Melodia Shawl

In May my LYS began a knit-along (KAL) and the chosen pattern was Melodia, a simple crescent shaped, garter stitch shawl. While I liked the pattern, I've always wanted to join a knitting group and knit socially, so that was a bigger draw to me. I convinced Courtney to join in as well. She was scared she was going to be the worst knitter there and embarrass herself, so the night before, we practiced all the techniques she'd need to know, specifically a garter tab cast-on. At the cast-on party I think she surprised herself by being able to cast-on on her own while others struggled, making her not the most beginning (aka nice way of saying worst) knitter there.

A few weeks before, the store had held an anniversary sale where I picked up a skein of MadelineTosh Merino Light in the store's exclusive colorway, Susquehanna. I had no plans for it, but I love this yarn base and the blue with hints of green was too pretty to pass up. It ended up being a great yarn for Melodia!

Anyway, the pattern was super simple, which I enjoyed. I tried to only work on it at the shop during the KAL meetings, but towards the end I did some extra knitting at home. I was scared I was going to run out of yarn, but I had plenty left at the end. In hindsight, I wish I would have added a few more rows or even gone into a second skein. It was 12" deep and 44" long before blocking. Even after blocking, the shawl ended up on the shorter/smaller side. It's still wearable, but I'd prefer something larger. Live and learn, I guess.

And the best part? There were prizes for completing the shawl on time and posting a picture and I won a gift certificate! Courtney won another pattern from the designer.

Pattern // Melodia
Yarn // Tosh Merino Light
Needles // Size 5 Dyakcraft Rosewood Needles
Ravelry Notes // Here

// Lauren

My First Shawl | Color Affection

Way back in 2013 I attended my first Stitches West. While there, a yarn shop vendor was having a clear out sale in which you could fill a gallon sized Ziploc bag for $50. I found some super soft Ella Rae Lace Merino and stuffed eight skeins in a bag...six of a light grey, one cream, and one purple-ish grey. It ended up being a great deal.

When I got home I quickly cast on for a Color Affection. I had fallen in love with the pattern and thought the neutral greys and cream would make a perfect shawl. I was right.

Anyway, it was a pretty simple shawl. I made a few modifications based on things I had read and because I was new to shawl knitting. Like many others I added a YO in the border on the right side and dropped it on the wrong side. So each right side row started with 'Knit 1, YO, knit 1....' instead of 'Knit 2'. I also used a kfb increase instead of m1l and m1r.

In terms of techniques I used this method for carrying the different colors up the side of the project. For the cast off I k2tog tbl, slipped that stitch back to the left needle, and repeated.

It took me so long to get pictures of the finished shawl because I am always wearing this thing. It's soft and goes with everything, making it the perfect accessory. My only (small) complaint would be that it ended up not so deep and very long. I would trade a bit of the length for some more depth, but that's what I get for not swatching.

The yarn has held up well. Of course there are a few fuzzies, but I just went over them with a sweater shaver and it looks as good as new.

Pattern // Color Affection
Yarn // Ella Rae Lace Merino
Needles //  Size 6 [Addi Turbos, which were super slippery with this yarn]
Ravelry Notes // Here

// Lauren

WIP Wednesday + Yarn Along | June 10

I've been enjoying sharing pictures of my current knitting projects every Wednesday. Plus it's fun to link up with Ginny's Yarn Along and see what everyone else is working on.

It's finals week (of my last quarter of my first year of grad school) for me, so this post is going to be quite short. I have a couple of lose ends to tie up before I'm truly free!

Anyway, I've been plugging away on my Melodia shawl. It needs to be completed this Sunday with a picture posted to be eligible for the prize, a gift certificate to my LYS. I only have 2 rows and the bind off so I'm feeling confident. Right now it's bunched up on the needles so it's hard to photograph its true size and shape.

I've also been enjoying knitting my Tales from the Isle of Purbeck MKAL shawl. On Monday I finished clue 3 and clue 4 was just released...literally 10ish minutes ago. I'm excited to finish my work and get started on the last clue. Again, it's hard to photograph the shawl in a meaningful way while it's still on the needles.

Last week I purchased a wooden shawl pin to wear with the finished shawl. It's a simple bulb headed shawl pin, but I love it!

A couple of nights ago I knit a few rounds on a long-on-the-needles pair of Hermione's Everyday Socks. I'm hoping to finish those up soon and start a pair of Rose City Rollers. Although, I hear the next KAL at my LYS might be socks!

