Next in Line Afghan: Almost There!

I'm on the next-to-last log of my Next in Line log cabin blanket — it's exciting to be so close to finishing! Today I thought I'd talk a bit about the colors I've used and offer ideas for choosing your own. 

There are 19 logs in all and currently I'm knitting Log No. 18. The main color of this log is Doeskin Heather and the contrast color is Silver Grey. 

These two colors are very close in value, which means there's not a lot of contrast between them. So this particular log has a soft, quiet feel. 

The four colors I've used are: Cascade 220 Silver Grey, Doeskin Heather, and Straw; and Valley Yarns Northampton Lake Heather. 

If you're planning to knit this afghan and want to start thinking about colors, I'd suggest taking photos of potential color combinations, then editing the photos to make them black and white, so you can see the values (their lightness/darkness).

Here are my four colors in black and white, arranged from lightest (Silver Grey) to the darkest (Lake Heather):

My afghan's overall "look" is quiet and subtle. That's due in part to the values of my colors. As you can see from the black-and-white photo, there's actually not a big contrast between the lightest color (Silver Grey) and the darkest color (Lake Heather). In fact, none of these colors are extremely dark.

If you want a blanket with a similar feel, choose colors that are similar to these in value. If you'd rather make a blanket with a lot more "pop" or contrast, you'll probably want to choose four colors that vary more widely in value — maybe one very light color, one slightly darker, one medium, and one very dark.

Knitters on Instagram have been asking me for yardage, but I'm not ready to announce it yet. I want to wait until the whole blanket is done and I'm sure of how much Silver Grey I've used. There are five different log "schemes" in the afghan, and for two of them Silver Grey is the main color. So I've used twice as much Silver Grey as any of the other colors. 

The knitting has been going slowly lately, because I've been working on other designs that are due soon. But Next in Line gets some attention most days. It won't be too long now!

LINKS
Next in Line Instagram posts (hashtag: #nextinlineblanket)
My Ravelry project page
Next in Line blog posts 

Art Announcement: Upcoming Show

Today I'm taking off my knitwear designer hat for a moment and putting on my artist hat. I wanted to let you know about a show opening tomorrow that I've got an artwork in.

The piece you see here will be shown along with work by 36 other artists in the 5th Annual Juried Show at Gallery A3 in Amherst, Massachusetts, June 7-30. There's an opening reception on Thursday, June 7, 5-8 pm. On Saturday, June 9, juror Emma Chubb, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Smith College Museum of Art, will give an informal talk starting at 3 pm, followed by a reception with the artists until 6 pm.

Gallery A3 is located at 28 Amity Street in downtown Amherst. Look for either Amherst Cinema or Amherst Coffee - it's right between them. Here's a link to the Facebook event page.

"Presence/Absence: Broken Bark" is part of an ongoing project in which I make both detailed drawings and negative space embroideries of found objects. The drawing is a record of the object and where I found it (the "presence" part of the piece). The embroidery begins with a literal tracing of the object on linen (the "absence"), which then serves as a springboard for improvised, additive stitching.

Other subjects in this series have been a rusty washer that I picked up from the gravel at the farm where my mother grew up, broken stitch markers found in the parking lot outside Atkins Country Market in Amherst, a Paris Metro ticket found on the floor at the Thirsty Mind coffeeshop in South Hadley, poetry magnets scattered on the pavement near the Dumpster at my condo, and a bright pink baby's teething ring found at the Goodnough Dike at the Quabbin Reservoir in Ware.

Each drawing is done the same way, in pencil, with stenciled notes about where and when I found the object. Every embroidery, on the other hand, is different, with the colors and stitches chosen depending on the object's particular qualities, associations it brings to mind, or its use in its "previous life."

I share the process of creating each piece in my Patreon feed. Patrons get to see these and other artworks develop, for as little as $1 per month. There are higher levels of support with rewards such as embroidery postcards and original artworks. I post to my Patreon page 3-4 times a week, about works in progress, techniques, influences, inspirations — basically, it's an inside, "behind the scenes" look at my life as an artist and how my artwork comes into being.

Here are a few images that I posted to Patreon as I was creating "Presence/Absence: Broken Bark."

