I’m delighted to announce that I am officially of of the twelve semi-finalist on The Fiber Factor! So excited!
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CO Monday: DIC Wisp design project
Hooray! My design submission to Dream In Color was accepted. I’m making a lace shawl: crescent-shaped, bottom up, with optional nupps — in two sizes no less! DIC’s new Wisp is super pretty — according to the Ravelry page for Wisp, they released this yarn in a different put-up as part of the 2012 yarn club. I for one am glad to have it become part of their line. The hand-painted colors just glow on the merino-silk blend.
My design will be in the “Brilliant” colorway:
This isn’t Wisp, of course — some other base. But I will show you WIP photos to prove it’s just as pretty on the lace-weight Wisp!
Once the pattern is complete and fully tested and tech edited, I’ll be hosting a knit-along on my Ravelry group. It won’t be a mystery this time — you’ll know what you’re getting into! — but I will provide support, cheerleading, and prizes to help motivate you. The full size of the design will use two skeins of Wisp, but the pattern will also provide directions for a scaled-down version that only needs one skein.
CO Monday: Sublimity Cowl
I have been trying VERY HARD to finish projects and not start any new ones. I submitted an application to the Fiber Factor, and I know if I win the knitting lottery and make it to the semi-finals, I’ll be very busy knitting for the next few months, and I won’t have time for a bunch of random projects for me.
BUT — I saw Sivia Harding’s new cowl pattern (Sublimity) on Ravelry, and had to make it. Now.
So, I bought a second skein of Tosh Vintage in Rosewood, ran to the bead store (that I had been at the day before, silly), and cast on. I love it.
FO Friday: Two Cowls
I bought two skeins of DK-weight yarn from A Hundred Ravens, and made two cowls!
Pretty yarn:
I made the orangey-red skein of Danu into a Greyhaven cowl:
Project: Maple Greyhaven
Pattern: Greyhaven
Designer: Robin Ulrich
Available: $4 on Ravelry
Yarn: A Hundred Ravens Danu (Maple)
I wanted a tighter cowl, so I cast on with only seven repeats of the main lace pattern. My first try turned out too tight, so I frogged and cast on again with one extra repeat. At this stitch count, the yarn pooled in a really beautiful way! Happy accident.
For the pink-and-green skein of Danu, I decided on Trestle, somewhat modified:
Project: Rose Trestle
Pattern: Trestle Neckwarmer
Designer: Virginia Catherall
Available: FREE on Ravelry
Yarn: A Hundred Ravens Danu (Briar Rose)
I eliminated the button on this pattern, and knit it in the round instead of flat. I also reduced the number of repeats, going for a snugger fit. Once again, too snug! I frogged, added a repeat, knit it again. I love the fit of the final version — it stays up around my neck if I’m cold, or I can fold it in half for a more decorative look. The cables played nice with this vibrant colorway. Yay!
Danu is soft, soft, soft and held up to the frogging well, despite being a single-ply yarn.
New Pattern Release: Courbette
Introducing my latest pattern: Courbette!
Pattern: Courbette
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: Blue Ridge Yarns Footlights (“Wild Cherry”) (25 grams each of four different colors)
Design/Skills Needed:
This crescent-shaped shawlette is worked in four sections, each a different color. A combination of faggoting, cables, and points adorn the lower edge of each section; simple garter stitch speeds the knitting and highlights gorgeous yarns. Each subsequent section is connected to the previous section as you go – no sewing!
The sample uses Footlights (by Blue Ridge Yarns), which is sold in color-coordinating bundles of four mini skeins. However, this pattern is well suited to using up leftover fingering weight yarn.
Courbette 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 “Mezair” (lace border worked sideways, crescent-shaped, short-row body), “Capriole” (top-down, semi-circular, lace), and “Levade” (bottom-up, heart-shaped, lace).
CO Monday: Levade Prototype
This week I cast on for the fourth and final one-skein shawlette for the Airs Above the Ground collection. I’m using a purple-blue skein of Barefoot Bohemian Sock. “Levade” is heart-shaped, worked from the bottom up. No nupps, no beads — just pretty-pretty lace.
