Spin A Yarn for Ewe

Yes, I have succumbed to the mystery again. I have joined Secret of the Stole that starts next week. The stole takes 1200 yards of lace weight plus beads. I have the perfect yarn for this as well as beads that go with it. I bought this yarn a while back from Heather at Sereknity and planned to use it for the Honeybee Stole. After the pattern came out and after knitting a few other stoles I have decided that I want to knit the tall version which requires 1400 yards and wouldn't you know it, I only have 1250. Here is the yarn with the beads.

I think it will be great looking. I didn't swatch it as I have already knit with zephyr and know that I like it on size 4's so I will just dive right in on October 5th.

I have also been thinking about the Halloween Mystery Shawl but I am not totally sure. She says it is a 3/4 circle shawl and I can not find a picture of what that would look like at all. So I am holding out. I might join any way as Halloween is something we like to do up big at my house and a shawl with that theme sounds fun to me plus I could do it in blood red.

I am still moving along on the Hidcote Garden Shawl. I just finished chart 5 and am now moving on to the next lace pattern. I am really ready. It won't be done before the mystery along but I will just plug away on both. I think I will try to photograph it after the next chart although it might be tough as I am already over 200 stitches per row but there is nothing like a big blob of lace to show progress.

I have something to show that I have not done in months. I really can't believe it has been that long but it has.

Here is the finished alpaca and silk yarn.


Yes...I finally got my wheel going again.

Here is a close up of it.

I had dyed the silk to go with it to stretch the amount of alpaca and I was going to do beads but after all the VM in the alpaca I decided to just get it done so I can move on.

I have tons of nice CLEAN stuff just waiting to be spun now that this fiber is off my back. See I never move on to another spinning project until the one I have going is done. Don't ask me why just is what it is.

The Hidcote is moving along I am just about to start chart 4 but since it really looks like it did last time I photographed it I will spare you.

I have made a decision on the yoke yarn for the sweater. Thanks, Gina.

Now I just have to find the right yarn to go with it. I am still torn on the Montana Henry's Attic yarn. Cost-wise it is in my budget but I want it to be soft, thanks Lori for the Cascade 220 comparison. So then I found the Zephyr in DK which would be perfect but will the silk make it have too much drape. I want nice comfortable sweater but not slouchy. Then there is the undyed Knitpicks....

Decisions, decisions. Anyone want to help out here. Opinions.

So since I don't have all the yarn I need nor have I decided on a yarn I started Hidcote.



It currently looks like yuck but the color of the yarn is what I wanted so that is great. Plus I love how fast a triangle shawl goes at first. I mean this thing has 10 charts but I am already almost done with number 2. It is all a mind game.

I finished up Hanami as planned. I forgot that the ruffle had you increasing the stitches by double so the ruffle took a little bit longer to knit then planned but I really like how it turned out.

I didn't take any modeled photos because by the time I got it blocked and dry it was too hot out to put it on. Sweaty modeled photos didn't sound good.

I made it longer since I had a feeling it would not be long enough as I was knitting it and I am glad I did. It turned out to be 60" long when I was done with the knitting and 76" x 16" after. I could of gone wider and shorter during blocking but I like it how it is, somewhere between a really wide scarf and a shawl.

Now what to start next. I know I said I was going to do Hidcote but I have been thinking about doing a sweater. I think all the heat must be getting to my brain to even be thinking sweater but I think that is what I might do any way. I was thinking a top down raglan using my handspun up top and then switching to a solid color for the body and sleeves. I need to find something close to the handspun gauge-wise and was thinking about the Montana from Wool2Dye4. I could then dye it to match the handspun I pick.

I was thinking either the 3rd or 4th one from the left.

Or maybe this one except since I didn't dye it, it might be hard to match. Although the undyed yarn would probably go just fine.

Anyone ever knit with the Montana or have some of it? It is Henry's Attic. I would love to know WPI if you have some and if you like it.

I am so close I can taste it.

All I have left to do is a few rows of garter stitch and then the ruffle. I hope to be blocking this baby tomorrow. And since I am done with the beads I should be able to zoom through the rest.

Stay tuned...

I can't believe it has been over a week since I had anything to say. Really I probably did but with school starting back for my little guy and then the holiday weekend things have been busy. Plus it has been HOT! I mean yucky hot to the point that all you want to do is sit under the ceiling fan hot. The thought of my electric bill for running the AC scares me.

There has been knitting progress though. I have been good and not cast on anything else so Hanami is cruising along. I finished the basket weave and have moved on to the cherry blossom section.

It is looking great and I am adding beads very selectively so that it looks random. I also am taking the less is more approach.

You can see them here better. I only started them in the second chart and most of the time only use one bead per row and then only every few rows. I think it will add the sparkle I want without over powering the over all look. I have also made a decision to only work a few repeats of the final chart so I am adding in short repeats of the other charts to make up for this choice plus I did an extra basket weave chart so I am working in extra rows for that too. Crazy I know but I think it will look better to me in the long run.

I also dyed some yarn to satisfy the "I want to start something else" demon. The plan was for a yarn that would go with jeans and look kind of like faded denim. I think it came out better then I expected.

This is 1400 yards of zephyr for Hidcote. I really like all the photos I have seen of this finished shawl and decided that I wanted to do a triangle this time. Hopefully this won't be too over my head as it has 10 charts and that alone scares me. Plus Miriam had to show me her tutorial to blow up the charts as they are so small and detailed I thought I might go blind reading them. Hopefully I can convince myself to wait to start this until Hanami is done but since I already wound the yarn up I am not sure.