which was just a block away. I mean how could you not visit a LYS when you are that close!

  
Not much damage but still three new to me sock yarn! A very nice Mother’s Day to me indeed!

First up, Saki Bamboo in Crayon box.

  
This is 50% merino, 25% nylon, and 25% bamboo. It feels just so soft! And the yardage is very generous at 462 yards. These will probably be socks for the husband and maybe a matching set for jellybean!

Next up, Flouromania Color by Regia

 
This was so wild I couldn’t resist. And again very generous with 460 yards.

Lastly, Heritage Silk by Cascade. This is 85% superwash and 15% mulberry silk. This feels divine and just might yarn for petting. At least for a little while 😀.  

 
Happy Knitting! 

Coming Clean

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Time to come clean….

Remember this?

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Yep this if Florelei shawl in Cascade Sunseeker yarn or my Stashbustin’ #22. I started this waaaay back here. Then I filled you in my all my progress here.

Well, I feel obligated to inform you that it still looks like this. This pattern is great but represents a serious skills challenge for this shawl chart newbie. This summer has just been so packed with fun and activity I haven’t had the time nor inclination to sit back down with this. And now I’m in the throws of knitting for fall craft fairs for the next three months.

So in all honestly, I am going to let this project hibernate in my craft room. Right on top of my yarn cabinets where I can clearly see it. And come this winter when the snow is falling softly outside I will pull this project out and kick it’s shawl behind. I don’t care that it’s a shawl and I should be making sweaters. I know that I need some fortitude and peace to work this project out. And so it will have to be.

Have you ever had to put a project in long term time out?

WIP Wednesday: Stashbustin’ #22

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Here is the progress on my Florelei shawl or Stashbustin’#22…..

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Doesn’t look much different from last time you say? Oh well that’s because I HATE CHART B!! I am however Queen of Chart A! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I know how to do all the stitches in Chart B, they are actually easy. But no matter how careful I am I seed to end up with stitch markers in the wrong places or the wrong number of total stitches at the end of the row after a couple of rows. The yarn overs seem to be giving me the hardest time.

What am I doing wrong? Lace can’t be this hard!!!

I love the photos of other people’s finished projects and the Cascade Sunseeker yarn is beyond yummy and gorgeous. Not to mention the yarn stands up well to frogging. I am not giving up on this project. I’m going to cull the collective wisdom of the blog world. Then I’m going to have a glass of wine (or twelve). Then this project is going to hibernate for a couple of weeks (I go into tech week for my play next week and won’t have time to knit anyway). Then…then I say I shall attack renewed!!

Any advice for a lace newbie?