Rock Island

I would like to take credit for this but I can't. Diana knit a sample of Rock Island for the store. I LOVE IT!!

Pattern: Rock Island by Jared Flood (brooklyntweed)
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace in Shenanigans

Right now the pattern is available online. Printed patterns are on their way to us-we should have them in about two weeks.

Hurricane Irene is making her way up the east coast and it looks scary on CNN. We talked to our parents this morning. Both houses are fine. There are a few trees down but not much damage in Myrtle Beach. When I got home from work we talked to the again. Their weather is beautiful. I hope everyone in the path of Irene gets as lucky.

Everybody Loves Raymond

It is 8:02 on Monday night (less than an hour since I did my post) and I am starting my post for tomorrow.  My tangled mess has been rolled into a ball.  All of a sudden things started going smoothly and it took no time at all.  Don't know what I was worried about.

Beth can't get enough of the TV show Everybody Loves Raymond. She can watch an episode that she has seen many times before and laugh like crazy at it. Why am I bringing this up you ask. I set a box in the laundry room with cans and papers for the recycling bin last week. Beth goes into the garage twice a day to get dog food and I thought she would take it out with her. No. The box then moved to the floor when I did laundry. It became a standoff to see who would cave and take that darn box into the garage first.  It reminded me of the episode with Ray's suitcase.  He went golfing in Myrtle Beach which didn't make Deborah happy.  In their house there are three steps going up to a small landing and then they turn 90 degrees to go up the rest of the stairs.  Ray's suitcase sat on the landing for weeks while they had a standoff to see who would take it up the rest of the stairs.  I can't remember who caved first on the show but it was me who caved last night and took that darn box into the garage.  Beth was very proud of herself!!

I'm at work on Tuesday morning with no internet connection.  We lived many years without the internet but now that we have it we can't live without it.  Thankfully I brought my cell phone cord today (normally it stays at home).  I can set up a personal hotspot with my phone so that my computer is connected.

Here is Rock Island.  All knitting is done and tonight I will be blocking.  I am happy with the shawl right now and I think when it is blocked it will be outstanding.

Mr. Canpar just came with a HUGE box of Frillseeker Precious Metal.  I need to find somewhere to put it all.

Untangling a mess

I got a little carried away knitting yesterday.  I kept thinking that I needed to post but I just couldn't put the needles down.

I am going to send these pictures to Jacqueline at Soak.  Here is another use for Phil.  Phil was sitting outside because I had washed a sweater and he was wet.  I didn't want to put him back under my sink so I left him outside.  With all the rain he has been wet for weeks.  Beth was throwing a ball to Melo the other night and it landed in Phil.  Melo thought it was great fun and wanted Beth to do it again.  Yesterday Beth set Phil in the middle of the yard and the dogs played.

Melo with his soccer ball.

Roko with two tennis balls.  He wants both in his mouth at once.  Getting his picture was tricky because he hates the sound of a camera.

 

Here is a picture of the shawl so far.  I tried taking a picture outside but the pattern didn't show up.  There is still glare in the house but the pattern shows.

I have a small big problem right now.  While winding the first skein of yarn I was walking around the store and helping customers.  All was going well for half the skein and then I dropped it on the floor.  Can you say mess?  I set the yarn aside and wound the second skein.  Now I need the first skein so when I am done writing my job will be to untangle the skein.  Wish me well.  I have no patience.

Into the home stretch

Beth just brought me a Red Velvet cupcake from the cupcake truck. Delicious!!  I hope that come back next Saturday.

I finished the Rock Island chart last night and am onto the home stretch.  The rest of the shawl is garter stitch.

The rows are getting shorter so it should move quickly now.

I didn't want to remove my centre marker for the picture. Not only is it marker the centre stitch but it shows the right side row. Decreases are done on that row and the wrong side row is just knit.

My dad just stopped by the store to drop off some stuff for me and commented that the black board outside was blank.  I cleaned it off this morning because the writing had run with all the rain.  I'm still deciding what to write. I told him that it looked messy and he told me that he had a solution to the writing running. He says with his sick laugh "you could use paint".  Thanks dad.  His ideas are amazing. People wonder where Beth and I get our sick sense of humour from. Spend a day with my dad and you will know.

I know better

After getting home from dinner last night Beth and I went upstairs to watch the hockey and catch up on the DVR.  First we watched Big Break.  I was working away on my shawl when disaster struck.  I made a mistake and when taking back a few stitches I dropped one.  Beth was talking away to me and I not so politely asked her to be quiet so I could figure it out.  After a few minutes I got the stitch picked up correctly and all was good.  Yes, I apologized but it was a crisis situation.  When I finished the row I put my knitting aside for the evening. We then watched The Bachelorette.  Why?  I totally know better.  I didn't like Ashley on the Bachelor and don't like her any better now.  She just talks and talks.  There were a few good moments but really it was a waste of time.  Thank goodness we could fast forward through most of it.  What was with the guy in the mask?  Seriously dude.

