KAL Winners!

My Fall KAL was a lot of fun – the knitters who participated make me feel so loved and surrounded with good company, so thank you to you all!

In order to be in the running to win the KAL, FO pictures needed to be posted by last Friday night and as there were only 2 knitters who posted, I want to send them both packages!  Surprisingly, they knit the same pattern and I really love how both of them turned out.

I really like how babsknitznbitz If The Sun Refused to Shine shawl showcases a variegated yarn that she dyed herself:

rubyringz knit hers up in a similar bright color and would definitely add a cheerful element to any outfit or grey day:

I am really liking how electric colors are becoming a “thing” and a small pop of colorful accessory can really make an outfit.  Have you knit anything bright lately?  What do you think of the growing trend?

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the KAL!

FO Friday: Sweet Autumn Rays

I have an FO to show you!  Can you believe that? Surprising, right?  It’s been ages probably.

The Sweet Autumn Rays shawl was done with the knitting part more than a week ago, but I waited to block it until this past Saturday when I did the Blocking Demonstration that I mentioned earlier this week.

I remembered why I enjoyed designing this shawl the first time around, it’s simple and fun to knit – perfect for TV knitting, car knitting, social knitting with a brew or two – it’s got just enough interest that you won’t get bored, not so much that you have to pay loads of attention, and it’s an FO fairly quickly!

I exchanged this one with the original being hosted at Yarn & Coffee, so I won’t see it much, but it’s in good hands!

Pattern: Sweet Summer Rays

Yarn: Cascade Heritage Silk Paint

Mods: None

Linking up with Tami!

What are you knitting this week?

Blocking

After teaching my latest class at Yarn & Coffee on the Sweet Summer Rays Shawl, my students asked how best to block the finished project.  The conversation ultimately led to the decision to host a blocking demonstration at the Yarn Store at Nob Hill this past Saturday.

I want to thank everyone who came out, I was expecting a small group – maybe just the students, even – but we had a great turnout and I’m so glad that so many knitters were able to come and ask their blocking questions!

Here you can see my basic blocking setup – my blocking mats (kids’ playmats), my safety pins, blocking wires (welding wires, really) and my spray bottle filled with water.  An un-blocked Sweet Summer Rays lays on top of my blocking one, so you can see how much this shawl can grow with some aggressive blocking!

I love using the wires to block my straight edges, they keep the edges super clean and neat while also allowing me to save time by not using a jillion pins instead.  These wires are also flexible enough that they’ll allow for blocking of curved edges too!

When I block things like this shawl, I pin first and spray with the water bottle second, then re-adjust the pins if necessary and play with the shaping until I’m perfectly happy with it.  Many knitters will soak the knit first and that’s just fine, it’s only my preference to pin first and water second.

What are your favorite blocking tools?

WIP Wednesday

I’ve been making some progress on the Autumn Rays Shawl that I mentioned last week, things have been busy around these parts since I recently got a job outside of the house and I apologize for my absence!

I’m almost done with the textured rays portion and will be moving onto the short stockinette and then the lace!

Linking up with Tami, again!  What are you working on this week?

 

WIP Wednesday: Sweet Autumn Rays

This week I started a new project.  That sweater I mentioned last week?  On hold.  For now. But not for long!  I’m almost to the sleeve divide and I can’t wait to do that (mostly because I want to see how the top is fitting so far).

But onto my new project!

I’m knitting another of my Sweet Summer Rays shawls and this time I’m knitting it in Cascade Heritage Silk Paint yarn in this gorgeous colorway that reminds me of autumn leaves and grasses, so I’m dubbing this my Sweet Autumn Rays shawl.

For those of you who’ve purchased the pattern or are thinking about it for a future project – I’ve updated the original version to hopefully make it clearer and easier to understand on which rows the increases are placed!

Linking up with Tami as usual!  What are you working on this week? Something new? Something old?

KAL Giveaway Winner!

