The Secret Is Out

If I've been gone awhile, it's only because I couldn't show you what I've been knitting the entire year. I still love you. Promise.

But now that I've gone ahead and gotten married (if only in God's eyes since we can't seem to find our marriage license) and gifted this year's loving labors, I can finally reveal:

THE BRIDESMAID SHAWLS. All five patterns plus my own wedding shawl were knit from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. It is maybe the best knitting pattern book I've ever bought, and actually knit from. All five bridesmaids' shawls were knit using Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk in the colorway so aptly named "Dark Gray." See Ravelry links for all mods, dates, needles, etc.

"Shells" aka Peacock Tail and Leaf Scarf

"Double Leaves" aka Leaf and Nupp Shawl

"Waves" aka Madli's Shawl

"Single Leaves" aka Lilac Leaf Shawl

"Holly" aka Triinu Scarf

I can't say that every moment working on these shawls was a joy, but I will say that it was worth every second of it. The time spent knitting these shawls for my wonderful bridesmaids cannot even compare to the love, appreciation, and gratitude I feel for each of them.

To my ladies: Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Fall Knitting

A few FO posts to come, but for now, a taste of my fall knitting.

A Romney Kerchief inspired shawl for mom, in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool.


Another Traveling Woman Shawl, this time for my aunt, in a lovely colorway of DIC Smooshy. The color is Chinatown Apple and it makes me feel fall festive even though our trees don't really turn here.

FO: Wispy

FO: Wispy
Project: Wisp
Yarn: 1 Skein (250 yards) Louet Kidlin Pixie (mohair/nylon/linen)
Needles: US 8 Bamboo Circs


Another yarny gift from my mom! Louet Kidlin Pixie lace weight, a strong, fluffy mohair/nylon/linen blend. Looking at the yardage for Wisp, I thought I would need both skeins my mom gave me, but I decided to cut it off after one, lest I make the world's longest Wisp. This has been happening to me a lot lately, thinking I will need more skeins of a particular yarn than I actually do. I suppose that is better than running out part way through.


Nothing like modeling one's handmade knitwear for the camera in a crowd of eager museum goers!
I have been wanting to make Wisp since it came out in Knitty a few years back, but more exciting projects kept usurping its place in my queue. When this mohair blend yarn strolled into my life, I wanted to choose a project that would make frogging a non-issue. Something simple that eliminated the possibility that I would have to rip back the mohair and end up with a tangle of sadness. So, Wisp re-entered my radar. In the end, I am glad I made it, but it was kind of a boring knit. I was itching to cast on another Traveling Woman shawl in Sea Silk, but I needed my Wisp needles to do so. I spent most of the project knitting as fast as I could to get to the next one, which does not happen to me all to often. Usually if I don't want to knit on something, I fling it aside and knit what I want. But here, I wanted this off the needles.

All in all, I like the finished product, and I think it will be wearable for the days/nights here when a full on wool ensemble is to warm, but the fog and the breeze require some sort of protection

FO: On the Silk Road

Love: long weekends, friends and family, and luxury fiber. I have been knitting with some nice stuff lately, all thanks to my yarn patron numero uno, my mom! This was an amazing fiber gift-- silk, cashmere, camel, and alpaca spun into a really smooth yarn with a nice sheen. I have really been liking projects lately that combine stockinette with random (or seemingly random) garter ridges. I really like the fabric the stitch combination makes.

FO: On the Silk Road
Pattern: Reversatile Cowl by Katie White (free pattern here!)
Yarn: The Road to China, The Fibre Company, 65% Alpaca, 15% Silk, 10% Camel, 10% Cashmere
Needles: US 7 bamboo DPNs

I only used one of my two skeins of this lovely yarn on this project, and am contemplating a cabled cowl for the other skein. I was thinking of doing matching fingerless gloves, but the yarn is so soft that I did not think it would be a practical choice for handwear.

The color is a very lustrous jade green that I think will look great for fall. We have finally been having some warm weather here, so I will have to put off wearing it a bit longer.


The cast off edge is a tad tight...

Traveling Women

FO: Red Traveling Woman
Pattern: Traveling Woman by Liz Abinante
Yarn: Rowan 4-ply Soft, 100% wool, fingering weight, 2 full skeins
Needles: 5.0 mm bamboo circs


Yay! I loved this pattern. I usually like most patterns I knit, aside from a few epic fails (including a short row hat) but I LOVE this pattern. Quick, fun, accessible lace. Pretty, too. I really like lace patterns in fingering and sock weight yarns. I like the increased stitch visibility. I still have a lot of trouble seeing my stitches when I knit in lace weight. The pattern was intuitive, and since I was able to see my stitches much better than when I use lace weight, things went quickly, easily, and happily. Usually I spend a ton of time counting, recounting (every repeat!) and then at the end of the row I am still off. This has dominated my lace experience until Aestlight, which I knit in sock weight. I am now a big fan of the lace pattern-sock/fingering weight combo. Not as delicate as a lace or cobweb shawl, but much more realistic and enjoyable on the knitting end.

This yarn was given to me by my mother, my number one source of amazing yarn. She loved the yarn so much, that I always wanted to make it into something for her. I have had the yarn for at least two years, maybe more, before I found the perfect pattern. I am so glad I waited for it. The yarn looks great with the pattern, and was very easy to work with. I have read critiques that the Rowan 4 ply soft is anything but soft, but I did not find that to be true. I thought it was springy, soft, and held its shape really nicely as I knit. It only got softer with blocking. I am a bit sad its discontinued, personally.

Happy wearing, Mom!



Preview of the next Traveling Woman, in the oh-so-lush Sea Silk:

Preview of another FO, a Mohair/Linen version of Wisp:

I've been blocking....

Hemlock Ring

Traveling Woman

And yes, I block with safety pins. They work much better for me than straight pins that tend to pop out when I stretch the fabric.

Cashmere preview