Mr. Canada Post brought in two huge boxes from Namaste along with a box from Ann. Here is the Cascade Vest that I talked about in our last newsletter.

Pattern: Cascade Vest (free Ravelry download)
Yarn: Kauni-2 balls of EOC and 2 balls of EFL
Needles:  3.5mm circular

I really like how the colours came out. When you are picking two different colours with very long colour repeats you never know how they are going to work together.

It doesn't get much easier than this vest. You are working side to side in garter stitch.  2 rows from one ball and then 2 rows from the other.

I forgot to take a shawl pin outside with me but found the perfect one when I came back inside.

I have been working away on Rock Island today and am finished row 12-half way through this chart.  When the chart is done the shawl is finished with garter stitch.

The only way to get a better picture of the whole shawl is to slip half the stitches on another needle. That could be a disaster waiting  to happen. What happens if I miss a stitch? Now there are four ends that the stitches can fall off the needle. I will try and knit faster so that I can get a good picture.

The fun has started

I finished the border on Rock Island and have started on the body.  There are 11 rows of garter stitch before I start the next chart.

It is bunched on the needles right now but once I get more rows done it will be easier to show the whole shawl.

Every right side row four stitches are decreased so the rows are going to start going faster.

At the end of my day I have completed the garter stitch rows and then four rows of the chart.

A few people have emailed me with questions about the chart and I couldn't supply good answers until now.  They wanted to know about working the chart with markers.  It isn't going to work because there are so many yarn overs and decreases that the markers are going to continually move.

If you were in the store while I was knitting you would hear me saying "ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo" across the row.  I say it out loud and it helps me to remember the row and I don't have to keep looking at the chart.

Diamonds are being made when working the chart. I think after you work 4 rows of the chart you will see the pattern that is emerging.

To make the chart fit on one page it is fairly small.  I would suggest enlarging the chart to make the symbols easier to see.  I have also gone through the chart and circled all the ssk symbols.  This will help as well.

It is a busy sports night.  Jays at Yankees along with basketball and hockey.  Beth and I are going out for dinner to celebrate a friends birthday.  Hopefully we won't be late because I need to get back to my knitting.

Purple Label Cashmere

A few weeks ago I showed the cute baby patterns available from Tanis Fiber Arts. In case you missed it here is the link to download the patterns.

The yarn arrived yesterday afternoon.

Tanis Purple Label Cashmere Sock

Grape

Moss

Sweetheart

Lilac

Shadow 

Seabreeze

Spearmint

The colours are great and if you don't have a little one to knit for the yarn will make a great pair of socks.

It has been a productive day.  A newsletter has been finished but I'm not sending it until Tuesday.  There are too many people away for the weekend and I don't want it to get buried in their in box.  Two newsletters have been written for Beth as well.

The edging on Rock Island is growing.  I did pick it up while watching hockey last night but I was tired and messed up one row.  I took it out and all is well but I knew that it should be set aside until today.

The close up shows the subtle colour variations in the yarn.

I am almost at the halfway point of the edging.  I want it done so that I can get onto the fun part. There is part of me that thinks I might be able to get it done for TNNA in Columbus. We leave June 8th so I had better get going.

I think I have found my garment for the Knitter's Fair as well. It is a purple tone so it fits into Sarah's criteria. It's new so it fits into my criteria.  As you all know my mind will change many times before September about what I am going to wear.  There will be a new pattern that comes out or a brand new yarn and I will jump to it.

The hockey game is getting interesting.  I'm going to hit Publish and watch (okay listen) and knit.

Friday post two

As promised I have more to say today.

American Idol was very sad last night.  Seeing James standing on stage with the tears running down his face was awful.  I am not sure who is voting.  I picked Scotty during auditions so I was happy to see him stay but in my opinion James deserved to be a finalist.

Last night I was flipping between the hockey game and other shows so I didn't want to knit on Rock Island.  I worked on my Log Cabin square.

Here is Rock Island-I have done a bit on it today.  14 repeats are complete.

There is one other part of the pattern that can be tricky. You start the row with a yarn over and then knit two together.  I did two rows with the yarn over going in the wrong direction.  It isn't worth ripping back because when I pick up to do the body of the shawl you won't see it but I want to make sure that they are all the same for the rest of the border.

Here are two pictures I took (no it wasn't easy) of how I do the yarn over to start the row.

Put your knitting needle under the yarn.