If you're in western Massachusetts, I hope you can make it to the show or one of the receptions. I'll be at both events, probably more toward the beginning than the end. Hope to see you!

LINKS
Gallery A3
My Patreon Page

Log Cabin Update: Next in Line Afghan

Just three more rows, friends — two rows of knitting, plus binding off — and Log No. 16 of my Next in Line afghan will be finished! 

The afghan now measures about 43 x 56 inches (110 x 142 cm). That's a respectable size for a throw, and I could stop now. But I want more than a throw. I want this to be a big, cozy blanket — the perfect size for snuggling under on a winter evening with your toes well covered and toasty. 

Also, it's a gift, one that I hope the recipients will use for many years to come. So I don't want to skimp. I don't want them wishing for the next 30, 40, 50 years that it was just a little bit bigger. 

Log No. 16 is just like the very first log I knit, with two sections of grey accented with straw stripes. I chose to work two sections rather than one for Log No. 16 not only because I thought it would look good, but also to add extra length on one side, making the afghan more of a rectangle than a square. After the addition of the remaining three logs, the piece will retain an overall rectangular shape.

When will the project be finished and the pattern ready? Well, I had hoped it might be this month — but that's clearly not going to happen. I had a couple of design submissions accepted recently, and since both of them have firm deadlines, they take priority. But I do knit on Next in Line most days, even if only a few rows, so it's always moving steadily forward. It's just that, at this point, the rows are so very  L  O  N  G!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend (and a very happy Memorial Day, if you're in the U.S.). Thanks for reading!

LINKS
Next in Line Instagram posts (hashtag: #nextinlineblanket)
My Ravelry project page
Next in Line blog posts 

Update: Next in Line Afghan

While I'm not at the finish line yet on my Next in Line afghan, I'm inching closer and closer. Quite a few knitters have let me know they are eager for the release of this pattern, and I'm doing my best to keep knitting away on it (while also juggling other projects and work). I'm not a sadist and don't want to make anyone wait forever — really, truly I don't! So while you're waiting, how about a quick progress report?

The temperatures climbed into the upper 80s yesterday, so I combined my desire to get outdoors and walk with the need for some new photos. When I began this blanket a few months ago for the Fringe and Friends Logalong, it was really pleasant to have it on my lap as I knit on chilly winter evenings. Now, now so much!

The blanket is going to consist of 19 "logs" in all. I'm currently knitting Log. No. 15 and expect to finish it in the next day or two. That leaves just four more!  When I finished Log No. 14, the piece measured 39 x 45 inches. The projected measurements of the full afghan are 52 x 60 inches.

I'm using worsted weight yarns — three colors of Cascade 220 (Silver Grey, Straw, and Doeskin Heather) and one color of Valley Yarns Northampton (Lake Heather). It's called Next in Line because each log contains a few rows or "lines" of the main color of the next log. There are five different color/line combinations that appear throughout. For some, the contrast rows are in the center of the log, and for others they come at the end. The depth of each log varies as well, leading (I hope) to an overall design that's both lively and a little unpredictable.

It's too soon to give final yardage — the last four logs will eat up more and more yarn, as they get longer and longer. But at this point I can share that I've used all or part of ten skeins (or 2,200 yards, more or less). I've used more of the silver grey than any other color, because it's the main color in two of the five color sequences.

If you want to keep abreast of this project, the best place to see frequent updates is my Instagram account — follow the hashtag #nextinlineblanket. (I've posted a few technique videos there, along with lots of still photos.) I also add photos or notes now and then to my Ravelry project page. Or, follow the project from its beginnings by reading all of my blog posts about it.

I guess I should log off now and get back to knitting. Garter stitch, here I come!

Tips and Techniques: How Many Yards Are Left in That Skein?

If you're buying new yarns for a multicolor project like the About Town Shawl, you can simply choose colors you love and get started without being too concerned about yardage, as long as each skein has at least as many yards as the pattern says you'll need. 

But what if you want to use up some of those partial skeins of yarn in your stash? You'll need to be sure you have enough of each color. It's not difficult to figure that out, and in this post, I'll explain how.

