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FO Friday: playing catch-up

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I’m a little behind on my Finished Object posts … so I’ll post a couple projects today, all of which were completed BEFORE the first Fiber Factor Challenge.  Next week, after the results of Challenge #1 are released, I’ll be able to share that project (whee!).  In the break between challenges, I’ve finished off three personal projects — I’m writing posts NOW and scheduling them for release once a week while I’m needles-flying on Challenge #2.

Without further ado … lookit, I made stuff!

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Project: Queen Susan

Pattern: Circlet

Designer: Dani Sunshine

Available: FREE! on Ravelry

Yarn: leftover Cascade 220

This is a clever little pattern — easy and quick, with deceptively simple design.  Among other things, I love how the “points” are a larger circumference than the elastic headband — which means it lies flat when on a surface, but is snug when worn.  Brilliant!  I made this for my friend’s little girl Susan, who requested the color pink :).

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Project: Soft Purple Kitty Capelet

Pattern: Noelle Capelet

Designer: Martin Storey

Available: in Rowan Winter Warmers

Yarn: Rowan Lima in “purple mist”

I made this as a store sample for the Hub Mills Store.  I literally BEGGED to make something out of Lima when it first arrived … and then proceeded to take a year to finish this project. Simply put, I am not good at finishing mostly-stockinette projects.  I have to say, the fit on this is a little weird … but it’s incredibly warm, soft, and cozy.  It’s better than a snuggy for knitting!  I’m counting down the six-month waiting period until I get it back from display in the shop :).

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Project: Apple Green Shrug

Pattern: DROPS 130-12

Designer: DROPS Design

Available: FREE! at Garnstudio.com

Yarn: Shine Worsted in “Green Apple”

I’ve had this shrug in my Ravelry queue for a loooong time.  I bought the yarn, and put it on a shelf. The longer I had it around, the less I loved it … and the pattern appealed less and less too. But the most stubborn part of me wanted to complete a DROPS pattern — notorious for the density and brevity of their instructions.  I have to say, the pattern was “complete” in the sense that all the information to make the shrug was contained in the solid little paragraph of instructions … but I had to do a lot of expansion and math to make the knitting do-able.  I think in a print-only world, this would be fine … but in the internet era, I prefer slightly more expanded directions.

The shrug is knit in two mirror-image curved pieces that form the fronts — they are joined at the back neck and the lower back in a circle.  The rectangular piece spans the circle, and sleeves finish the garment. The curved fronts are created with calculated increases/decreases and short rows, all while keeping up with patterned columns AND a lace panel. The “other side” has the infamous “reverse shaping” direction — which isn’t terrible when it’s just armhole shaping, but in this case I found it to be a bit eye-popping.  Still, I can now say I’ve completed a DROPS pattern … and I understand why only the most intrepid knitters venture there.

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CO Monday: Your Way Cowl

remilyknits 2 Comments

I’m working on a new design project … something in Danu, a one-skein cowl.  Kate’s brilliant idea was to make it so the knitter could knit it flat OR in the round — hence, “Your Way Cowl.”

I’m using my skein of Squonk from the Bestiary Yarn Club.

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I tried out a couple stitch patterns … it’s always a challenge to find something interesting that doesn’t start a pitched battle with the colorway, when using highly variegated yarns like this one.  I think I’ve found the right one … but who knows, later tonight I may rip it all out! 😉

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Fiber Factor: In Progress

remilyknits 4 Comments

So … my “in progress” video is up on The Fiber Factor!

Go ahead, watch it, I’ll wait here … did you watch a couple other videos too? I’m starting to get excited/anxious about how the first challenge will go, judging-wise.

I’ve actually already finished my Challenge #1 project (last Thursday) and my “designer notes” for the project (last Friday). Both have to be done and sent tomorrow, so it was nice to be ahead of schedule.

But, now I have nothing of pressing deadline to do! It’s so relaxing to catch up with a few neglected projects …

 

New Pattern Release: Mezair

remilyknits 3 Comments

Introducing my latest pattern: Mezair!

