New Pattern Available!

With just a teeny nudge from Scout, I formatted the Taos Chullo pattern yesterday and up-loaded it this morning. To refresh your memory:




The original model, in grey Ecological Wool from Cascade. This is a real bargain - I made a collar and cuffs and the hat out of one skein (see Quick Chic in sidebar for pix of collar and cuffs - they were accepted for publication, but as far as I know the mag never came out, so the design is kind of in limbo for the moment). The stranded mohair color work serves as a soft, soft, lining to the hat and I love how comforting it feels on my head!




This hat was made of Loft from Zitron. The yarn has a kind of felted appearance, 100% merino, and is so soft and cuddly. It's a dream to knit with!

Detail of the color work.

The knitty gritty: the hat is made in the round on one long circ, top down. It's really quick to make - only took me one evening! At one skein of loft and some 50 yards of mohair, it's also quite inexpensive while looking and feeling luxurious.

Preview the cover here and download the pattern here. It's only $4.00.

Enjoy! Send me a picture and I'll post it!

Searching for Camelia

Well, it's official; I must be suffering from OCD. I spent last evening working on the Holiday shawl in yellow Camelia even though it was obvious I didn't have nearly enough yarn to finish it. First, let me refresh your memory:


The amount of fabric produced by one ball. Remember, 4 balls are available.

Next:



I was really curious about the discrepency in the yardage used by this yarn compared to the Fiesta. Just to see what difference it would make, I took another ball and the next larger size needle and knit up 1 skein. I wanted to see how much farther I could get.

Answer: see the photos? I finished on the same row of the pattern, just a few stitches farther down the row. Not enough to make a difference.

But I liked the fabric on the first, smaller needles better. So, back I went to the original model and here is where I stopped (2 balls used).

I'd guess it measures about 7 inches.

There are petite shawls, I know, but to me they are more like pregnant scarves. Scarves, to me, are for warmth. I guess I'm a pretty casual dresser - I don't really like to appear too studied. I don't wear pins, hats for effect, or scarves for purely decorative purposes. Just not me.

So I really don't have an affinity for a cotton pregnant scarf. I want a shawl! I want a casual, keep the cool AC breezes off my always chilly shoulders shawl. The 4 balls of yellow Camelia, I'm guessing, would give me about 16 inches, maybe. I guess that could do, but...still, not what I have in mind.

So, today I went searching. I found some on-line, but then there's that shipping charge and I'm not patient enough to wait. On to my local Jo-Ann's. Where I hunted around and...

The good news:

1. I found some.
2. It was on sale for only $3.00/ball.

The bad news:

It's blue.

Well. The blue and yellow each have spots of the other color, so they go together. I like blue and yellow together - that's the color scheme of my kitchen.

Now I need to decide how to marry them. I have the bottom part of the shawl done in yellow (twice!). But, since the blue has more visual weight, I'm not at all sure that I'd like it on the top part of the shawl.

My choices (that I've though of so far):

1. Go as far as I can in yellow, then switch to blue.
2. Knit yellow until the shoulder decrease row then switch.
3. Finish in yellow, then do edgings all around in blue to get the length I want.
4. Start over, switching colors every row.

I'm mulling it over.