New Pattern: Catbird Shawl

Catbird — a new crescent shawl pattern — has winged its way into my Ravelry pattern store. I designed it especially for the Rhinebeck 2018 colorway of Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors sock yarn. (Isn’t the color gorgeous? I was thrilled when I opened the package of yarn last summer.) The yarn and the shawl will be at Rhinebeck this weekend — find them in Building A, in The Spinning Room booth. To celebrate, Catbird is on sale through October 24. Use the coupon code CATBIRD25 to save 25%.

I was honored when Karin of Periwinkle Sheep asked me to design something with her beautiful yarn. As always, her Rhinebeck colorway is exclusive to the festival, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. So get there early in the weekend, if you don’t want to miss out.

Catbird is worked from the bottom up, with short rows in the garter stitch section creating the gentle crescent shape. It’s the kind of shawl that spans seasons — carrying you from fall through winter and into spring with ease. It’s also a quick knit, making it a great gift idea. The lace is engaging but not complicated, and it’s provided in both a chart and written form. So if you’re not a fan of charts, you’ll be fine.

Here’s hoping for great weather this weekend. If — like me — you’re still knitting your sweater — good luck!

Pattern Release and Yarn Giveaway: Wonderberry Shawl

How much I enjoyed knitting up this Wonderberry shawl! From start to finish, it was a relaxing, meditative project. The new garter and eyelets edging really appeals to my love of simplicity, and the new yarn — Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors II in Rose Quartz — is so soft, and so pretty. I'm not sure I'll ever take this shawl off.

The expanded and updated pattern is now available in my Ravelry pattern store, where it's 15% off with the coupon code WONDER15.

The Wonderberry pattern offers instructions for three sizes and two different edgings — the new garter and eyelets option, as well as the original beaded scallops. If you've never knit with beads before don't worry — it's not hard at all, and the pattern gives complete instructions for the crochet hook method of adding beads to your knitting.

If, like me, you're smitten with the lovely Rose Quartz colorway of the Periwinkle Sheep Watercolors II yarn, I have really good news for you. Karin has donated two skeins for an Instagram giveaway! See this post in my Instagram feed for details. I'm so happy that a couple of lucky knitters will get to try this sumptuous yarn for themselves. If you can't wait to get your hands on some, head over to Karin's shop, right here.

The Wonderberry pattern sale continues in my Ravelry store through Friday, August 17.

Thanks very much for reading!

Next in Line Afghan: Yardage

I'm getting very close to having the pattern for Next in Line ready for release — just a bit more photo editing and few other odds and ends. At this point, the pattern's back from the tech editor, so I can now share yardage with you.

The pattern provides instructions for two sizes of this four-color design — a throw measuring 43 inches/110 cm by 56 inches/143 cm and an afghan measuring 52 inches/133 cm by 60 inches/153 cm.

For my sample, I used three colors of Cascade 220 (Silver Grey, Straw, and Doeskin Heather) and one color of Valley Yarns Northampton (Lake Heather). If you want to use exactly these yarns and colors, you'll need:

• Color 1: Cascade 220 [100% wool; 220yd/201m per 100 gr skein], #8401 Silver Grey, 5 skeins (throw), 7 skeins (afghan)

• Color 2: Cascade 220 [100% wool; 220yd/201m per 100 gr skein], #4010 Straw, 2 skeins (throw), 3 skeins (afghan)

• Color 3: Cascade 220 [100% wool; 220yd/201m per 100 gr skein], #8012 Doeskin Heather, 2 skeins (throw), 3 skeins (afghan)

• Color 4: Valley Yarns Northampton [100% wool; 247yd/226m per 100 gr skein], #42 Lake Heather, 2 skeins (throw), 3 skeins (afghan)

If you'd like to substitute other yarns, here are the approximate amounts of worsted weight wool you'll need:

• Color 1: 1,000yd/915m (throw), 1,450yd/1,325m (afghan)

• Color 2: 440yd/400m (throw), 660yd/600m (afghan)

• Color 3: 440yd/400m (throw), 660yd/600m (afghan)

• Color 4: 490yd/445m (throw), 675 yd/615m (afghan)

If you decide to use a hand-dyed yarn with limited dye lots, or a closeout yarn that you won't be able to get more of, you may want to buy a little extra of each color as insurance against running out. For my sample, I was able to get more of each color as the afghan grew, because they were all readily available.