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Pattern: Mezair

Designer: Rachel Henry (that’s me!)

Available: on Ravelry — $6 for the individual pattern, or $12 for the collection (special price, for a limited time)

Yarn: Knittink Batgirl (“Atlanteans #3”)

Beads: 224 size 6/0 seed beads, AB finish

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Design/Skills Needed:

This crescent-shaped shawlette begins with working the beaded lace edging sideways. All beads are pre-strung before knitting begins – no loose beads or tiny crochet hooks! The short-row body is worked from picked-up stitches. More lace finishes the top border of the shawlette, echoing the motifs from the bottom edging.

Mezair is part of the Airs Above the Ground Collection. Each of four shawlettes in the collection can be made with a single skein of fingering-weight yarn. Look for “Courbette” (sideways, modular, crescent-shaped, lace), “Capriole” (top-down, semi-circular, lace), and “Levade” (bottom-up, heart-shaped, lace).

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Sample Knitters Needed

remilyknits 4 Comments

Hello! I am in cahoots with Kate from A Hundred Ravens Yarn — indie dyer of the gorgeous pink-and-black yarn I used to make Capriole.

We want to make some of my patterns in Iachos and Llyr, so we can take pictures and sell patterns AND yarn at fairs. Most of the patterns are one-skein shawlettes, plus one pair of socks.

There’s never enough time to knit, so we’re hoping some intrepid sample knitters will help us out. In exchange for your knitting prowess, you get a free copy of the pattern in question, and an extra skein of yarn in the color of your choice.

Interested? For more details, please go to my sample-knitting thread in Kate’s forum — that’s where we’ll be handling all this.

FO Not-Friday: Hexipuffs!

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This is crazy, but today I … how can I put it? I finished my very last hexipuff.  I’m not making any more.  I have, um, something over 400 puffs.  I’ll count them eventually and report back.  Right now I’m buried in Fiber Factor knitting (say hey, my “intro video” is up — check it out!).  (I’m moderately mortified to film myself, but what can you do??) Anyway, back to puffs: I have a mad plan to take over the guest room bed, arrange the puffs the way I want, and then take my time tying them together. Wish me luck!

Here are the Final Seven Hexipuffs:

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Fiber Factor: Goodies

remilyknits 4 Comments

Oh yay, we have permission to share a bit more about The Fiber Factor!  I was SO SO excited to get the first box.  You may have seen some of the sample yarns in the Knit Your Life Challenge video, but trust me when I say they are even more lovely when you can pet them and squeeze them and call them George.

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I was already familiar with a few of the yarns, but some were brand-new to me!  I have a serious crush on the Schoppel Leinen Los. It’s like twine on the ball, but it softens considerably with just a single swatch & block (hmm, wonder how I know that?).  I adore every long-color-change yarn on the planet, so of course the Shoppel Laceball 100, Shoppel Zauberwolle, and Zitron Unisono appealed to me quite a bit! The Zitron Finest Royal Alpaca is incredibly delicious to touch … I really must find a project that will use it!  The other yarn that really caught my eye (and fingers, let’s be honest here) was Zitron Filisilk.

Besides “just” the yarn, the good people at the Fiber Factor also sent us lucky semi-finalists a cool project bag (really excited to fill it with the first challenge project!), a binder full of color cards, the latest Skacel mag, and a #2 Sock Rocket circ.  I’ve somehow not heard of Sock Rockets — are they new?? am I just that dense?? — but they are great: extra pointy tips, nice flexible cable (hello, Magic Loop!), and that slick Addi Turbo finish.

I have swatched, I have ordered my yarn for the first challenge and selected my interchangeable needle set, and now I’m biding my time until the package arrives tomorrow! We’ll be able to share in-progress photos in the forums on the Fiber Factor website (they’ll be up later this week), so look for swatch and WIP photos from me there.