On My Needles || Chelsea Morning

Over the span of several months, I had a few pockets of free time within which I managed to cast on some new knitwear projects... only to drop them shortly thereafter in favor of my bigger art projects.  It's been fun picking these up again this fall, but I've found that I have a mountain of WIPs that I really need to finish before moving on to new projects. November just happens to be "National Knit a Sweater Month", which came to my attention through the at first confusing, but recognizeable hashtag of #NaKniSweMo on Instagram.  This knit-along is a fun concept that has been going since 2006 (here's more about it), and since I didn't know about it until Thanksgiving last year I'm ready to jump in this go around.  The problem is my aforementioned mountain of WIPs.  How can I justify casting on a whole new project when I have so many in progress already?  That's just irresponsible (and adds more clutter to the already shrinking amount of open space in my studio).  The only solution is to go half in this time and finish a sweater, yes, but finish a sweater that I previously started.  Chelsea Morning by Elizabeth Davis is perfect for the job!

I honestly can't remember when I began this project, but I want to say it might have been around Christmas last year.  The yarn I'm using is Berroco Folio, which you might remember from the oyster mushrooms that I made through my 52 Forms of Fungi project. Berroco sent that yarn for me to try out on the project, and I really enjoyed the softness and drape (well, what you can tell of drape when making a small knitted mushroom).  When I decided to start on Chelsea Morning, Folio (an alpaca, rayon/viscose blend) seemed like the perfect cozy fiber for an oversized sweater.

The color block design with a lower hem in the back is what sold me on this pattern, and the more it takes shape the more I like the minty green and light brown color combo that I went with.  I still need to spend a lot of time making small art pieces this month for Deluxe Winter Market over Thanksgiving weekend, but I hope to finish (or at least get close to finishing) this sweater for NaKniSweMo too.  Next year, it's an Improvised Top Down Sweater, all the way.

Are you making a sweater for National Knit a Sweater Month?  What pattern are you using?

On My Needles || Imogen Tee

I tend to stick to fairly simple sweater projects, partly because I tend to prefer bold colors over ornate stitching, and partly because I just like the ease of sailing through a stockinette body after a long day at work to help me unwind. The motif on the Imogen Tee pattern is just so pleasing to the eye, however. I believe I first saw it through my Instagram feed and knew that I had to find the pattern. That's how it is with me and knitwear patterns.  There's no wishy-washy indecisiveness of "well, I guess I'll start on this...." It's always more like "THIS!  It without a doubt HAS to be THIS!"  And so it goes, and I end up with 5 things going at once, but at least I'm enthusiastic about all of them.  I digress... This design is by Carrie Bostick Hoge for Quince & Co. I opted for Knit Picks Lindy Chain over the Quince & Co Tern. I've had some curiosity about Lindy Chain since it was debuted and decided to try out the Celery colorway. So far, I've not been disappointed. My motif is a little more open than on the garment shown on the model. I will need to wear a camisole underneath it once it's done, but I think the stitch definition will pop once it's blocked and it will make a nice, cool, summer sweater. One that I will finish just in time for fall to get here.

Around the time I began Imogen, I was somewhat hesitant about starting a project right then that required enough attention to follow a chart on every row, but it hasn't really required much concentration. The motif section is very short, so I zoom through the round, slow down a bit to reference the chart, and then pick it up again after a moment or so. As I'm writing this, the project is nearly halfway through the raglan decreases (it's knit from the bottom edge and up) and I'm hoping to have it done by the end of the month.  It will be a perfect addition to my spring capsule wardrobe (have any of you gotten on board capsules too?) and will give me something to look forward to other than, obviously, spring in general.  Until then, I'll be looking forward to fall...

On My Needles || Twenty Ten

Twenty Ten is a short sleeved, asymmetrical cardigan designed by Veera Valimaki.  Project number three that I have knitted in the past year from her designs.  I'm going to call this my "knitting rule of threes".  First, my obsession with Hannah Fettig's knitwear wonders, now Veera.  I wonder who will be next?

