Ocean Waves Silk Wrap

Yes, another shawl/wrap!  This one is one of my favorites and is sooo incredible to touch and feel.  It is handknit with 50/50 silk/wool in very cool blues and tourquoise.  The center panel has a fun design and the border has tiny sky blue beads at each scalloped point.

I loved knitting this one. Although it looks a bit complicated, the pattern was very easily memorized so no checking off each row to keep track was needed. This one one of my 'on the go' projects and spent many hours in the car while traveling here and there.

 

Lace Shawls

My Latest Shawls~~

I've been having the time of my life knitting up more shawls lately.  I think it has come to be an obsession, but I just can't resist trying new lace stitches and yarns. I've been a cable gal for many years, loving the twists and textures of cables, but my new-found love of lace has distracted me from cable work and I'm starting to feel like I have left my beloved cables on the roadside.

This orange shawl is just bursting with fall colors. 

I used a handdyed fingering yarn that shows off the autumn spectrum with falling leaf designs.  The added bead work on the leaf stems add sparkle, fun and weight.  This shawl is perfect for a quick shoulder cover, worn as a scarf, or can even be worn around the waist (if you are thin enough).  I just love the virbrant colors!

This forest green triangle shawl is knit with my own handspun yarn in a mohair/wool blend.

 

This one is heavier than my typical shawls and is intended for warmth as well as beauty. The mohair gives it a soft halo and a feel that you just want to pet.  The design is simple lace with a ripple edging at the bottom to highlight the beauty of the handspun yarn.

Both of these shawls are available in my etsy shop and are ready to ship. 

I may take a break from shawls soon and work up something using cables this week.  I'm sure it will be like seeing a long lost friend! 

Fine Lace

My very first fine lace project was exciting and frustrating all at the same time.  

I love bulky knits and many of my projects include using 2 strands of yarn together to bulk them up even more.  But I also love, admire and drool over fine lace.

I have just started knitting lace with fingering weight yarn for a little over a year, so I just became comfortable working with fingering weight yarn.  So naturally the next step is to work with an even finer yarn. I kept eyeing the cobweb yarn at my local yarn shop, but something in the back of my mind kept telling my I wasn't quite ready for that yet. 

After my dear friend April gave me a ball of Yarn Place Gentle in an absolutely gorgous cranberry red, I couldn't stop thinking about what I would knit with this wonderful yarn.  I finally decided to try a wrap pattern in Victorian Lace Today, which would also by my very first project with knitting on the edge. 

I faced my inner fears and cast on the center panel that seemed to go rather smoothly. Although, I did need to pay very close attention to ensure I grabbed the actual stitch on the needle rather than the loop below. (I later realized that the wooden needles were just too blunt to grab that tiny stitch and I have since moved on to super pointy Addi Turbo Lace needles)

My problems really came in to play when I started knitting the edging. I ended up modifying the edging pattern after several (about 50) false starts. I even heard myself say that I would never do this again during certain trying moments, but I was determined to master the process.

I did complete my project and love, love, love the lighter than air feel of this shawl. There is a couple battle scars along the edge but I do feel quite accomplished that I got it done.

And even though I had stated several times that I wouldn't ever do this again, I have already cast on my next wrap in a lovely green wool/silk.  This one is in lace weight yarn, which believe it or not feels like bulky after working with the cobweb weight.

I will definately do another in cobweb as the end result is so stunning.

Anna ~ My First Shawl Design

With all the shawls I've been knitting lately, I decided to design a pattern of my own and I am very happy with the end result.

I had a vision of the basic design and set out to start knitting in fingering weight yarn and added some bead work on the edging. What took place was pretty much a mess, but I figured out better bead placement from the first try. So I frogged that one and cast on again. The second try was better, but not really what I had in mind, so again, it was ripped out.

I put it aside for a few days, but the pattern was still in my head. So I picked up some heavy worsted yarn and started knitting along. Once I got going, it just started taking shape and turned out perfect!

The pattern is available for purchase on Ravelry, Craftsy and Etsy.  I would consider it a medium level project is it includes both cables and lace, but once the repeated pattern is knit a couple times, it is very easy to catch on and get the rhythym of the design. 

I named this desgin Anna, after my mother who taught me to knit many, many years ago....

February Knit Along on Ravelry

The February Advanced choice for the Dozen Shawls in 20Dozen was this gorgeous Cotton Bam Boo Kudzu Shawlette.   I chose to knit this one in 50% cotton/50% wool blend in a beautiful deep teal color, which makes a perfect wrap for spring/summer.

The design is fabulous and the slight modifications to some stitches really make the pattern pop out!

I really enjoyed knitting this one and will probably knit it again soon.

Finished Shawl

I finally had time to finish up the shawl I started in October and it came out so nice!

This is Anna Dalvi's pattern Tital Waves from her book "Shaping Shawls".   I was lucky enough to meet her in person at the Rhienbeck Fiber Festival this year and I can't wait to try another of her patterns. I did modify her design a bit by using smaller yarn with more pattern repeats and adding a crocheted scalloped edging around the bottom.   But what really makes this project special is that I used hand dyed yarn from The Periwinkle Sheep's Wink collection.  This yarn is hand dyed merino/nylon which has a bit of sparkle through out the yarn. 

