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Edwina is off the needles

It has been a whirlwind two weeks and it’s not quite slowed down yet.

We were in Minnesota for Shepherd’s Harvest Festival last weekend and had one day at home before picking up and going to Wooster, OH where we still are now for the Great Lakes Fiber Show. Needless to say, I have been short on spare time for blogging.

I did manage to get in some knitting, a row or two here and there, and bound off my Edwina Shawl last night. It’s not blocked and that will have to wait until Tuesday after I get home, but here she is.

This top photo is more true to the color.

It looks like it will be pretty big, but not huge, once it’s blocked out. I am not an aggressive blocker. I like just enough to show off the lace but to maintain some texture and softness.

I haven’t weighed the left over ball of yarn but I estimate it to be a bit less than half of the third skein.

Okay I know this is brief but I just wanted to check in with you all and share my excitement at finishing this shawl. :-) I need to get my stuff together and scoot out the door to the fairgrounds for the day. I will tell you about my next project which I am eager to start and have some finished Edwina pictures when I get back to Nashville. Later!

Posted on May 25, 2014May 25, 2014 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Kimani Shawl and other knitting

Well here she is! I struggled to get decent pictures of this gorgeous shawl which I think is due to our color choice more than anything. The Ironstone is very hard to capture without a light box.

It is lovely and dramatic in this darker color, but it is fact that lighter colors would show off the lace work better.

As a refresher, we knit our Kimani with 2 skeins of our Classic Merino Superwash Sport yarn in the color Ironstone. We used almost all of the 2 skeins and knit it on size 5 US needles. You can buy the pattern both on Ravelry and at our website.

As you can see this shawl is a much shorter style crescent shape which is my favorite kind. I measured mine after blocking and it was about 68” across the top edge and 22” in the center length.

It is so easy to wear this shape shawl as a shoulder drape or more like a scarf.

I also promised an update on the other stuff we have on the needles in this post so let’s get to it.

First up is Cassie’s new project; Liz Stole which we are knitting in our Classic Merino Lace in the color Tea Rose. The red yarn you see there is the provisional cast on because this shawl is knit from the center to the edge and then back to the center and worked to the other edge.

Joanie picked to work on the companion shawl to Liz Stole, Elizabeth Shawl. We are also using Classic Merino Lace yarn for this one in the color Winter Sky.

Border of Nadira is coming along but rows are getting pretty long at this point as they are on my Edwina shawl below.

I just completed the first of 4 border charts yesterday, which means I have 56 rows to go, counting the bind off. I currently have 367 stitches and by the end will have 487. Yikes! I really want to have this done before I leave for Minnesota a week from today. We shall see. :-) And no, I am not going to do the math to see how many actually stitches I have to knit to complete the shawl. Some things are better of remaining unknown lest we lose heart. If you are inclined to such calculations please let me remain in ignorance, okay? LOL!

Posted on May 7, 2014May 7, 2014 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

On the wires

Stay tuned. ..

Kimani is on the wires…

Posted on May 6, 2014 by yarnmama — 2 Comments

That was quick

Not long after I posted yesterday’s entry Cassie bound off her Kimani. I will endeavor to get it blocked today and post the amazing transformation soon after. It is both my favorite part and the least enjoyable to perform. I don’t Iike the part of threading the wires because it is tedious but it is more than worth the effort. Isn’t that just so true to life though?

Oh, I also wanted to mention that I just reached a small milestone on my little blog this week. I just passed my three year anniversary and my two hundredth post. Thanks for sticking with me for however long you have been following me here. I greatly appreciate each and every of you who visit me here. (HUG)

Posted on May 6, 2014 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Alexandra Shawl

I am so glad we decided to use red for this shawl. I just love it!

I took these pictures on my new Samsung GS5 which I got this week. I loved my GS3 and planned to upgrade this year. I was trying to hold out for a 32GB version but caved and got the 16GB a few days ago. It does take pretty good pictures. They look even better on the phone itself since it has an awesome display.

Anyway, back to the shawl. As a reminder this is another of Dee O’Keefe’s designs, Alexandra and is knit from Classic Merino Superwash Sock in the color Ruby. We used just under 2 skeins and size 5 US needles for our sample.

We have the pattern on our website and Dee has it available on Ravelry.

It is on the large side as written. I measured it after blocking at roughly 68” at the top edge and 33” at the center spine.