In any case, I began this project as an early summer knit - actually, I'm pretty sure I cast on for the flight to see my niece graduate from high school in Denver last May.  Sadly, Featherweight took priority over it after my return and I didn't pick it up again until this fall.  That's okay, since the turmeric colorway of Knit Picks' Billow yarn really put me in the autumn mood.  I had been starry-eyed over this smooshy-looking, bulky cotton since they debuted it - was that last year?  And for the record, it's just as smooshy as it looks.  They have a way with product photos, those Knit Picks people.  If you haven't seen the recent release of kettle dyed Hawthorne, prepare to lust.

When I first saw this pattern, I was really drawn in by the asymmetrical button band, again by the moss stitch texture, and the cowl neck really did me in.  The model is shown wearing it over a long sleeve top, and looks about as comfortable in it as I look curled up on the couch in my fluffy robe watching Gilmore Girls on Saturdays (while knitting, of course).

I finished it over Christmas and it's been blocked already.  I think it might end up fitting a little bit large, but I'm waiting to attach some buttons before I determine that for sure.  It's possible that I may sew the buttons on further onto the front panel from the hem than they are meant to go, partly to add a little fabric to restrict airflow, and partly for a more snug fit.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Moss stitch is my new jam, folks.  I've been using it on other small projects since finishing this one, just because I enjoyed looking at it so much.

Happy Friday!  I'm going to mope around because the weather is supposed to be gross AGAIN, but March begins next week so I know I have something to look forward to.  :)

On My Needles || Still Light Tunic

It seems like I've had a slew of "On My Needles" posts lately, but have a stack of finished projects in my studio just waiting for a photo shoot to wrap them up.  One of my plans for this weekend is to work on getting images of some finished pieces, so by next week you should be seeing completed projects instead of just those that are in progress!

This is my Still Light tunic, designed by Veera Valimaki.  I had never made anything she designed before Whispers, so it's funny that the very next thing I cast on was this project.  It's been on my queue for a couple of years now, and I actually bought the pattern back in 2012 or 2013, so I felt like it was time.

The yarn is Knit Picks Gloss in the Robot colorway.  I normally like vibrant colors for my knitwear projects, but this time I decided that I need a neutral piece in my wardrobe.  Plus, I also love brightly colored and patterned tights, and this would be perfect to wear with those.  My gauge was a little smaller than what the pattern called for, so I added in some repeats and length, which i will go into in further detail on my final post.

Overall, this pattern entails a ton of stockinette.  It's knitted top down, a really simple construction, and is great for mindless/meditative knitting (my favorite kind!).  The space above the pockets sort of balloons out, and then comes back in.  It looks like a flattering fit in the pattern photos… we shall see.  As long as the form turns out right it will be a perfect, cozy layering piece for the fall and winter months with a soft blend of wool and silk.

I just have a few more inches of stockinette stick along the bottom to go, then the ribbed edge, sleeves and pockets.  Maybe by Halloween there will be something to show for it...

Wool and the Gang || Crazy Sexy Wool

 To be fully honest, the blogs that I follow are a little heavier on design than they are on knitting.  While I love knitting (obviously), I find that the hip curation of fashion/lifestyle/home decor by design bloggers piques my interest a little more strongly.  Furthermore, when their posts come full circle to tie in knitting or nature (my other obvious interest), I'm all the more intrigued and energized by it.  Thus, my feelings about Wool and the Gang.  I first came across this company a couple of years back through one of the aforementioned blogs and really dug their crisp, minimalistic, modern aesthetic.  Upon looking into them a little further, I discovered their focus on quality, sustainable craftsmanship in fashion, and an emphasis on sustainable and recycled yarns.  WATG designs simple knitting patterns that may be purchased as kits or separately as yarn and pattern to encourage handmade fashion… and if you're not a knitter you can buy the garments hand made by one of the WATG makers.  Pretty basic, huh?  Basic, but personal, and with beautiful products to boot.