It is hard to tell from the photos, but it is sparkly and oh so nice!

This shawl is available on etsy for a one of a kind treasure!

Happy Knitting ~  Val

Sunday Morning Knit Wit ~ Ella is now available as a pattern

The testing process is complete and I'm excited to have Ella available as a PDF knitting pattern.

You can purchase your copy through etsy or Ravelry for $5.00.

This is a great beginner lace design as the pattern is worked only on the front (every back row is just purl) and has only 12 repeating rows.  To complete this project you will need 250 - 270 yards of fingering weight yarn, size 8 US knitting needles and a tapestry needle to weave in the ends.

It is knit flat and each row has the same number of stitches so it is easy to keep track of while working the pattern. The finished product using fingering yarn is 11 inches wide and 65 inches long.  However, you can modify this by using heavier yarn and larger needles to create a warmer, thicker shawl. 

The PDF pattern includes both written instructions as well as a chart that includes the symbols meanings. 

And as with most of my patterns, I have included a check off grid so you will always know where you left off when you set it down for awhile.

Introducing Ella

I'm excited to introduce my latest scarf design that I've name Ella. Ella is soft, stylish and comforting and she will certainly make you feel like a million bucks when you have her on your shoulders.

 The the pattern will soon be available for purchase in both my etsy shop and on Ravelry.  I just need to get the ok back from my tester and we will be good to go, and just in time for holiday knitting projects.

This finished version of Ella is knit with my very own handspun yarn which is a merino wool / mohair blend that gives this scarf a nice feel and a great drape.  It is light, airy and a perfect accessory that can be worn as a scarf or a shoulder wrap and would look great at the office or with a pair of jeans on the weekend.

I plan to have more versions of Ella in my shop soon in various colors and fiber content.  So stop by valeriesgallery on etsy often to see what's new. 

Sunday Morning Knit Wit Leaf Shawls

Ok, so technically it is Monday and Labor Day has come.  Summer is winding down and it's time to get down to business. Whether you are headed back to school, getting ready for winter or just need to get started on some knitting projects, the season has come.  Get your knitting needles out and cuddle up with some yarn.

Today I am featuring 2 more lacy shawls.  Both are the same falling leaf pattern, but each one came out quite differently.

Early Fall Leaves is knit with soft shades of oranges, blues, greens, and lavenders.  I love the way the colors worked out and it is perfect for those sunny but cool autumn days.

Using the exact same pattern, I knit Adirondack Fall Leaves in deep, rich rust and added tiny glass beads to each leaf with a 3 bead cluster at each scallop point.  This shawl is for the serious leaf peeper! 

 Today is a dark rainy day, so I've started knitting an afgahn with cables and leaves.  With each row I get more excited to start the next row just to see the design come to life. 

I hope you are all getting your knitting projects planned and started. 

Keep you needles clicking!

Sunday Morning Knit Wit ~ Vacation Knitting

Summer is here and keeping us especially busy!  Lawn care, gardening, going for ice cream and vacations can keep us on the go, leaving little time to knit.

But summer is one of my favorite times to knit and I try to find every opportunity to get my sticks out when ever I can.  Nothing beats sitting on the porch with a tall cool drink in the evening working on a project.

This past week, Daryl and I were on vacation and we drove up the coast of Maine, stopping at flea markets and beaches along the way.  The trip to Acadia National Park was amazing and I recommend making the trip if you can.  It is a good thing that D does all the driving because I knit up this pair of socks while in the car. One of my daughters will get these for Christmas (but I can't tell you which one right now... just incase they actually do read my blog!)

This shawl was done partly on the porch and partly in the car driving to Vermont to pick up our grandson. 
Go to my etsy shop to see more pictures of this handknit shawl.

And I was able to finish my spinning project -  1,658 yards of heavenly merino/silk blend. My friend, April and I are each going to make a shawl with this fabulous fiber that we are calling Fairy Dust.  I'm still looking for a pattern, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know.  I was thinking of incorporating some type of bead work with this project as well.

So, don't let summer shove your knitting and spinning projects aside... it's not just for winter.  What's on your needles?  I would love to hear from you. I have another shawl with some surprising color work on mine and hope to have it ready by next week.

Enjoy your summer!

Sunday Morning Knit Wit ~ Lace Shawl in Handspun Merino

Today I am featuring another hand knit lace shawl.

After gaining some experience and confidence in knitting these lacey wonders, I used my handspun fingering weight merino wool.  And I must say, that I am extremely pleased with the result.

I found this pattern in The Knitter's Book of Wool.  The pattern is called Prairie Rose Lace Shaw by Evelyn A. Clark. It is light and breezy and just way too much fun to make.  If you are going to give it a try, I would suggest you get some graph paper and write the chart out larger as the one in the book is printed very small.

I love the way this delicate lace drapes. 

Now that I have completed a couple lace projects I am pretty much stuck on them.  I already started another one in a beautiful rich burgandy. 

Next week I will be a the first Annual Central NY Fiber Festival on Route 20 near Bouchville, NY.  If you are local, please stop by and say hello.  I can't wait to see all the great fiber artists there and stock up on some more roving for spinning.  Keep your fingers crossed that the weather cooperates. 

Until next time ~  Keep your needles clicking!