Beaded!

I just finished a new shawl.  This one is beaded!  This was my first attempt at adding beads to my knitting.  I have to say I am really happy with the result.  I have to give thanks to Denise Bell at Lost City Knits for teaching me an easy way to add beads.  You can see how Denise does it on her web site lostcityknits.com.  Click on her videos to see how Denise beads.  You also might want to check out Denise's yarns and patterns.  They are so beautiful.

The pattern is Alexandra by Dee O'Keefe.  It's a well written pattern with great charts.  It has written instructions as well.  This shawl is knit out of Malabrigo Sock in the Persia colorway.  This colorway is teal and gray.  The photos are fairly true to the colors.  It took 2 skeins with some left over.  I used US size 5 (3.75mm) needles.  The finished size is 60 inches wide by 36 inches deep.  The beads are size 6 in an iridescent gun metal color. 

Sorry all the photos were taken while the shawl was being blocked, but I did not have good light after I took it off the blocking wires.

August already!  Where does the time go?  I came back to Oklahoma in mid-March, so I missed winter here.  Not that there was much winter.  It was pretty mild by Oklahoma standards according to most people I have talked to.  I was back in Houston in June for doctor and dentist appointments.  The end of June we headed to Gulf Shores, Alabama for two weeks.  This was our annual trip to visit with family.  We have been going to Gulf Shores since 2001.  This year we had 14 family members, so it was lots of fun. 

On the knitting front, I have a few projects going, but not too many.  I have tried a few new things, but frogged most of them.  Either the yarn wasn't right, or I just did not like the pattern.  I will try to show some things I am working on soon.

Unstuck

I finally got more yarn for the shawl I was stuck on.  I finished the shawl on Monday and blocked it yesterday.  I'm really happy with the way it turned out.  This is the Wast Side shawl by Gudrun Johnston.  It was knit with Cascade Heritage sock yarn on US size 6 (4mm) needles.

Finally Finished

I started these socks sometime last summer, but have only worked on them off and on since then.  I have been working on other projects so these socks only came out when I was too tired to do more complicated work.  That said, I love these socks.  The yarn is Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn in the Symphony colorway.  My photos do not do justice to this yarn.  It is not as blue as in the photos, but a lovely mixture of blue, black, turquoise, green and burgundy.  These socks were knit on US size 2 (2.75mm) bamboo needles.  I am going to wash these socks separately at first, because I'm sure the color will run.  The yarn turned my bamboo needles blue while I was knitting them.

Too Many Projects

I have been working on several knitting projects lately.  I have probably spread myself too thin, but it is hard to resist some patterns.  Currently I am working on a plain pair of socks, an afghan, a triangular shawl, a round shawl and a scarf.  I will try to post some photos soon. 

Good Book

I just finished reading The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma.  What a wonderful book!  My daughter read it and recommended it to me.  Definitely worth reading.  It's a nonfiction book about a nine year old girl and her father.  They make the promise to read together for 100 days.  The Streak, as they call it, turns into 9 years.  

Muckle Mitts

A finished project!  I started these on Tuesday and finished today.  Three day project, just what I like.  These mitts are from a free pattern by Mary Jane Mucklestone.  They are made from baby alpaca, knit on US size 3 (3.25mm) and US size 4 (3.5mm) needles.  The colors are not quite true here.  What appears to be blue in the photos is actually turquoise.  I knit the pattern with no alterations, and the mitts fit both Sarah and I, although they were made for Sarah.

Stuck!

I have been knitting the Wast Side shawl by Gudrun Johnston in a bright fuchsia Heritage solid sock yarn.  I thought I had enough yarn for the project, but alas, I did not.  So...I am waiting on another skein of the yarn to come.  I could technically bind the shawl off as is since it is knit from the outside in, but I really don't want to do that.  Bah!

Icarus Shawl update

I was looking back over some of my old posts and saw that I had mentioned 'still working on the Icarus'.  However, I never posted about finishing it.  I did finally finish the Icarus shawl back in April.  It only took me 4 years to do it.  I kept getting bored/frustrated with the shawl and it went into timeout about 5 times.  I do have to say that I am happy with the finished product.  It's a beautiful pattern.

This pattern is by Miriam Felton.  The yarn is Jaggerspun Zephyr in the Admiral colorway.  It was knit on US size 4 needles. 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone.  I am still in Spring until later this week then it will be back to Oklahoma.  I had a very nice Christmas with my family.  It was nice to have everyone here at one time even if it was a little chaotic at times.  New Year's Eve was very quiet.  I watched four episodes of Downton Abbey with Sarah and Sean.  I got the Downton Abbey DVD for Christmas, and this was the first opportunity I've had to watch it.  We will watch the last two episodes tonight.  If you have not seen Downton Abbey and like English historical dramas, try to see it.  


On the knitting front, I have not been doing anything spectacular.  I have been working on a pair of socks for several months.  I have started making garter stitch squares for an afghan.  There are a couple of other projects that are in time out right now.  I will pick them up later.


I hope everyone has a prosperous and happy new year.  Take care.