When WATG reached out about getting some of their yarn into my hands to try out, I was clearly all about it.  A week later, I had two balls of Crazy Sexy Wool in my possession, in the Magic Mint colorway.  When I think of mint green, I picture… well, the walls in my study, because that's one of our colors of choice when it comes to home ambiance.  Rather than the sherbet green, this shade of the yarn is more of a cool, minty blue.  I can almost smell peppermint when I look at it… or maybe that's just my essential oil diffuser.  No matter.  Color often drives my instincts when it comes to yarn selection, so when I opened the package the day it arrived I was instantly drawn to the vibrancy of the hue.

When I reached in to grasp the yarn, an involuntary sigh definitely happened as my hand melted into the softness.  This is some seriously soft yarn.  Super bulky, too - probably one of the bulkier yarns that I have worked with.  I'm also a sucker for single-ply yarns.  Whether it's the case or not, I always feel like I'm knitting with handspun yarn when I work with single-ply.  With some single-ply yarns the fiber will pull and break apart in the middle of a project, but I had no such experience with this yarn.  It's just as taut and strong as a plied one.

As someone with an abundance of cowls and oversized scarves, I decided I wanted to try something a little different with this 100% Peruvian wool.  Since I normally work with a pretty small gauge it was a difficult decision, but I finally settled on a variation of the Foliage Wrap by Anne Thompson, a vest with a large leaf edging around the bottom.  Given my lack of experience with bulky non-accessory garments, this may or may not be the final form of the yarn.  If I don't like the project after it's blocked, I may frog it and go for a hat instead.  No tears lost over a little more time with this chunky goodness.

Each ball of Crazy Sexy Wool has 87 yards, and I must say that I am impressed at how far one ball of the yarn takes you - much farther than I expected.  The vest is nearly done, so expect photos of it soon, or, you know, photos of some other mystery garment if I decide in the end that the pattern doesn't work for me after all.  Another bonus: working with US 19 needles goes a lot faster than US 3.

Wool and the Gang provided the yarn for this review, but all words and opinions are my own.

On My Needles || Whispers

I feel like I should state up front: this was not at all an original idea.  The Whispers pattern by Veera Valimaki has been floating around in the back of my head, appealing to the part of my brain that regulates "start-itis" since it appeared on Ravelry one day.  It's an adorable, feminine pattern that's great for the changing of the seasons (or even summertime, if you use some plant-based fiber).  I was sold on the prospect of making one for myself after I saw Cassy's project on Knitthehellout.  She used this gorgeous ombre dyed yarn by Black Trillium Fibres on Etsy, and I couldn't stop looking at the FO, it was so pretty.  I went online to check out the shop and ended up buying myself a 31st birthday present of the Lilt sock gradient kit in plum and downloaded the pattern.  Normally, I'm not one to copycat, but I give Cassy full credit for this brilliant idea and hope that mine turns out half as great as hers did.  Truth be told, it's already bound off and waiting for blocking - hopefully I can get some finished photos in the next few weeks!

We're nearing the beginning of Autumn here in Oklahoma, which is music to my ears!  Today is supposed to be the last miserably hot day before we get hit with a couple of cold fronts that should keep us in pleasant territory for a while.  This means it's hiking season again!  I'm excited to get in a little outdoors time this weekend.  What are your favorite things to do during the transition of seasons?

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!

On My Needles || Villeneuve

We've got a big family vacation to Florida coming up, and I found this free pattern hiding in my Ravelry library last week and probably got a little over-zealous.  It's a perfect swimsuit coverup, am I right?!  Anyway, I realized I had some sport weight cotton that might work so I came home to swatch on Friday.  After discovering that my gauge with the sport weight was right on (with anticipation of a little stretching out when I block it) I went into emergency vacation knitting mode.  Well, here and there.  Knitting is a little sparser these days what with a garden to weed and bees to stare at (wouldn't have it any other way).

One detail I really like about this top is the rounded hem on the front and back, which reminds me of a raglan baseball tee.  I'm making it a size larger so it will be nice and breezy rather than fitted, to wear around the pool or walking over to the beach. The pattern is Villeneuve, which is free on Ravelry, and my yarn is Knit Picks Shine Sport in Crocus.  Are you working on any summer projects?