Then insert the needle into the next two stitches to knit them together.

The yarn goes around your right needle to make an extra stitch.

Are you working on Rock Island?  If you have any tips that can help others (ME) please leave a comment.

I had thoughts of saving this and knitting for a bit in case I have more to add.  Then I gave my head a shake.  Do I really need to be losing a post again?

Rock Island has been started

Yesterday I wrote a post and didn't hit Publish because I was going to add another picture of my knitting.  Bad mistake.  Blogger went down and it just came back up.  My post is gone so I am going to try again.

It was time to get going on my Rock Island Shawl.  I was supposed to start on May 1 but life got in the way.  I rolled my ball of Shepherd Sock yesterday morning and cast on.

You start by casting on 12 stitches for the Lace Edging. There are 8 rows to the chart and it is worked 71 times.

There is one small thing to watch on the chart.  I probably wouldn't have noticed it but Sue told me to be careful.  On a right side row and wrong side row the same symbol is used but it means different things-ssk on one row and k2tog on the other.  I have gone through the chart and circled all the ssk symbols to make life easier.

Here is one pattern repeat done.  My border looks heavier than the picture.  Jared made the shawl in lace weight and I am using sock yarn for a bigger shawl.

And then later in the day this was the picture I took.  Six repeats done. 

Golf and knitting

This afternoon has been spent watching the Masters.  I would like to see Rory McIlroy, Jason Day or Rickie Fowler win.  All three kids look like they are having fun.  There is always a smile on their faces.  No slamming clubs into the ground, no throwing clubs, no swearing at the top of their lungs.

Sleeve one is done and I am working on the front band. The band isn't going to be done before I head home so I slipped half the stitches onto another circular needle so it lays flat for the picture.  In the pattern it calls for the sleeves to be longer-elbow length. Sarah tried the cardigan on Wednesday night and declared that the sleeves should be short or 3/4 length. I opted for short since it meant less knitting.  :)

Yes, you saw this two days ago but it is so pretty I wanted to look at it again.

I have decided to knit Rock Island and will be participating in a KAL on Ravelry in the Lorna's Laces group.

Some of you might be asking what KAL stands for.  Knit-along. A pattern is chosen and everyone tries to get it done in a certain time period.

Posts will be made on Ravelry and I will be talking about it on the blog.  If you have any questions then you can post to the Ravelry group and you will get assistance right away. At 10pm on Saturday night I can't help you but there will be definitely someone on Ravelry who will see your question and have the answer.

We are starting on May 1 and the goal is to have the shawl knit in two months.  Why not join the fun?

At this point I am going to use Shepherd Sock in Grand Street Ink but that could change when the order arrives with both Shepherd Sock and Helen's Lace.  I am planning on bringing both yarns to the Frolic.

Idol was a shock last night.  In my mind Paul was going home since he was in the bottom three last week.  I can't say that I am disappointed. Pia has an amazing voice (probably the best on the show) but I was getting sick of hearing ballad after ballad.  I still think that James is the one to beat.  Scotty and Casey are doing a great job as well.

Grand Street Ink

I started writing a newsletter earlier today.  All was going well and then I lost everything.  I inserted a picture and didn't realize that the picture replaced everything that I typed.  I hit SAVE before I thought about it. No undoing now.  Yes, I am bitter.  Very mad at myself for being dumb so I am putting the computer away for a while to knit.  :)

I needed to write an email so I turned my computer back on.  An email had come through that made me very excited.

Jared Flood (brooklyntweed) has designed a shawl that is stunning.

Read more about the shawl including Jared's comments on the Lorna's Laces blog.

The pattern is called Rock Island and can be purchased on Ravelry or on Jared's website. Once I finish my post I will be buying it.

The yarn is Lorna's Laces Helens Lace and the colour is Grand Street Ink. From Beth at Lorna's Laces

It's here, it's here! I'd like to introduce Grand Street Ink, the latest in our Color Commentary Series. It's a really rich, wine-y brown-y purple-y beauty.

And another comment Beth made about the colour

We're so excited to announce the newest color in our Color Commentary Series, Grand Street Ink.  GSI is collaboration between Lorna's Laces and Jared Flood.  The inspiration for it came from the graffiti on Grand Street in Brooklyn.  There are lots of deep indigos and blacks in the work there.  We started with that idea and went back and forth until we came up with this wonderful deep inky, purply shade. I hope you like it 

The colour has been ordered and will be here by the end of the month.

Last night Beth and I watched last weeks episode of Grey's Anatomy. What is going on?  The singing was seriously awful.  Grey's is a drama. If I want to watch singing there is Glee and American Idol.  I hope this week is better.

I am looking forward to Survivor tonight.  Merging week is always great.