// Lauren

Boye Needlemaster Hack

When I first started knitting I wasn't incredibly particular about my tools. I don't think most beginners are. Since I had learned from books and the occasional video, I didn't have anyone to talk to about knitting. I relied on the internet for advice and reviews where eventually I discovered the magic of interchangeable needle sets. Because I was in high school, spending a lot of money wasn't really an option so I held off. Luckily, I had my great-grandmother's knitting needles, which were mostly straights and a few plastic circulars. I'd buy needles at the thrift store when I saw them, but if I needed a size I didn't have, I'd buy a cheap circular at the craft store. I made it work.

It wasn't until early on in college that I felt I needed a set. Still not ready to spend a bunch of money, I settled on the Boye Needlemaster set, available at most big box craft stores for about $70. It was metal and had a wide range of sizes, which was important to me. I ended up finding a new set on Ebay for less than $30, making it cheaper than waiting for a coupon at JoAnn / Michaels.

[Yes, I am missing my size 6 needles. I truly have no idea where they went.] 

I loved having this set. It changed my knitting. However, after graduating from college my love of knitting really took off. I became interested in nicer yarns and needles...not to mention the willingness to pay for patterns! I tried Addi Turbos and ChiaoGoos and set out to amass Addi Turbos in every size with a 40" cable. I liked knitting everything on circulars, so I figured I could get a longer cable length and knit smaller diameter items using magic loop. I had quite a collection going before I found DyakCraft Darn Pretty Needles. After receiving my sets, they were pretty much the only needles I used (except for knitting socks).

That being said, I couldn't get rid of my Boye set. Over time I realized how much the cables sucked, but I genuinely enjoyed knitting with the metal tips. I ended up (sort of) giving it to Courtney who was just beginning to get into knitting. Then I discovered that the red ChiaoGoo cables could be used with the Boye tips! All you need a set of small connectors in order to connect the ChiaoGoo cables to the Boye tips since they are both female.

Initially I ordered one connector set and one cable to make sure it really worked. News flash, it did! Now I had a wider selection of needles since the Boye set ranges from size 2 - 15 whereas the DyakCraft set only goes from 4 - 10.5. Plus, they are metal which makes knitting with some yarns easier.

The screws aren't exactly the same, so a bit of looseness is possible, especially in the smaller sizes. I've found that if you glue the connectors into the needles (super glue works well), it fixes any looseness and the cables don't unscrew. Of course that means that you will need a set of connectors for each size of needle and you will no longer be able to use the Boye cables. Even so, it's not an expensive hack. A set of small connectors retails for right around $2 and each cable is about $6. Even better, it makes an unused set usable again.

My favorite place to order the connectors and cables is Mimi's Needle Basket. The prices and shipping are great, plus I was able to meet the owner at Stitches West when she participated in the stitch marker swap. 

// Lauren

Dyakcraft Darn Pretty Needles | Rosewood

I wrote a blog post when I received my Dyakcraft Darn Pretty 3.5" Winter Sky set and it's been a pretty popular post, so I thought I'd write another one about my 5" Rosewood Set. I'm not exactly sure why I never wrote a post about them...

Anyway, the condensed version of how I found the needdles is that I stumbled upon the needles while on Ravelry and was sold pretty quickly. Initially I ordered a set in Sunrise, but after seeing the Rosewoods, I switched my order and added on a 3.5" Winter Sky set. Interestingly, I received the Winter Sky set first and then my Rosewood set a couple of months after.

I didn't fall in love with the needles right away. I thought they were a bit over hyped, to be honest. They seemed to have a bit more 'drag' compared to the metal needles I had been using. However, after a couple of projects (and months), the needles seemed to get a bit slicker. Not as slick as Addis, but that wasn't truly enjoyable for me either. I had knit a Color Affection shawl with Addis and it was kind of hard to wrangle the slippery size 6 needles and fingering weight yarn. So I did want something with a bit of drag, but not too much.

Now a year-ish later, they are my favorite needles. I'm sad when a project calls for needles smaller than 4. The set goes up to 10.5, but I rarely knit with anything that large. I never understood when people said the wood was warm until now. The wood is light and very easy to knit with...they hold the heat from your hands nicely without getting sweaty. 

Since I've been using the needles for awhile, I feel like I can add more beyond, 'the needles are so pretty!'. Most people seem to wonder about the sharpness, joins, and cables. Preferences surrounding knitting needles (and tools) are so personal, that it's hard to definitively say whether something is 'good' or 'bad'. What works for me may not work for others, so I'll just give you my take on these needles.