On My Needles || Featherweight Cardigan

Featherweight is my fourth Knitbot project, and the gauge just seems to keep getting smaller!  I started out with the bulky Effortless Cardigan, moved on to fingering weight Walpole and Brise, and now I've arrived at lace weight.  For a sweater.  It's true to the name though, light as a feather, and I'm sure it will be a welcome addition to my wardrobe come the cooler mornings and evenings in the garden this fall.

Another simple stockinette stitch cardigan that boasts a lack of seaming, the project has gone relatively quickly when I actually have a chance to work on it.  I added a couple of inches to the length of the body because my torso is long and there's nothing I hate more than tugging on a top all day because i can feel a breeze on my back.  I'm currently in the middle of the second sleeve and hope to finish that and move on to the collar this weekend.

For this project I went with the recommended yarn, Malabrigo Lace.  It's my first garment in a colorway of various hues, so it's been interesting to see how it knits up.  Unfortunately, I did not realize until I was into the first sleeve that I ended up with two different dye lots.  The yarn I joined for the sleeve has a much richer brown hue than the body - I must have been winding the skeins in a dim room not to have noticed it.  There was enough for the other sleeve, however, and I think I'll have enough to do at least part of the color in this same cake of yarn so it will at least look symmetrical.  It's not all that noticeable unless you're just staring at the garment as you would be if you're, well, knitting it.

If this turns out well, I may add it to my list of pieces that I may someday in the future want a second one of… after I work on some bulky weight projects, that is.  Just got yarn in for one yesterday.  :)  What are you working on?

On My Needles || Toulouse

The moment I spotted Toulouse by Leah Thibault in Knit Scene last year, I knew that I HAD to make one.  Maybe it's because I had a mean case of hat envy (seriously, I love floppy hats but hats just tend to look terrible on me), but I think it had more to do with the beautiful reminiscence of vintage blouses incorporated through the neckline tie.  The tie is what did it - the tie.  I can't believe I went all this time without expediting this project to the top of my queue, but here we are and maybe it's a good thing... the anticipation has just made it that much sweeter.

One thing I should point out is how vibrant, yet earthy and neutral the yarn color is.  I'm lucky enough to have a mom who is even more into knitting than I am - I'm a fledgling in comparison, as she's been a serious knitter since her teens.  Anyway, one of the really cool parts about having a mom who knits is her exuberant yarn stash... and the opportunity to every once in a while take some of it off of her hands.  Such was the case with this yarn - some supremely soft Cascade Alpaca Lana D'Oro.  Thanks, Mom!

I was about halfway done with the body when I took these photos the other day, but at this present moment I'm working on the bottom ribbing section and may even get to move on to the sleeves tonight!  More top-down, seamless, easy stockinette knitting.  The project has gone really quickly and considering how long I've waited on making it, that's a great thing!  You'll likely see an Off the Needles post for this baby soon.

Also on the finishing list is Cardoon, which has but one sleeve left to be seamed and set in.  And maybe one day I'll get to unpack all of my studio boxes, find my Lanesplitter skirt and a strip of elastic and get that one out of the black hole that is my unfinished objects list too.  Another day...

On My Needles || Cardoon

Don't you love those flecks of color?  This yarn is quickly becoming a new favorite.  I've partnered with Love Knitting again to try out more of their eco-friendly products, and this time it's a recycled yarn by Rowan, called Purelife Revive.  It's made with recycled cotton, viscose and silk fibers, and has the feel of a plant fiber yarn that has me thinking it will just get softer with wear.  I love the statement on the label, "Recycling is becoming increasingly important in a world coming to terms with the challenges of environmental, economic and climate change.  Rowan Purelife Revive is made from used garments which have been selected according to the silk, cotton and viscose content.  These are then carded to make regenerated fibre, which is then spun into this beautiful, high quality yarn, which gives life to new hand knitting designs." The colorways are named for different geologic formations, and the one I chose is called Pumice.  I love the Pink Granite colorway as well - it really does look just like granite, with the various shades embedded into it.  Very fitting for the theme of the yarn as well to name them after a unique set of natural formations.