You'll need a scale that allows you to weigh in grams (I use a simple kitchen scale), a calculator (or Excel, or old-fashioned pencil and paper and your awesome math skills), and the yarn label. Don't have the label anymore? Look up the yarn on the yarn company's website or in Ravelry's yarn database. (If you aren't sure what yarn it is, can you remember what project you used it for? You may have recorded the yarn on your Ravelry project page, so check that.)

From the yarn label or other source, gather two key pieces of information: 1) how many yards are in a skein, and 2) how many grams does the skein weigh. Write those two numbers down and let's get started!

As an example, I'll use the leftovers from a skein of The Fawn and The Fox Badger sock yarn, in the Fantastic Mr. Fox colorway. The label says the original skein weighed 100 grams, and had 464 yards. To calculate how many yards remain, first divide the number of yards in the original skein by the number of grams in the original skein. In my example, 464 yards divided by 100 grams equals 4.64. Now I know that there are 4.64 yards per gram.

Next, weigh the partial skein, then multiply its weight in grams by the number of yards per gram. The result is the number of yards left in the partial skein.

My yarn weighs 26 grams; 26 grams x 4.64 yards/gram = 120.64 yards. See how easy that is? 

Now you're all set to go stash diving and see if you already have some lovely yarns with enough yardage to make the shawl. Have fun!

Just a reminder — tomorrow's the last day of the introductory sale on the About Town Shawl. Save 25% in my Ravelry pattern store with the coupon code SHAWL25. The sale ends at midnight EST April 19.

New Pattern: About Town Shawl

Attention, shawl lovers: here's a new pattern perfect for spring!

Worked from the top down in three colors of fingering weight yarn, the About Town Shawl showcases a striking mix of knit-purl textures, garter stitch, and lace — plenty of variety to keep the knitting interesting. Make it your own with colors that suit your style — subtle neutrals, or bright colors that pop — it’s your choice!

The About Town Shawl is on sale in my Ravelry pattern store for 25% off through Thursday, April 19 — use the coupon code SHAWL25 to get the discount.

I designed this shawl to match the About Town Mitts. The two patterns can be purchased together as an ebook set in my Ravelry pattern store for just $8.

For the sample, I used stash yarns, including some laceweights held together with light fingering weight yarns. The peach color was a skein of Tika Designs sock yarn that I purchased at Rhinebeck a couple of years ago and later dyed with red onion skins. It was really fun combining yarns and colors — I went with soft, gentle colors, but that's just one possibility. There are so many others — I can't wait to see the combinations knitters use! You can find a complete rundown on the yarns I used, plus yardage requirements for knitting your own shawl, on the pattern's Ravelry page.

The About Town Shawl would be a lovely project to cast on for the KATT (Knit All The Things) KAL. Find more info and join the KAL in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. It starts this Thursday, April 19, and ends June 10.

Thank you very much for reading!

Things to Come

Hello, blog readers — I hope you're still around after my rather long absence! Just as the scilla and snowdrops are emerging around town, so I feel I am emerging from weeks of being buried in work (and not the fibery kind that's fun to blog about).

Fun, fibery things are indeed coming up, though. I recently bound off and blocked a new shawl (a companion to the About Town Mitts) and am very pleased with how it turned out.

Knit in three colors, with lace, knit-purl textures, and stripes, it's got plenty of variety to keep the knitting interesting. The pattern is coming very soon, but if you want to stash dive ahead of time, you'll need fingering weight yarn in three colors: Color 1 (which is peach in my sample, dyed with red onion skins) - 290 yards/265 m; Color 2 (cream) - 175 yards/160 m; and Color 3 (the lace section in the sample) - 135 yards/124 m. Total yardage, if you want to make it a single color: 600 yards/549 m. After blocking, the wingspan of my sample measured 58 inches/148 cm.

The About Town Shawl would be a great project for the next knitalong in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. The Knit All The Things (KATT) KAL starts a week from today, April 19. It's a leisurely KAL, lasting until June 10, so there's plenty of time to cast on and finish a large project like a sweater or a shawl. Of course, small projects are welcome, too!

Any of my designs can be knit for the KATT KAL, and if you want to finish up a WIP rather than start something new, that's fine, too. We have lovely prizes of yarn, free patterns, and other goodies, and as always there will be lots of friendly knitting conversation. Come join us anytime — we're already discussing possible patterns and yarns.

