Yarn Along~ Shetland Triangle & a Top

I finished up my Shetland Triangle. I knitted it with a the KAL "Girls in Sheep Clothing.... and a few guys too."  This is such a simple pattern with great results.  The same patterns repeat over and over so it is very easy to keep the pattern in your head.  Also you get a row of purling on the wrong side. You have to love to have a break from knitting lace on the wrong side!

The colors of the shawl in the pictures of me wearing it are truer.  You can make this shawl as large as you want. The pattern is flexible and lets you knit as many repeats as you want. I made 17 repeats of the chart so my shawl would be able to wrap around me and by extra comfy.

 

 I am really happy with the Cascade Heritage yarn I used for this shawl. It knitted up very nice and was so soft.

 

I am also still working on my Plliver top. This top pattern is much more intense from the Shetland Triangle.  It is a beaded lace stitch and is a lot of knitting and doesn't look like much progress.

 

I am just starting to notice funky colors happening in the front of it. They aren't shown here. I knitted more after I took these pictures and there are chunks of color. Ugg. I should have be alternating my yarn, but I'm going to stick with it and maybe it will have a zebra effect in the end.  We'll see.

 

Either way I am going to keep chugging away at it. I ended up knitting a small hat yesterday because I needed an instant gratification knit. I think I need to add a few more small projects to my plate.

 

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along

Yarn Along

I won some Sweet yarn! It is Silk Cashmere Aran hand dyed in Beautiful British Columbia from Sweet Fiber.  It is so soft I wish you could touch it.

You know it is some very impressive yarn when Harley Weimeraner has to come over to check it out.  Even a dog knows it is some awesome yarn.

I set a side my Plivver top to finish up another project. I can't wait to have this top done, but it is going to take a long time to make. No plain knitting on this project. Hopefully it will be ready in the Fall.

I am working as fast as I can to finish up my Shetland Triangle Shawl. I am doing it was a KAL and just about everyone has finished. I started late and I am finding it really hard to dedicate too much time to knitting these days. We've been out enjoying the warm weather and longer days. Not to mention those adorable baby alpacas Swag & Mr. Bates.  But this is such a nice knit to come home to and knit one repeat of the chart and go to bed.

I have also been processing some fiber. I want to have it done before Blue (my alpaca) gets sheared. so I can work on his as soon as it comes off him.

So that is what I have been working on.  Hopefully I'll have some FOs next week.

 

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along

Yarn Along

 

I made another Terra Shawl. I just love this pattern. It is so simple and the perfect travel knit. I casted it on before we went to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and knitted it in the car.  I finished it up after we got home.  I used Cascade Yarns Heritage hand painted sock yarn and I just love the colors of it.

 

And just for fun here is skirt I just made from a knit I made last year with Miss Bab's yarn.

 

 

It used to be a tunic, but I ripped the top out and made it a skirt. It is so comfy!  I've been living in it since I modified it.  I tried to show how flowy it is.

 

The plant that was behind me had tons of bees on it. It worked out great because the kids were terrified of the bees and I was able to get my pictures of my knits. 

Also I found taking pictures of bees to be addictive.

 

 

I've been getting a lot of questions about what I bought at the festival.

I got everything on my list, plus a few extra things.

 

I got these books- you can read about them in this post.

 

I got lots of yarn and roving!!! The skein of deep purple on the top right is 400 yards (so a regular sized skein). Does that give you an idea of how large the other ones are!  I scored big on the prime alpaca for my Quill.  I was afraid that this project was going to cost me an arm and a leg, but when I saw Tess Designer Yarns was going to have 667 yard skeins of natural alpaca for only $15.00 each guess where my first stop was.  She only had a few of them and I got just about all of them.  Since the price wasn't advertised at the festival and I knew it from her website I grabbed them and wasn't letting go. You should have seen me arms totally full not letting anyone else have any until I knew exactly what ones I wanted.

 

yarn for my quill 3735 yards of alpaca (should be more than enough)

I got some roving for spinning.

 

 

I started spinning this purple roving and I planned on using it for my Shetland Triangle Shawl, but I decided to use this yarn for something else which is not casted on yet.

 

 

I have never used linen before, but I have seen a few cute tops and skirts with linen and I thought I'd give it a try.

I couldn't pass up on an affection set from Miss Bab's.

I got another skein of yarn from Miss Bab's and some toys for the boys.  I saw so many other vendors with so many wonderful yarns and it was so hard not to impulse buy.  One of the best parts of the festival is seeing all the hand knits.  I got so many ideas of things to make. I saw one shawl and it made me gasp.  It was so beautiful.  I couldn't get it out of my head.  After a few days I still couldn't get it out of my head and I wrote to the company that had it at their booth (they were sooooo busy at the festival I couldn't ask anyone about the pattern).  I got the most wonderful message back from them saying that they did the same thing. They saw it and it took her 3 years to find the pattern.  Trust me the pictures on Ravelry do NOT do this pattern any justice.  I am making it my personal mission to knit this shawl up and get some beautiful pictures of it.  I know you want to know the pattern...Lyra.  But trust me the in person is so much better.

I am doing a KAL with The Girl's in Sheep Clothing....and a few boys too.  We are knitting the Shetland Triangle Lace Shawl.  I am using Cascade Heritage sock yarn. I love the color.  This is a great lace shawl project. It has rows of knitting and purling in it. Woo hoo for that.  The pattern is very well written and so easy to follow. I have actually finished the pattern....but you can make it as large as you want by repeating the chart, so I am going to keep going until I run out of yarn.

And just to be crazy I have a second project on my needles. I am more of a one project at a time girl, but I really need some hand knits I can wear in this warmer weather, so I am making a Plivver top.  Right now I am doing the ribbing and it is nice to work on and cuddle on the couch with the boys with.  The Shetland Triangle pattern isn't really hard to keep in my head, but I am finding the ribbing to be a little easier to pick up and put down.  I am using Madelintosh light for this top and I am loving it.  It is so soft and I love the color.

For reading my boys picked out "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein at the library.

And look how official I am! I bought a yarn along bag from Lori.  I love it! I have been taking it everywhere with me and it is just perfect! Thank you Lori!!!  I have said my times if it wasn't for Ginny's Yarn Along I would probably make three hats a year and maybe a shawl. But this Yarn Along motivates me to always have something to share and I get so many great ideas for what everyone else is working on how can I slow down?!  Plus the amazing people I have met on the Yarn Along. That is a huge bonus.

 

And just in case you missed my pictures of Swag yesterday here is one more.

 

 

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along