Love Knitting sent me a copy of the coinciding pattern book, the Purelife Recycled Collection.  The first garment I'm making from this lovely array of organic, down to earth pieces is Cardoon, a one button cardigan with rib texturing.  It's knitting up pretty quickly, so I hope to share the finished product with you in just a few weeks!  This would be a great pattern to make for a Christmas gift - since it goes fast and the cardigan is not too particularly fitted - no wonky shapes here to deal with.  It looks like both the yarn and the book are on sale on their web site right now, too!  More on this piece soon!

Check out my previous review for Love Knitting, their Eucalan No-Rinse Wool Wash

On My Needles || Color Craving

 Leave it to me to join a knit-along, despite knowing full well that I have absolutely no time for ANOTHER new project.  Stephen West recently hosted another knit-along on Ravelry (did any of you join?), and as I've never done a mystery KAL, I just couldn't pass it up.  The pattern is Color Craving, which is now unveiled and available in its full disclosed version.... and I just started Clue #2.  I've avoided looking at the final pattern photos so I can still have my fun going off of the clues, but seriously guys... this is sad. As you know, I've been a little busy with other things though, so I hope you'll let it slide.

Mr. West never ceases to intrigue with his patterns.  The first few rows were a little odd to knit because I just kept thinking, "okay, where is he going with this?"  As the first section unfolded though, it was really interesting to see how it shaped up.  Since I have about 5 other things going at the same time, including fungi (yay!) and some Halloween socks (had to), and another cardigan that I'm excited to show you soon, just know that it could take a little while before I show you finished photos of this guy... but I'll enjoy my surprises all the way.

On My Needles || Brise

Once again, I'll talk a little bit about how much I love Hannah Fettig's patterns.  Brise went on my queue as soon as the collection of Knitbot patterns for Quince and Co's new linen yarn, Sparrow, came out.  Unfortunately, Sparrow sold out before I could get my hands on some (good for you, Quince/Knitbot!), and I didn't really want to wait until the warm weather left us to cast on such a perfect summer project that I can wear through the fall.  Enter Louet Euroflax Sport.  What better excuse did I need to let myself live a little and indulge in some of this luxurious linen?  My colorway here is Ginger, and while I always question myself about knitting fingering weight cardigans (I mean, really?) I can't stay away.  It's going slowly, but I love the yarn.  It's a perfect project for finishing the evening on the couch after putting in a few hours on Saprobia.  My love for Knitbot lives on, and my love for linen has just begun...

On My Needles || Ines

It feels like an eternity since the last On My Needles post, but to be honest there just hasn't been much time for any "just for fun" garment knitting this summer.  I picked up the Manos del Uruguay Design Team's Serena - Collection 1 booklet at my local yarn store a few years back, around the time that I was drooling over a lot of knits but not really making many of them.  The top on the cover, Ines, has been on my wish list since that time - there are several eye catching knits in the booklet, but this one grabbed my attention as soon as I glanced at it and was pretty much my reason for the purchase.

In looking for a summery piece of knitwear, I decided to seize the opportunity and cast this one on.  The thing is, however, that Oklahoma summers are ridiculously hot.  The yarn this pattern calls for is mostly alpaca, and that just wouldn't do at all.  While alpaca is one of my favorite fibers to work with it's just not suitable for a short sleeved top in the Lower Midwest.  I decided to go with Knit Picks Swish worsted, in Macaw, an EXTREMELY summery color, in all its glory.  It reminds me of cool grass.  Cool grass distracts me from gross, humid heat.  As does the cotton/Modal fiber it's made of - oh, beautiful, breathable, drapey yarn!  Plus, it's soft.  And... let's be honest.  I'm a tree hugger.  A tree hugger's favorite color is almost always green.  My gauge is slightly smaller than what the pattern calls for, but with the amount of ease provided in the pattern I'm thinking it will be okay- just a little more fitted.