One project I've been working on during the past month involves this gorgeous Phantom Ship colorway of Stitch Sprouts Crater Lake, a soft and squishy bulky weight merino. The design must stay under wraps until later this year, but I loved the yarn so much I just had to share a peek with you.

I'll be back soon with the new About Town Shawl pattern. In the meantime, if it's spring where you are, I hope it's beautiful!

Spring color at the Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden's annual flower show

P.S. If you don't already receive the monthly Blue Peninsula newsletter, now's a good time to sign up — the next issue will have something special just for subscribers.

Next in Line Afghan Update

My Next in Line afghan project for the Fringe and Friends Log Cabin Make-along grows and grows. Right now, it measures about 32 x 36 inches. If all goes according to plan, the finished afghan should measure about 52 x 60 inches. Nice and big — perfect for cozy winter evenings on the sofa, right?

Knitters have been asking for yardage estimates so they can get their yarn before the pattern is released. But it's really too soon for that. I'm currently knitting Log No. 12, and if I stick to my current plans, there will be 19 logs in all. So hang in there; the end — while not exactly near — is in sight!

While you wait, you can check out the videos I've posted on Instagram about this project. One shows my method for weaving in ends; the other shows how I pick up stitches along the bound-off edges. I'm @bluepeninsula on Instagram, if you'd like to see them.

Here's a closeup of the wrong side. It's different from the right side, but just as nice:

The weekend's almost here, and after a week of not one but two Nor'easters, I'm ready to curl up with this project and enjoy lots and lots of non-stressful garter stitch. Hope your weekend brings lots of satisfying knitting time, too!

About Town Mitts, Handspun Edition

A couple of days ago the temperatures here in western Massachusetts climbed to the 60s and even 70s — a brief taste of summer in dreary February! It was lovely to go out for a walk without a coat or even a sweater, though seeing a lake covered in ice while walking in shirt sleeves was a little strange. But now, as I type this, snow is coming down again. Everything's back to normal, sigh. Winter is most assuredly not over, and won't be for quite a while.

So I don't regret casting on another pair of About Town Mitts. I love the originals, knit in Road to China Light, a blend of alpaca, cashmere, silk, and camel. But I had a gut feeling these mitts would also look good in handspun. The Foxhill Farm Cormo/alpaca that I spun on drop spindles last summer for Tour de Fleece was just about the right weight. And I had about 200 yards — more than enough.

Since the yarn is a smidgen heavier than the Road to China Light, I cast on the number of stitches for the small size, in order to get a medium size. And it's worked out well — the fit is perfect! I wanted a somewhat longer cuff for this pair, so I worked three extra repeats of the stitch pattern. It's easy to modify the length — but do remember you'll need more yarn for longer mitts.

Mitt No. 1 is already done — this is a really quick knit. I love the nubbly look and cushy feel of this handspun yarn. As a relatively new spindle spinner, I'm excited to see the fiber I bought at Rhinebeck 2016 — with happy hopes — transformed into something warm and wearable. It's a satisfying feeling and makes me want to keep spinning and continue improving my skills.

The About Town Mitts remain on sale 25% off (just $4.50) in my Ravelry pattern store through Sunday, February 25. No coupon code is needed — you'll automatically get the discount at checkout. They're on sale (same price) in my Etsy shop too, also through February 25.

New Pattern: About Town Mitts

Just released on Ravelry — my new About Town Mitts:

Sometimes it’s the simple, uncomplicated things that lift your spirits and make life extra sweet — like a pair of cozy fingerless mitts. Worked in the round on double-pointed needles, the About Town Mitts knit up quickly and easily (no charts to follow). Through February 25, they're on sale in my Ravelry pattern store for just $4.50.

The pattern provides instructions for three sizes — S, M, L — using 120–150 yards/110–140 m of sportweight yarn. For the sample pair, I chose The Fibre Co.'s Road to China Light, a sportweight blend of alpaca, silk, camel, and cashmere. It's soft and sumptuous, a luxurious treat for your hands. 

The About Town Mitts would be a lovely project to make for the Treat Yourself KAL in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. There's still plenty of time to cast on — the KAL (and the pattern sale) continue through February 25. I hope you can join us!