Steotchalong 4: Clue #2

Thanks (?) to some sort of allergic reaction, I haven't been moving much, but I have been stitching! Here's the second clue, in all its gold and brown glory:

I obviously forgo to iron the fabric before stitching, and the iron is with the rest of the household halfway across the country. Sigh.

Steotchalong #4: Clue 1

This summer's Steotch Mystery Stitchalong is underway! It started over a month ago, and I got everything together and put it all together into a bag, ready to begin when the first clue started. I couldn't start right away due to my dissertation, and brought the bag to a conference in New Orleans. I brought it back untouched.

I took it to move my household across the country, and brought it back untouched to sell the house. Clue #7 came out this morning, and I finally got around to Clue #1.

Not much so far, but here it is. Clue #1. Wooo!

Clapotis KAL

Last month I defended my dissertation. In thanks to my committee, I knit them all a Clapotis, five scarves in five different colors, and with the leftovers, I made myself a dissertation blanket. I wasn't sure I'd get it all done in time, but between dissertation delays, conference knitting, and a final KAL, I got the scarves done and enough of the blanket done for a picture.

Pattern: Clapotis (Ravelry mine 2 3 4 5)

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Paints in Sunset, Peacock Feather, Spring Brook, Rose Garden, and Oceana

Needles: US8/5.0 mm

Timeframe: January 9 - June 9, 2016

Mods: None!

Problems: None!

For the blanket, the stripe order was decided by how much yarn I had left of each. I wanted to be able to continue until I was out of yarn, even if that meant doing a partial repeat of the colors. I do wish the blanket were a bit longer, but it's a good lap blanket (cat approved!) and will probably stretch out with use. 

Pattern: Eco Throw (Ravelry mine)

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Paints in Sunset, Peacock Feather, Spring Brook, Rose Garden, and Oceana and Caron Simply Soft in Black

Hook: USI/5.5 mm

Timeframe: June 8 - July 18, 2016

Mods: Worked until the colors were gone, used six colors not three.

Problems: None!

Gorgeous Commission Shawl

I recently had the opportunity to knit a sample shawl for White Birch Fiber Arts, a lovely dyer whose work can be found on etsy and at fiber festivals. I had a 600 yard sparkle gradient cake and I used up every last inch:

The shawl is a large crocheted piece of art, the kind I was sad to give up but happy because it will be displayed and in my opinion shows off the yarn beautifully.

Pattern: Taivas (Ravelry mine)

Yarn: White Birch Fiber Arts Sparkle Gradient, Shawl Style, Natural to Russet

Hook: USH/5.0mm

Timeframe: June 1 - July 14, 2016

Mods: Did four additional repeats of rows 31 & 32 to use up all of the yarn.

Problems: My final row didn't quite match what the pattern said it should be, so I fudged the center point.

I finished this one twice, once after three repeats of the lattice pattern, and again when I realized I had 13 grams of yarn left and could get another repeat in. Completely worth it, showing off all of the yarn is very much a win for this project!

 

 

It is a very large shawl, as you can see, and I hope the dyer enjoys displaying it as much as I enjoyed making it!

June

At least I broke the exponential climb:

It's not exactly going down yet, but it's not shooting up either!