Joanie grudgingly consented to modeling it for me. :-)

I took a few pre-blocking and during blocking shots too. Here is how it looked before it’s soak. It’s amazing to watch the transformation isn’t it?

In the tub with some shampoo for a soak and then into the washing machine for a spin.

Here it is on the blocking wires.

I probably should have reversed the order and done these first but I hated to keep you in suspense. :-)

In other knitting news, the other three shawls, Nadira, Edwina, and Kimani have all hit the border stage but I didn’t bother with new pictures just yet. We should have three more off the needles very soon. Joanie has already started a new shawl which I fill you in on the details of in my next post.

Posted on May 5, 2014May 5, 2014 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

New shawl progress and a fun contest

I know it’s been a long break between posts, so sorry for that. I was just so worn out after 4 shows in 5 weeks that I needed to decompress and catch up on things around the house which left little time for blogging.

Anyway so I will show you a few pictures from Stitches South showing off the new shawls. I am very proud of them. :-)

You can see Catoctin in this one. It was a big hit at Stitches!

My lovely Holbrook is shown in this one.

This is the only one I have where the Tristano is visible. It is so pretty in person with it’s lovely texture.

Okay now on to some new shawl knitting projects. Mine first. :-) To refresh your memory this is Edwina and I am using my Classic Merino Lace in Saffron.

It was just a wee thing the last time I posted about it and it has grown much since then. I am two-thirds of the way through the third repeat of chart 3, which is a 24 row stitch pattern which is repeated 4 times total before beginning the border designs. I currently have 275 stitches on the needle and will have 339 when I reach the end of this section and start the border. It is an interesting shawl to knit and I love using this base.

It’s also been some time since you saw Nadira, also in Classic Merino Lace but in the color Amethyst. Kyla is up to the border set up section on this so the end is getting nearer. I have no idea how long her rows are but over 300 for sure.

Joanie’s Alexandra Shawl is really looking fabulous in this color. It is hard to photograph without getting out the light box which I was too lazy to do. It is much more true red that this looks. It is made using my Classic Merino Superwash Sock in the color Ruby.

Cassie’s Kimani which she started the weekend while we were in North Carolina for the Carolina Fiber Festival, is coming along nicely. We decided to use the Classic Merino Superwash Sport in Ironstone. I was hoping for a dramatic look by using the dark color, which shows up lighter here than it does in person, and I am now hoping that the stitch pattern shows up well enough. I imagine that the blocking will relax and open up the lace to the help out with that.

The other thing that I want to mention today before closing is about some fun news I received this week. I was contacted by the very talented Stephannie Tallent of Sunset Cat Designs about a new eBook she is releasing this month called The Wild West: Cables and that one of the designs in it was featuring my Classic Merino Superwash Sport. The pattern is the gorgeous Slide Rock socks and wow are they something? She is currently accepting pre-orders with a $3 off code (CABLES) this week. As if that weren’t enough we are also teaming up with a promotional contest to kick it off. Hop on over there and see what it’s all about. See you next time!

Posted on April 22, 2014April 23, 2014 by yarnmama — 2 Comments

Catoctin Shawl and Maize Cowl

One more gorgeous shawl is off the needles! Cassie finished the Catoctin Shawl this weekend and I got it blocked today and just had time for a quick photo shoot.

I am so very pleased with how this turned out. It is so lovely and easy to wear. I often struggle to feel natural in a shawl but the shaping on this one makes it perfect for a shoulder wrap or a scarf.

The edging remains my favorite part of the design. Very cool.

It will be making it’s debut appearance at Stitches South in Atlanta this weekend. If you will be there you can see it in person along with the other new shawls. We will be in booths 232-234.

We used just under two skeins of Classic Merino Superwash Sock to make ours. The pattern is available on our website as well as in Dee’s Ravelry store.

I also finished another knit this weekend. It’s my Maize Cowl knit from one skein of our new Classic Merino Superwash DK yarn. I have written up the pattern and will be offering it for free with the purchase of a skein of the DK yarn in my booth this weekend.

I do have more shawl progress to report but since I don’t have time for anymore picture taking right now because I have to finish packing for Stitches tomorrow, I will be back in a few days with those. Till next time!

Posted on April 8, 2014April 8, 2014 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Holbrook and Tristano are done!

We returned yesterday from a busy and successful weekend in Irving, TX which is in the outskirts of Dallas. It was our first time in the area and at the DFW Fiber Fest. We did very well at the show and enjoyed the warm sunny weather. Spring is finally making a more real appearance at home in Nashville too. Yay!