FO Friday: Raspberry Wristers
Project: Raspberry Wristers
Pattern: Garter Cable Wristlets
Designer: Amy Loberg
Available: FREE! from Classic Elite’s Web-Letter
Yarn: CEY Fresco in #5332 (Plum)
I saw this pattern go by in a web-letter, and knew I had to make them. Any excuse to work with Fresco! So soft and dreamy :). I have big peasant hands, so I ended up needing five repeats of the pattern (instead of just four). I was afraid I’d run out of yarn, but I had just barely enough. I’ve worn them frequently, and they are stashed in my purse for chilly rooms.
Coordinating Contrast: the cure for Second Mitten Syndrome
Christine (of Christine Guest Designs) has been blogging about Coordinating Contrast Mittens for a while now. It’s kind of brilliant — knit two mittens from two different patterns, so you don’t get bored. If you use the same yarn, it’s all good — one can tell your fraternal mittens are meant to be a pair.
She featured my Daisy Ruth Mittens as a potential match for her Holly Mittens — I think they’re a good match!
CO Monday: Sunsuit for Gwen
A friend of mine from agility just had a baby girl … I kept meaning to make something for the baby, the whole time she was pregnant. Whoops! Instead, I cast on for a “Susan’s Sunsuit” in size 6 months — it’s a quick knit, and should be done it plenty of time for warm weather. The pattern is my own — to be published in the upcoming “Fresh Designs: Kids” book from Cooperative Press. Here’s a blue version that I made for a different baby girl :).
NEW Mystery KAL: Capriole
I would like to invite all my readers to join my new mystery KAL for Capriole.
This semi-circular shawlette is worked from the top down. With a wide cast-on edge and curved shape, Capriole hugs the shoulders for easy wearing. The simple, bold lace pattern allows variegated yarn to shine; Capriole is equally beautiful in solid or semi-solid colorways.
Capriole is part of the upcoming Airs Above the Ground Collection. Each of four shawlettes in the collection can be made with a single skein of fingering-weight yarn. “Courbette” (sideways, modular, crescent-shaped, lace) will be available on March 20th, 2013. “Mezair” (lace border worked sideways, crescent-shaped, short-row body) will be released sometime in April, and “Levade” (bottom-up, heart-shaped, lace) will come out in late May.
KAL Details:
The Mystery KAL for Capriole begins now, with the release of this Swatch Clue. The swatch includes several special stitches, and will thus allow you to practice them before beginning your actual shawl. All clues will be given both as complete charts and full written directions.
Schedule for Clues:
Clues will be released via Ravelry sometime after midnight, EST, on four consecutive Wednesdays.
March 27th: Clue #1 – Setup and first 40 rows.
April 3rd: Clue #2 – Rows 41-68
April 10th: Clue #3 – Rows 69-88
April 17th: Clue #4 – Rows 89-101, plus blocking advice
Cost:
For the duration of the KAL, and for at least two weeks after the release of the final clue, Capriole will cost only $1. After that point, the pattern will be changed to the regular price of $6. When I release the final version of the pattern, it will replace the individual clues in your Ravelry library.
Prizes:
All knitters who post a photo of their finished Capriole by April 30th will receive a Ravelry coupon for any of my patterns on Ravelry, including the Airs Above the Ground collection. In addition, I will be giving away other prizes by random draw of finished projects, including at least one skein of yarn from “A Hundred Ravens” and a copy of the entire “Airs Above the Ground” collection.
3-in-3:
One of the trickier stitches in this shawl pattern is a 3-in-3. Here is the description from the pattern:
3-in-3: Over the next three stitches, work a sk2p; yo, then knit 1 stitch through the three stitches just worked (stitch count does not change)
I anticipated that this stitch might be a bit troublesome, so I made sure to include it in the swatch so knitters could practice ahead of time. I’ve also made a quick video demonstrating two ways to make the 3-in-3 stitch. I demo both “English” and “continental” style, because I know it can be hard for knitters to understand the “other” way from their own style.
Remily Knits 