Thus far, I've finished the front piece and am working on the bottom edge of the back.  If I dedicated this week to it, I could probably finish.  There are other projects that require my attention, however, so that daydream has to go on the shelf for a bit.  Just like stitching in the elastic for my Lanesplitter skirt, another knitwear project that's been collecting cobwebs.  Just because I haven't been working on things for myself, however, does not mean that all knitwear has been pushed to the side.  Part of that time has been dedicated to finalizing some original patterns that will hopefully be released in a few weeks!  Linger nearby, my dear knitters.  More on this soon.

On My Needles || Lanesplitter

 My LYS recently started a knit-along of the Lanesplitter skirt, which I was of course ecstatic to join in on despite my already never ending list of projects.  Loops in Tulsa is one of my fave yarn stores in the state, and it's also probably one of the hippest yarn stores I've ever been to... right up there with Purl Soho.  It's pretty great. Also, when I say "local" yarn store, I mean like 90 miles away local.  And when I say "knit along", I mean that I'm following the Ravelry thread and staying in the "loop" that way (see what I did there?).  So anyway, I haven't done any of their KAL's before and it seemed like a great opportunity to try out a type of garment I haven't knitted before... and here I am.  My progress has been gradual... very gradual... but I got it out for just a little while on our cabin getaway this past weekend.  And oh, the yarny, naturey bliss that was had by this fair cotton garment...

Sure, the porch is nice... but let's take it down to the creek bank, shall we?

Moss and more moss... a view of a stream...

What one wouldn't give to wander off into forested oblivion... forever...

Two balls of yarn, destined for adventure...

Two balls of yarn, facing the future with boldness.  Where no yarn has gone before....

Aaaaaaaaaannnnnnnndddddd I'm done.  But really, who doesn't want that?

On My Needles || Hitchhiker

The Instagram-alongers Ravelry group has been working on Hitchhiker, a shawl by Martina Behm this month.  My progress on it is slow, but since it IS something I've been working on gradually, I thought I would share it.  Partly because I like my progress photos.  The shawl looks complicated, but it's actually a really easy pattern to memorize.  I ended up using some Bare Merino Knit Picks yarn that was in my stash for the project.  Since I do still have an aspiration to knit socks this year I just couldn't let any of my Malabrigo Sock yarn go for this one.  I'm tempted to try dyeing the bare garment once it's finished, but this would be my first dye attempt and who knows how that could turn out?  If anyone has experience with dyeing knitted garments as opposed to roving and has comments on the differences in results, please let me know!

On My Needles || Walpole

It feels like so long since I last made one of these posts, almost to the point that you probably think I haven't been knitting anything other than fungi and heart motif hats, eh?  Well, that's not exactly the case.  I did finish another lingering project recently that I have yet to get photos of, and the rest of my time has been spent on this fingering weight beauty... Hannah Fettig's Walpole.  I've sung of my love for the Knitbot patterns before, and this time is no different.  My only complaint is how slow going the piece is because of the tiny gauge.  BUT, it's oh so soft, and the yarn looks gorgeous and I can already tell that this is another sweater I am going to love to wear.

My yarn choice for Walpole is Knit Picks Capretta, an utterly luscious merino yarn with a hint of cashmere... the first time I've made something for myself with a remotely fancy fiber such as cashmere.  I know it's only 10%, but I don't care!  It's SO soft!  Did I mention that?  SOFT.  I can't wait to finish this cardigan.  I just completed the waist decreases this week, so I'm hoping to get to some sleeves in the near future.  Have you tried out any Hannah Fettig patterns?  Which one is your favorite?

On My Needles || Daybreak Shawl

This pattern wasn't really on my radar until one of my Instagram friends posted about a knit-along set up by another Instagram and Ravelry user.  Instagram is one of my favorite smart phone applications, because it allows you to share a moment, something from your view, in a visual way.  It does not include the snark, negativity, controversy and triviality that I have experienced with Facebook.  I think oftentimes, our thoughts and experiences are best shared without words.  Instagram allows you to see these experiences through another person's perspective.  Additionally, there are some very beautiful images shared with interesting content and beautiful composition.  I'm definitely hooked on it, and if you would like to follow me my IG username is Bromeleighad, the same as my blog title.

