52 Forms of Fungi || #46

Apricot jelly fungus has been on the list for quite a while and has finally made its debut!  It's really starting to hit home that this project is coming to a close - Of the several phases that Berroco provided yarn for, this was the last to create.  Imagining the curled, gelatinous structures of this fungus with each increase row, I continued to savor the softness of Ultra Alpaca Fine.  It's unlikely that this fiber will ever leave my list of favorite yarns.  I like how the natural curl of the yarn in a way mimics the shape of this species.  The Grove Mix colorway seemed to match up nicely as well.

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #40

Last fall, Berroco so kindly provided some yarn for me to use on this project.  The majority of it was varying gauges of Ultra Alpaca (a personal favorite), but also in that box was a new yarn that was about to be released.  A super soft, shiny, beautifully draping yarn.  Now that I'm nearing the end of my project, I'm finishing up my Berroco yarn stash as well.  The two shades of this lovely mystery yarn triggered an epiphany in my brain the other day as I realized the perfect species to use them for: oyster mushrooms.

This is a timely post, as I've been seeing oysters all over my feed lately from local wild crafters.  Apparently, this is a really great year for them in Oklahoma.  I'll bet more will be popping up over the weekend, with all the slow, drizzly rain we've been getting this week.  You may be noticing this from the photos, but no, I did not detail the gills this time, mostly due to time constraints.  Please don't hate me.  If you like to see stitching for gills though, check out Lactarius indigo, another species that I knitted with Berroco yarn.

And now that you're fully wondering what that mystery yarn is (I know you are), I suppose I'll tell you... it's Folio!  The caps were knitted with the Peaks colorway, and the cream shade is called Orr.  These are by far the smooshiest (not a word, but go with it) mushrooms I've made to date.  This yarn has some serious drape.  I'm really considering ordering more to make a sweater or a wrap with; so lovely.

Well, it's been a busy week of knitting/posting about fungi!  I will be working on more over the weekend, and now we're at a countdown!  12 phases left! Hard to believe.  I wish you a very happy Friday!

These mushrooms were knitted for my project, 52 Forms of Fungi.  You can see more phases from this project here.

Off the Needles || Ruckle

Ruckle.  I've been getting into knitted tunics lately.  For a while, it was cardigans and then I had a couple of knit tops turn out a little long and now here I am, enveloped in an oversized knit garment with all the comfort in the world.  I still stand by everything I said in my previous post about this project.  If you get tired of mundane, top down construction, this pattern is for you.  It does involve some seaming at the end, but the yoke and the bottom edge make it all worthwhile.

The pattern is free on Ravelry, designed by Norah Gaughan.  I used Berroco Lago in Deep End for my project.  It drapes beautifully and I've been wearing it in August in Oklahoma without too much misery from the heat.  Works great layered over a dress or with jeans!

On My Needles || Ruckle

With each passing season, I tend to do some serious reorganization on my Ravelry queue.  The length of it is massive.  While I know I'll never actually knit EVERYTHING on my list, it's nice to have a place to record those "things I'd like to make" whether it's because of unique construction or texture, striking color combos or just because it's the perfect garment for that season.  Ruckle has been on this list for quite a while and though it never really hovered near the top, summertime hit, the desire to knit a garment made with plant fibers that would be breezy yet interesting overcame me, and I wanted to start something new while on vacation.  I decided to cast aside my concerns that the fit of the tunic would hug a little too tightly in certain places and just go for it… it has openings on the lower sides, after all.

Ruckle is a design by Norah Gaughan, one of my favorite knitwear designers.  This pattern is actually free, if you decide to make one for yourself!  It's knit with Berroco Lago yarn, a worsted weight rayon/linen blend.  I decided to go with the Deep End colorway, after the rich, blue shade stood out to me.  Does anyone else find it difficult to choose colors for a new garment?  I try to go with hues that I haven't used very much or at all on other projects, but somehow it's hard to go with something that unique from my usual color choices.  I'm just really drawn to bold, cool tones.  Alas…

This design has a very unique construction.  You start with panels that make up the top of the shoulders, wrapping around the neck.  The stitches for the body are picked up from these panels and knit top-down from there.  That large garter stitch section that spans from sleeve tip to sleeve tip seems to take forever, but the body goes relatively quickly after that.  At the bottom, short row shaping forms the lower part of the tunic.  I'm still working on the garter section of the 2nd side, so it will likely be another week or two before I have finished photos for this one.  Finishing up some designs of my own has been taking away from recreational knitting, but the good news is that I should have a new pattern available very soon, and another to follow shortly after that!  I hope you're having a great Friday, and enjoy your weekend!

52 Forms of Fungi || #21

Words cannot express how excited I am to be back on this project again!  I've definitely missed it.  The next few forms for the 52 Forms of Fungi series also include a bit of exciting news... Berroco offered recently to provide yarn for some of my mycological creations, and I shortly thereafter received a nice little package of Ultra Alpaca (one of my most favorite yarns!) in multiple gauges and a variety of colors, as well as a couple of other yarny surprises.  I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the support, and want to say a big "THANK YOU!" to Norah Gaughan and the Berroco team.

Thanks also to all of you who have followed along with the project and reached out along the way - it means a lot.  Momentum Tulsa sidetracked me a little bit, and with the current first time homebuying milestone it's looking like completing all 52 forms by the end of the year is most likely not going to happen.  However, this just means that the fungi will keep on coming for a while longer, so I'm okay with this!  I hope you'll keep checking back to see more.

Now, what do we have here?  This is Lactarius indigo, which exudes a dark blue milky substance when cut.  Sounds like a fantasy novel, doesn't it?  How incredible that these things exist in real life.  The range apparently passes through my state, but I have yet to see one in person.  Are there any tricks on where to look for these beauties?  **Edit: I had previously reported that this is a good mushroom for dyeing wool, but Alissa Allen from Mycopigments has clarified this for me and I'm sad to find out that the blue milky cap does not really transfer to a dye very well.  I would still love to see one, however!

To create these blue milky cap fungi, I used Berroco's Ultra Alpaca yarn in Pastel Blue and Azure Mix.

This structure was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project, through which I will knit a different type of fungi for every week of 2013. Check out more of the forms from this project.