Sharpness // Both my sets are 'lace tips', so sharper than the 'regular' tips DyakCraft offers. I like sharp needles so that made the choice easy. I typically knit socks with Hiya Hiya Sharps or ChiaoGoo 2.0 mm needles, so pointy is my thing. The DyakCraft 'lace tips' are perfect for me. I haven't had any problems with splitty yarn or lace knitting. Although the 'lace tips' don't appear too incredibly pointy at first glance, apparently the long, smooth taper makes the difference. I just appreciate that they don't hurt my finger tips.

Joins // I am picky about my joins. I'll just put that out there. I hate the joins on Addis, especially the smaller sizes. ChiaoGoo and Hiya Hiya Sharps pass my test. I don't have any problems with the DyakCraft joins besides the fact that they advertise them as 'swiveling', when the cable just moves up and down in the ferrule. Other than that, I find them smooth to knit with. The yarn rarely snags and when it does, it's because I've pulled an end stitch (typically with magic loop) too tight.

Cables // Yes, I magic loop with these cables. Some think they aren't flexible enough and while they aren't as flexible as other brands, I don't have any issues with them. I have noticed that the cables changed a bit in between my two sets. The first cables I received are a bit stiffer. The cables with the second set, as well as the custom cables I ordered, are more flexible. My suspicions were confirmed when I realized that the newer cables have more of a pink tint and are in fact different. I only noticed when my cable was sitting on top of some white fabric, otherwise the color is not noticeable.

The needles do come with a handmade case, which I thought was pretty cool. It's not my favorite fabric, but it keeps the needles safe. On one of my cases, the strings are too short to wrap completely around the case and secure the ends, so I added a pin back button and wrap the ends around that. Also, I don't keep the cables or the stops in the case even though there are pockets for both. I didn't want to fold the cables up like that and the stops made it too bulky. I keep them in a separate zippered pouch. Just a note: I don't really take my entire set out in public so I don't know how secure the needles really are in the provided case. At some point I would like to make my own case that holds both sets, but I can't settle on a design and it would cut into my knitting time! 

While I was waiting for my needles, I frequented the DyakCraft Ravelry board. One of the major complaints surrounding the company is their customer service. They are a bit slow to respond to emails and updates are few and far between, so patience is a truly a virtue when dealing with this company. That being said, my interactions with them were mostly great. They responded to my order request and change promptly, but when I asked about my ship date the estimate was overconfident. As an excited customer I'd rather have a conservative estimate and be pleasantly surprised rather than let down when my needles don't ship. Oh, and they are slower to respond to emails so a phone call is always your best bet. As someone who expects great customer service if I am going to give you my money, this would not stop me from purchasing more of their needles in the future. They are a small business overwhelmed with orders so I try to be understanding. It's hard to make it, especially when they let you pay when your needles are ready rather than in advance (if you prefer).

However, when dealing with a product deficiency they are incredibly responsive and helpful. Like I said, I don't knit with large sizes very often so it was a couple of months before I noticed a nick in one of my size 10.5 needles. I sent them an email with a picture and was told it was a lamination error, it shouldn't have made it out of the workshop, and a replacement would be sent to me with no need to send the faulty needles back. At that point I ordered a set of 2.00 mm DPNs and asked them to ship everything together, even if it took longer. About 2 weeks later, everything was on it's way to me. They truly are a good company and I really appreciated them making it right so quickly.

Although I love love love my DyakCraft Darn Pretty sets, I'm constantly thinking about selling my 3.5" set because I much prefer the 5" needles, but after knitting a couple of hats, the ability to create 16" circulars has kept them in my possession. Plus Courtney likes to use my needles, so it's nice to have two of every size. Just a heads up to think about the length that truly makes sense for your knitting.

I know it's kind of cruel to write about these great needles when they are unavailable to order (a fire destroyed their wood supplier), but they do offer aluminum and stainless steel needles as well. I am tempted by their Heavy Metals, an interchangeable set the goes down to 2.0 mm!

// Lauren

WIP Wednesday + Yarn Along | June 3

I'm sharing more progress pictures of what I've been working on this week. Lots of knitting, so I'm linking up with Ginny's Yarn Along!