Back to the knit-along, the person who set it up also created a Ravelry group entitled Instagram-Along-Ers, so we can also share our projects at that venue.  I have never participated in a Ravelry knit-along before, but I like this group because you also see people's photos of their progress on a day to day basis, rather than just the end product.  I have so many other projects going that I just made it into the second section of the shawl, but I can already tell that it is going to get a lot of wear!

The pattern is Daybreak by Stephen West.  I chose to make the medium size, and I am using Knit Picks Chroma fingering sock yarn, in the Bittersweet Heather and Orchard colorways.  The yarn is incredibly soft and the color changes are gorgeous, as you can see above.  I will definitely be using it again, possibly for socks next time.  Hopefully I can get this finished in the next few weeks to show you the finished product.

On My Needles || Palladio

This is the first time I have knitted something other than an accessory with an "art yarn", if you would call Berroco Captiva that.  I've seen the booklet that this pattern was published in a million times at LYS and every time I am enamored by the garments and consider buying it... but don't... and then by the time I visit again I've forgotten and the same thing happens all over again.  This time I remembered though!  And I knew that I just had to buy it - there are 3 or 4 items that I would love to make from it and if that's not justification enough... I don't know what is.

The pattern is called Palladio, and it is by Amanda Keep.  This pattern is part of the Berroco Captiva #318.  I love the yarn so far - it's very shiny and elegant looking, with wonderful drape.  I chose a sea foam greenish color, which suits me fine because the sheen of the yarn and the color just makes me think of mermaids for some reason - it's really pretty.  It's also a pretty quick knit, as I've only worked on it for a few short sittings and I'm about halfway done with the front side.

Another thing I'm working on is the next phase of my Decomposition series.  It's pretty fast moving, and I'm hoping to execute this one in the fairly near future.  Part of that depends on weather conditions, but I have a plan.  And it involves the phrase: "Dad, can I glue some stuff to the dead part of your Japanese maple?"  Dad, if you're reading this I'll explain when I see you this weekend...  and I'll prune the dead part after I'm done.  :)

I'm also planning for another phase....

Aaaaannnnnd there's another top secret project in the works but you'll have to wait a while to see more on that.  Partly because I want to make sure it works.  But also partly because it's awesome... and I want you to see it in its full glory rather than just bit by bit.

I know I've been posting less lately, and most of what is lacking includes posts on work that I admire by other folks, or "inspiration" posts.  I've spent more time on my projects and trying to improve the ol' blog, so I guess you could say I've been more inspired by what I'm doing lately as opposed to outside influences.  That seems like a good thing, don't you think?  I won't completely discontinue the inspiration posts, but hope to incorporate some more original content as I develop ideas.  Thanks for reading, and I will leave you with the only Halloween decoration that is currently in my house.  October is almost here!

On My Needles || Ishbel

This pattern moves unbelievably fast, and uses less than a skein of sock yarn.  I fell in love with this midnight blue shade of Sweet Fiber yarn's Super Sweet Sock in the Fountain colorway at Loops in Tulsa.  My intention was to pick up some Malabrigo sock yarn for the project, but this skein really stood out to me and I'm glad that I decided to use it.  (The leftovers will look great in my Bee Keeper's Quilt as well).

Ishbel is a shawl pattern by Ysolda Teague, with a nice scalloped or actually, rather pointy edging.  It went so fast I actually finished it several days ago, but I will have to order some blocking mats before I can show the finished product which might take a little while.  I'm excited to get it steamed out so I can see the lace pattern better... until then I guess I'll just have to further enjoy that dreamy color for a while.

I've also been working on some other sculptural projects, one of which you can catch a glimpse of below.  This is definitely a trial and error process, but I've learned to be patient with it because I want a high quality end result.  Hopefully you'll see more on this soon!