Since I finished up the projects I was working on (at least some of them) last weekend, it is time to start some more.
I’m beginning three new projects this week: two knitted, one journal.
Yesterday I started my Little Shells Socks in Knit Picks Essential Sock Yarn in Meteor Twist. So far I like this one the best of the three Knit Picks yarns that I bought to try out before purchasing some of their yarn for dyeing.
The pattern I’m using is from The Knitter’s Book of Yarn, again, and I chose it because it is a knit-from-the-toe-up pattern. My other socks have all been top-down socks. The beginning rectangle was a little difficult to negotiate, but once I got that down the toe shaped up quite nicely. Now it’s stockinette for several inches until I reach the short-row heels–also something new for me–and the shell lace leg. I figure this is a good knitting group project because I can just knit and talk and listen and not have to think.
This is another design by Sheila January. She did the Optic Waves Shawl I just completed and another shawl I plan to make in the near future.
I also began, last night, a Blue Jeans Lace Leaf Shawl with that Suri Alpaca lace weight yarn I was using for a shrug a while back. I didn’t like the shrug so I frogged it all and set it aside. My friend Meredith is making this shawl with a beautiful variegated green yarn and it looked fun, so I decided to try it. The pattern is from Ramblings of an Uncluttered Mind. This one takes some concentration so it will only go to knitting group for show and tell.
Lace always looks funny until you block and stretch it out, but I can already see the leaves forming.
On Sunday (one day early) Sue sent the second lesson in the Journal Making class. I purposely didn’t look at it on Sunday because I wanted to finish up my Riverbed Moss Rib Socks and my Painted Desert Quant Headband. Plus, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep for thinking about what I wanted to do with the next journal.
This is the journal I’ve been waiting for. It’s larger than the first one and is specifically to be a sketchbook with removable pages and pockets for pencils, etc. I love to take a sketch/watercolor book along with me on silent retreats, so I’m going to fill this one with sketch paper, watercolor paper, and a section of pages with pre-drawn circles for drawing mandalas. Then I’ll add a bunch of colored pencils, drawing pencils, and paintbrushes.
I’ve decided to enlarge a doodle I did a couple of months ago and monoprint it on some hand dyed fabric for the cover. Today I’m going to dye some fabric turquoise. Tomorrow I’ll monoprint the design on the fabric in metallic copper, bronze, gold, silver, terra cotta, turquoise, and whatever other colors I think will look good on the turquoise.
My first thought was to do it on yellow with primary and secondary colors, but John suggested the turquoise and southwestern colors. I like that, but might do another sometime with the yellow, too.
I think that’s enough projects for this week, although there are some UFO’s I need to be working on, too.
Oh–the whole point of today’s blog was supposed to be to post my finished Quant.
I love the way it turned out and I’m definitely doing more entrelac in the future. I’m looking at felted bag patterns right now. The Crystal Palace Taos yarn worked up very nicely, although it’s loosely twisted two-ply and splits quite easily. It’s very lightweight and airy, though, and is perfect for this headband. I’m not sure why the colorway is called Painted Desert–it doesn’t look like that to me–but I like it even though it was different than I expected.
Too bad I didn’t have this when I was going for walks in below freezing weather.
Some people say the reverse side of entrelac looks funny, but I didn’t think it turned out too badly. I was very careful to be consistent in how I picked up stitches so the back would look even.
I’m thinking this headband might be nice knitted narrower (not sure how to do that yet) in linen or silk for a year-round headband.
Well, I better get going. I have lots to do today, including another mountain bike ride–same place as last week, for more practice, I think.
I’m so excited! I’ve found another TIF participant who’s returning to biking after a many year hiatus. She’s blogging her adventures at Leap Training–Cycle Action. I’m watching with interest to see how she does.
