Look Who's Blocking...

My High Line Shawl!  I admit to wearing this a few times before blocking.



In fact, I put it on immediately after I cast off the final stitch and wore it while I added fringe!  It is so cozy, and I cannot wait for it to dry so I can wear it again! 

Ruffle My Feathers

I finally got around to photographing this beautiful shawl that I knit when our summer days were just turning into fall.  Ruffle My Feathers by Caryl Pierre is a fun, fast knit.  I just love the squishy garter stitch, the practical shape, and the girly ruffles that adorn the border.  I definitely need to make another one of these.  Although this shawl would make the perfect gift, I know I'd have a hard time giving it away.  I only blocked the shawl lightly, and now that I look at the above photo I think that it might benefit from a slightly harder blocking to make the ruffles cascade a bit more smoothly.  The merino/cashmere/nylon blend of this yarn is so so soft, I think that would show it off a bit more.

I love how the shawl sits squarely on your shoulders.  I wore this all day last Thursday at work, where I ran around setting up and hosting library programs for 7 hours straight.  No need to adjust my shawl at all.  It kept me warm in our cold program room, but not so hot that I needed to strip off layers as I lugged a huge, unwieldly flip chart, podium, and karaoke machine into the room and then back out (don't ask).

Part of my photography delay (I finished the shawl a full month ago) was due to wardrobe issues.  I absolutely love the color of the yarn I chose for this shawl.  Brown and pink is one of my favorite color combos, and this pattern highlights a slightly variegated yarn beautifully.  However, most of my clothes are blue, green, and black.  All of the pink and most of the brown I have is much warmer than the tones in this yarn.  This outfit was a serendipitious find in my closet.  I was searching for a warmish skirt to wear with my new brown boots, and Eureka!  This outfit matches my shawl perfectly too!  I have since located another brown shirt that I can wear with my Ruffle.  What other colors can I wear with this?

Project Specs for Knitters:
Pattern:  Ruffle My Feathers by Caryl Pierre of Caryl Style (karako17 on ravelry)
Yarn:  Lotus Yarns Chakra in colorway Jayne Mansfield
Needles:  US 7

Caryl is having a 15% off sale on all of her patterns purchased through ravelry this month with the coupon code "stockpile."  It's a great time to buy patterns to knit for holiday gifts!

Total Eclipse!

I am excited to announce that my very first pattern is available for free! Presenting Eclipse! I am still waiting for ravelry's designer hook-up, so for now I'm hosting the pdf in Google docs. There's no need to have a Google account to access it, just click on the link in this post on on the photo in the sidebar. Then you can view the document online or download it.


As a few people have asked, no, Eclipse actually doesn't have anything to do with the Twilight saga. The idea for this design came to me while I was driving, to wear while I was driving, my little Mitsubishi Eclipse, hence the name. I never thought I would drive a convertible, but last fall I was lucky enough to get a great deal on my current car, so I seized the opportunity and I've enjoyed it a lot during the warmer months. The fall and early spring are great times to drive around with the top down. The sun is usually shining but not beating down on me like some sort of punishment. However, during this time of year the wind can still deliver quite a chill. I needed something to keep my hair neat and my neck warm without flattening my hair or blowing away at high speeds. A lacy snood provides the perfect coverage and look. I didn't fall in love with any patterns I found, so I designed my own with one of my favorite lace patterns, Milanese lace from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. I adapted the pattern for knitting in the round. Lace or fingering weight yarn work equally well for this quick project.


Pattern Specs

Yarn: 1 skein of Malabrigo Lace or Malabrigo Sock (sample is knit in Malabrigo Lace in Amoroso)
Gauge: 6 stitches per inch in lace pattern
Needles: US 5 16" or whatever needle you need to achieve gauge
Sizes: 20" (22", 24") around, the length is customizable

Please contact me with any questions about the pattern.

Happy Knitting!