The Shawl With No Rest Rows

I started this shawl Jul 27/14 and it will be at least 2015 when it will be done.  It's a shawl that you have to concentrate on because it has no rest rows.  What that means is the wrong side is usually all purl.  Not this shawl.  There are some complicated stitches on the wrong side.  It's very nice yarn Alisha Goes Around Panoply of Peacocks Fingering  80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon and in a color I don't normally go for.  I think I got most of it with a gift certificate.   The pattern is here:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaali-2

My First Felted Project!

They are still big but then again hubby has big feet.  I had to look up instructions on the Internet for how to felt in a front load washer.  I could do it by hand but it sound like a lot of work.  The key was hot/cold cycle.  I don't know if I would do the same cycle.  It said it was 99 min.  It was washing for a good 30+ min at least.  I might try a different cycle but change the spin and water type.  It's pretty felted with very little definition of the stitches.  Now for hubby to try them on and see what he thinks.  Again here is the pattern:  http://pilgrimpurse.blogspot.com/2011/12/knit-felt-slippers-for-adults.html

Blocking

The small floor space make blocking hard to do.  Here is one Christmas gift, a shawl I finished in Oct and sleeves I just finished.  Below is a picture of the purple shawl before it was blocked.

 

 

No, It Really Doesn't Take More then a Year

I started this shawl Jul 27/13  The pattern is here:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/building-a-reef  It's a lovely pattern and the yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere which is SO soft to work with also.  So what is the issue that its taking me so long to knit this up.  Well, I started this before I got a part time job with Jo Ann.  I started that job in Sept 2013 and while I was working, I did very little knitting and spinning.  I didn't work that many hours but I worked most Saturdays and going from stay at home to working was hard for me to adjust to.  I also got distracted by new crafts (like sewing, playing with duct tape and I even got some clay but have yet to play with it).  I don't know if this shawl will be done by the end of the year but I really hope to get it finished early 2015 at latest!

Finally Finished the Last of Christmas Knitting!

 

 

These still need to be felted.  It will be interesting since I have a front load washer.  I will have to do some research or figure out how to hand felt them.  Here is the pattern:  http://pilgrimpurse.blogspot.com/2011/12/knit-felt-slippers-for-adults.html

 



 

This just needs to be washed and blocked.  Here is the pattern for it:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/20-cornucopias-shawlette-or-scarf

Now to see how many of the 15 WIP I can finished before the end of the year!

Four New Stockings!

Yeah!  They are done.  I figured out why I don't sew as much as I knit or spin.  First of all there is all that ironing.  I HATE to iron.  In fact that was one of the things I told hubby when we first got married.  I don't iron.  LOL!  There is equipment to deal with.  The sewing machine has to be on a table.  Not like knitting or spinning which I can do out in the Great Room with the rest of the family.  I also had issues with the sewing machine and all the bottom thread kept bunching up and I had to rip it out and do it again.  It didn't work and I tried 2 more times and ended up changing thread before it would work right.  There is all that pinning.  You spend more time cutting and pinning then you actually spend sewing.

I need to plan to do at least one project a month sewing though.  I have a bin full of fabric that is future clothing for the family.

Braces

I have bad knees.  I got one of these in Nov and just got the 2nd one today.  It's the main reason I spin with an electric spinner.  I knew with my bad knees and not so hot back that a regular spinning wheel just wasn't going to work for me.  At least I got to go to a local yarn shop and pick up the following yarn!