While we were in Texas over the weekend both Joanie and I finished our shawls and Cassie is almost finished with Catoctin. Nadira is coming along slowly and I do have a progress shot of it but will wait to show you Catoctin when it’s done since it looks pretty much the same as last time right now.

Okay so first how about the pre-blocked Holbrook

and Tristano. I like the texture of Tristano this way but I loved it even more after it was blocked. Ready?

Here you go!

Now I know these look better already but they really only fully reveal their beauty when the wires are removed and the drape and lace fall in their natural place.

I am quite pleased with them both and am excited that I have them ready for the next show. We are leaving in the morning for Sanford, NC for the Caroling Fiber Festival. If you are in the area come by and see them in person. :-)

So what’s on our needles now? Well besides Cassie’s Catoctin and Kyla’s Nadira,

I am working on two things. My Maize Cowl in the new Superwash DK yarn

and I started another shawl. It’s in the same color but in the Lace weight. Here’s my Edwina Shawl beginning. I had to start it twice because I should have known better than to knit lace in the booth. I had only gotten a short way in when I realized it was not right. I think this one is going to be fun because it changes stitch patterns quite a few times, just enough to keep it interesting. :-)

We decided that Joanie would begin Alexandra Shawl in Classic Merino Superwash Sock in Ruby.

I think this is going to be stunning in this color, don’t you? It was Joanie’s pick.

Okay I really need to go out and hitch up the trailer and do some final packing so I will leave you with a recent picture of my youngest son and my grandson.

This is Elijah who is now 3 1/2 if you can believe it

and little Gabriel who is 5 months tomorrow. Both such cuties!

Posted on April 1, 2014April 1, 2014 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Shawl progress and some new website additions

When I last wrote we were still in Pittsburgh. We made it home with no further problems on Monday. I was concerned about the winter weather that was forecast for that Sunday night and into Monday, but fortunately for us the line stayed to the south of our route home. I was resigned to waiting another night in Pittsburgh if I woke up to snow but that didn’t happen. I checked the weather conditions online along my route through West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky and all looked good, and it was. Man, I hope that is it for this year. I am leaving for Irving, TX on Wednesday of this coming week for my first time vending at the DFW Fiber Festival and the forecast so far looks promising. :-)

So on to the shawl progress updates. I am past the halfway point on the edging for Holbrook and am hoping to get it done in time to block it for showing at the festival.

Cassie has also started the edging on Catoctin and I really love the border pattern with that pretty cable and lace.

Tristano is coming along nicely. Joanie is on the third chart I think and doing quite well with it.

My favorite detail on this shawl so far is the center slipped stitch between the decreases.

And last but certainly not least is Kyla’s progress on Nadira. After this picture was taken she hit a snag which I tried to fix last night. I had been working on the website all day adding new stuff and updating and I am afraid my nerves where a bit frazzled. I ended up throwing the poor thing (the shawl not Kyla) across the room. I am sure I can go back to it fresh today and find the error now that I have time to recharge my batteries for tedious tasks. :-)

Oh and here’s what I was adding to the website. These are the new Leather Bowls we are making and debuted at the Pittsburgh festival. These are just a few of my favorites. Meredith made 12 designs in all that we have listed on the website. I also finally got some more nostepinnes added and I am working on adding Dee O’Keefe’s patterns today.

Posted on March 22, 2014March 22, 2014 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival 2014

Good morning all! I only have time for a quick post with mostly pictures before the market doors open in 45 minutes.

We are in our usual spot (#30-31) if you have been to the show and visited our booth.

These are the new Yarn Bowls we are introducing this year and Pittsburgh is getting first crack at them. The colorful ones in the front are hand made from genuine leather and of course we still have our popular wood bowls too. I am trying to get around to listing them on the website but I wasn’t happy with the first round of pictures I took and haven’t had a chance to reshoot them yet. I will let you know when that happens.

Another of our new leather accessories are these bracelets and Shawl Pins rings.

We still have a good supply of the yarns in which we are discontinuing the color ways and have them on final clearance price of 50% off until they are gone. Get them while they last!

Posted on March 15, 2014March 15, 2014 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Edwina is off the needles

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Kimani Shawl and other knitting

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On the wires

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That was quick

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Alexandra Shawl

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New shawl progress and a fun contest

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Catoctin Shawl and Maize Cowl

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Holbrook and Tristano are done!

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Shawl progress and some new website additions

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Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival 2014

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