I am in love, love, love!

OK, it was done awhile ago, but I haven’t posted any pictures. And I even posted pictures a few days ago but haven’t written a post! See how I work?

Let me just say that the marriage between the Hanami Stole and Marisilk is meant to be. It is gorgeous!! I only wish I could’ve used up more yarn. I had about 1/2 - 1/3 skein left and I would’ve loved for the stole to be longer. For those of you who don’t know - Marisilk is the same as the Handmaiden Sea Silk. Y-U-M-M-Y!!!

I would even go as far to say that I would make another one in Wollmeise laceweight or even sock weight. But it wouldn’t have the beautiful sheen that the marisilk has. But it would be heavier and I like things to have substance! We’ll see. By the way, I frogged the one in the malabrigo laceweight. Too dang light for me!

Pattern: Hanami Stole by Melanie
Yarn: Sheepaints Marisilk in Berryshine (1.5+ skeins), beads are size 8 clear with silver lining
Needles: Knit Picks 3mm classic circ needles
Started: October 21, 2007
Completed: November 1, 2007

poisonous firestarters!

The malabrigo is just ok

Hanami + marisilk = heaven

So, since I finished 2 pairs of socks, I have been casting on like crazy. Why oh why do I do this? It’s just pure torture for me. I know it’s normal for everyone else, but for me 2 projects are good. And really, I only work on one at a time anyways. So what did I cast on?

I think I already told you about the Firestarters. I started that in London. I didn’t post any pictures though. It’s with Wollmeise Poison Nr. 5 and how can you not love that color? I really want some magic pooling to occur but with Wollmeise, I almost always get stripes. Not a bad thing, but I love pooling.

Then, I have been planning to do the Hanami Stole for awhile now. Shannon of the SSK Podcast convinced me that I need to do one. So I bought the malabrigo laceweight and then I had problems finding beads. The sizes aren’t the same here, no real surprise. So I had a hard time guessing what size to get. Shannon volunteered to send me some of her leftover beads so that solved the problem. Only I waited, and waited, and waited. No beads. The damn post office is out to get me, I swear. I think it’s a conspiracy that they don’t want me knitting.

So, when I went to London, there were many bead stalls, so I picked out some (same sizing as the US yay!) and got a little extra since they were cheap. Well, relatively. OK, so now I’m ready. I had the urge a few nights ago to cast on and I had needles, I dug up the yarn and even found that I wound a ball already, and now…where did I put those dang beads. I looked everywhere twice and then finally found them in this huge cavernous yarn stash bin. Must’ve gotten in there when I put all the yarn I bought in there.

OK, I cast on! I really enjoyed doing the beaded cast on. It’s lovely. I didn’t expect to like it that much because I am not a bead person. And I love the way it just sparkles and makes the stole more dressier. Not gaudy at all. Only thing is that I didn’t like the way the malabrigo is so light and airy. It knits up nice but it has no substance. After 3 repeats, this started to bother me as the marisilk sitting on my desk starts to invade my thoughts.

I balled up the Marisilk and started knitting with US5 circs. The stitches were too loose so I cast on again with US3’s. Much, much better. I love the way the stitches are tight and defined. The fabric is just a tad bit stiff, but I’m thinking that will be ok once I wash and block. I just love the weight of the silk and the sheen. I will have a hard time giving this one up as a gift.

So I’m obsessing over this pattern. I can’t stop thinking about it and knitting it and envisioning the finished product. I think I’m setting myself up for disappointment because in my head I’m building it up so much. Why do I torture myself so? I also want to do it in Wollmeise laceweight too now. :) But I’m going to hold off and finish it before I start making plans for the next one. I think it’s that damn beaded cast on! HA!

OK, this is something that I’ve been wondering for awhile now. I am going to give the swallowtail to my friend, but what should I say for the care instructions? I mean, if she washes it, she would have to block it again in order to get those points, right? Can I say “just don’t get it dirty” or “dry clean only”? Does that work? I would feel awful to give someone something that wouldn’t be the same if she washed it.

Help me please!!! Thanks!

Finally blocked and pictures taken!

Detail of shawl edging, not completely straight…

I finished this shawl so long ago and have been super lazy about blocking. I haven’t ever blocked anything that needed pins before and I think that’s what was holding me up. I am slightly disappointed that it is so small, but what should I expect from only 1 skein, and I didn’t even use it all up as I was expecting to. But I am extremely pleased with the result, and I may have even pulled it too tight while blocking in my hopes to make it bigger.

It was a very enjoyable experience knitting a shawl, and I can see more in my future. I just gotta find people who would wear a shawl and then like them and then like them enough to knit for them! HA! I don’t know if I could take making something bigger than that though. 300+ sts was about all I could handle. Maybe if I wasn’t so goal oriented, it would work better for me.

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits Fall 2006
Yarn: Sheepaints Marisilk in Berryshine
Needles: Knit Picks US6 options needles
Started: August 29, 2007
Completed: September 3, 2007

One day’s work!

Detail of the main pattern

I have never made a shawl before. Mostly because I don’t wear them and no one I know wears them. But I found out that a friend of mine does!!! Yipee! A reason! I just bought some Marisilk from Sheepaints, *3* skeins. Really expensive, but Cashyie bought one skein off from me. After knitting this though, I think I may want it back. I mean, just look at that lucious color! She’ll probably say “you’ll have to pry it from my cold dead hands”. Anyways, it is the Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits, Fall 2006. The cast on was really weird with the 2 sts, and then knit 6 rows, and then pick up the sts, but it worked. Now that I’m about 130+ stitches wide, it’s becoming so tedious. Just one row takes FOREVER. And it grows to 300+ or maybe even 400+. Ugh. One row will be my knitting for the day! I am so loving it though, different from scarves and socks.

I keep making mistakes around the center stitch and had to tink back a couple of rows here and there. But other than that, it’s a pretty mindless pattern. But now I have to get some blocking pins - eep! Not that I’m even close to finishing, but I know I will want to block it immediately!