If you want to start swatching, the pattern gauge is 18 stitches and 36 rows = 4”/10 cm after blocking. The needle size is US #7/4.5mm (or, as always, the size needed to obtain gauge). We all knit at different stitch and row gauges, so even though this design is "just garter stitch," I do recommend knitting a substantial swatch to determine the right needle size for you (at least 8 inches wide — and be sure to block it the same way you will block the finished project). For a large project like this, you want to be certain you're close to gauge and happy with the fabric before you cast on. 

I'll get back to work editing photos now — look for the pattern soon!

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.

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.

Marigold Dyeing

Happy Labor Day! I hope you're having a beautiful holiday (or a beautiful regular day, if you're not in the U.S.). I've just come back from a ride on our local bike trail. So glad I went! It's sunny, a little breezy, and an all-around gorgeous day. After yesterday's rain, there was no doubt in my mind that today had to include getting out in the sun.

Sunshine has been the theme of this long weekend (even during the rainy parts), thanks to my latest natural dyeing experiment. I decided to try dyeing with marigolds, using some Cormo yarn that I bought from Foxhill Farm's booth at the Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair in May.

It was a great success! The flowers produced a beautiful sunshine-y yellow:

After consulting my favorite natural dyeing reference — Jenny Dean's Wild Color — I gathered both fresh and spent blooms from the pots of marigolds on my balcony and let them soak in water for about an hour. I strained the water into my dye pot — an old enamel pot I picked up for a few cents at a yard sale — and heated it to a very gentle simmer. While the dye pot was heating, I prepared the yarn by immersing it in a mordant bath, using a tablespoon of alum for the mordant. 

After letting the dye pot cool down a bit, I added the yarn, which immediately took on a yellow hue. So pretty! I then put the pot back on low heat and let it stay there for about 45 minutes, gently stirring the yarn every so often to promote even dyeing (but not agitating it, to avoid felting).

I'm not usually drawn to yellows for knitting but this one is just so cheerful. I couldn't wait to get it on my needles. While the yarn was drying, I got busy plotting and charting. I've already cast on a new design — a dragonfly-inspired cowl, using a modified version of the lace stitch from my Enallagma Shawl. It's coming along nicely:

Every time I wear this cowl, it will remind me of summer sun lighting up the marigolds. I'm definitely going to save more of the spent blooms for dyeing again later this fall, after Rhinebeck (I'm hoping to pick up more yarn for dyeing there).

Have you ever dyed with marigolds? Or other flowers? Please leave a comment — I'd love to hear how it worked out for you. 

P.S. We're starting to plan the next KAL in the Ravelry Blue Peninsula group. I've set up a poll to find out what everybody would like to do. Hope you'll come and vote, and join us for fall knitting fun!

Sneak Peek: Enallagma Shawl

Spend time near any lake or pond in summer here in New England and you're sure to see dragonflies and damselflies. Since the lace in my new shawl design reminds me of them, I decided to call it Enallagma, after the pretty blue damselflies.

This shawl has an asymmetrical shape similar to my Notch shawl. But while Notch begins from a few stitches and grows wider and wider, Enallagma is just the opposite: after working the lace section, one edge gradually tapers during the garter stitch-and-eyelet rows until finally there are just five stitches to bind off. So the knitting goes faster and faster as you go, which I found to be a great motivator to keep knitting!

Can you see from these photos what a lovely halo the yarn has? This undyed wool/mohair blend called Thelma & Louise comes from sheep and angora goats with those very names at Wing & a Prayer Farm in Vermont. I purchased it last fall at the annual New York Sheep and Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck) with a shawl in mind. Now, many months later, that glimmer of an idea is a reality.

Summer lace — in nature and in knitting

The pattern will be published just as soon as I finish editing photos and finalizing the layout. In the meantime, if you'd like to start planning, you'll need about 600 yards/550 m of DK weight or light worsted weight yarn, and US 6/4.00mm and US 7/4.50mm needles.