I've been on a big knitting kick lately...browsing Ravelry for patterns, linking yarn with said patterns in a queue, and starting new projects. Usually I only like to have two projects on the needles, one that I'm working on and socks for mindless knitting (and on-the-go knitting). Since I worked on Courtney's sweater exclusively for so long, I got sick of it and put it aside. Intending to take a one project break, it quickly turned into casting on for multiple projects. It went from a Koigu triangle shawl to the Melodia KAL, to the Tales from the Isle of Purbeck MKAL, to a Ludlow. Although, I think the break worked because I'm felling the sweater's pull again. Yesterday, in my June Goals post, I vowed to finish that sweater this month!

Anyway, I finished both clue 1 and 2 from the Tales of Purbeck MKAL last Friday. It was such a nice, easy knit that I flew through it and was waiting impatiently for today for the next clue. Happily enough the 3rd clue was released early and I was able to work on it last night.

I have to say, I love the yarn (O-Wool Local) I'm working with. It's a bit more rustic than I'm used to, but it softens up as you work with it. I can't wait to soak it in some Eucalan, block it, and see how it responds.

The first picture shows my shawl after clue 1. While the rest were taken this morning.

I've had 1600 yards of 100% alpaca yarn sitting in my stash for a few years because I couldn't find a pattern that was 'special' enough. I bought it at Stitches West is 2013 from Alpacas by the Sea and it came with information on the exact alpaca the fiber came from, so I thought it was deserving of some special treatment. Not wanting to knit a sweater out of alpaca (too hot and it tends to sag) and loving Ludlow since I first saw it, I combined the two.

It called for two strands of Brooklyn Tweed Loft held together knit on size 9 (5.5 mm) needles. Since my yarn is about a sport weight, I went with size 6 (4.0 mm) needles. It was too loose and too fuzzy, so I went down to size 4 (3.5 mm) needles and it's working out much better. I'm not very far because it requires some concentration and I typically do my knitting in front of the TV.

The yarn itself is a bit fuzzy, so the pattern isn't as crisp as I'd like, but the fabric is soft and dense. It will make a very nice scarf on the days I walk to school in the snow. 

Lastly, I'm still plugging away on my Melodia. I really only work on it with the group at my LYS on Sundays, but it's still growing quite quickly!

// Lauren

WIP Wednesday + Yarn Along | May 27

Just like last Wednesday, I'm sharing my current works in progress (WIPs). I love to see progress photos, so why not include some here?

Right now I'm participating in a knit along at my LYS. Last week, I posted a picture of the very beginning of my shawl...what I had managed to knit at the first meeting. Well, what I knit after ripping out my first attempt to go down a couple of needle sizes. I was good and had swatched the night before and according to the guage measurements, I needed a size 7 needle, so that's what I went with. Except when I was unhappy with the fabric as I was knitting the shawl. I knew I wouldn't wear it at such a loose gauge so I ripped it out and started over with size 5 needles. I know I am risking running out of yarn, but I'm okay with buying more to finish the project if needed. I will be at the shop the next couple of weeks!
 

[I couldn't help but include a close up of my pretty Rosewood needle. I am in love with these Dyakcraft Darn Pretty Needles.]

Last Sunday there was no meetup because of the Memorial Day weekend, so Courtney and I had our own little knit along party. We watched House of Cards and worked on our Melodias. It's such a simple knit...perfect for TV watching. In fact, it's going so quickly that I might have to make it 'meeting only' knitting.

Last Wednesday I also jumped into the Tales from the Isle of Purbeck MKAL (Mystery Knit Along). I have been hesitant to participate in mystery knit alongs where I can't see the pattern in its entirety before beginning. I like choosing a proper yarn and honestly, the control. However, I do love byannieclaire's aesthetic, so I decided to give it a go. Trying new things is good, right?

The pattern was designed with Hole and Sons yarn in mind. Their yarn is released in limited quantities and sells out in minutes. I think the last batch went in 2 minutes! Although I didn't get my hands on any, I do follow benjaminhole on Instagram, but it's more like I'm following the sheep, which is fun.

Anyway, I wanted to stick with the theme of the MKAL and stick with local / single source wool. The designer provided a list of similar yarns that would work in the Ravelry group, so after checking them out, I settled on O-Wool Local in the Hornbeam colorway. I was undecided between the Hornbeam and Wissahickon colorways because I love Wissahickon park, but the Hornbeam is a color I will wear more often. I went with O-Wool because it's a Philadelphia company! The yarn is a 50/50 merino alpaca blend with the alpaca coming from local Pennsylvanian and New Jersey alpacas.

I'm still waiting on my yarn, but hopefully it will arrive today and I'll be able to add some more yarn-y photos! MY YARN ARRIVED!

// Lauren

P.S. I'm linking up with Ginny's Yarn Along!