First and foremost I want to thank everyone for participating and congratulate everyone who’s managed to finish their shawl, whether or not it was during the KAL period! (Hint: clicking any of the photos will take you to the Ravelry pages of the makers)

twiglee’s Sweet Summer Rays Shawl

Special mention to NMStacey who got a late start and knit her hands off to get as close to finishing the shawl as she could before time was up!

AdrialysHC’s Sweet Summer Rays

The shawls in the KAL were all knit in awesome colors, some from Candy Skein and others not, but I really like how the textural differences really pop with different yarn choices

moritz52’s Sweet Summer Rays

And now, the part I know everyone is interested in, the giveaway!  According to the group thread, we had 10 participants who finished and posted pictures in the group before time was up, and the winner, chosen by Random.org, is:

kolorswkrayons

I love this version of the shawl, I love the colors she chose and that, even though she had to bind off with a separate color, it all looks so deliberate and funky!

I think it’s so awesome how international the internet, knitting and Ravelry are, I know to be on the lookout when I visit Australia and keep my eyes open for a Sweet Summer Rays shawl!

Omlair’s Sweet Summer Rays Shawl

Have you made this shawl yet?  Or used any of Candy Skein’s yarns? (They’re fabulous, you totally should).

Another Class In The Books!

The past 2 weekends I’ve spent Saturday afternoons doing something I totally love to do – teaching knitting students a new technique!

I taught stranded color work using my Fresh Chroma Slouch pattern at Yarn & Coffee in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Seeing the hat worked up in so many different color choices – raiders, classic, modern – they all look great and give the hat totally different a feel.

One of the hardest things to learn when taking on stranded knitting is learning how to float the yarn at the correct gauge.  A little blocking really does wonders for a stranded work, but if your floats are too tight, no amount of blocking can work out the puckering that is likely to occur.

My next class will be based around my Sweet Summer Rays shawl and will give beginners a good shawl experience!  It will take place on June 1st and 8th, from 1-4pm.  If you’re in the area, call Yarn & Coffee to sign up!

Sweet Summer Rays KAL

Today’s the last day of the KAL!  If you’re participating, and heck, even if you’re not, check out all of the gorgeousness that’s happening over in our Ravelry thread.

I love seeing so many colorful versions of this sweet simple shawl!

Don’t forget to upload your finished shawl pictures to the thread to be eligible for the giveaway by the end of the day, the winner will be announced on Friday!

WIP Wednesday: Plans

Happy Hump Day!  The weekend is closer, the work never stops, and my cold seems to dissipating some, thank goodness!

This week I’m working on a long-standing project that needs to be kept seekrit:

And working on planning some fun things for later this month!

And don’t forget, if you haven’t signed up for the KAL yet, it starts on Monday!!  I’m pretty excited for that 😀

Linking up with Tami, as usual!  What are you working on this week?

New Design and a KAL!!!

As I’m sure you know that I’ve been working on a design with some Sweet Fingering yarn from Candy Skein.  That design is now finished and we’d love to offer a KAL for it!

Sweet Summer is a small shawl that uses only 1 skein of Sweet Fingering (438 yds).  It’s great for a first shawl project or something to use up those gorgeous single skeins you have in your stash.  It features basic knit and purl stitches with simple increases and yarn overs.  Textural changes reveal a graphic sun ray pattern branching into an easy lace border meant to mimic the way light and heat radiate from the sun’s surface.

The Details:

• Start Date: April 15, 2013
• End Date: May 15, 2013
• The KAL will be held in SillyLittleLady’s Group
• Coupon Code for 20% off the Ravelry pattern and 15% off yarn from Candy Skein: sweetsummerkal
• The coupon code will be valid until April 16th for those participating in the KAL
• There will be a giveaway package mailed to one lucky winner chosen by random number generator of those who link pictures of a finished project by May 16th to the Pattern Projects.

Please play along on Instagram!  Take a picture of your yarn, wip, anything about the KAL and tag both @candyskein and @thesillylittlelady along with the tag #sweetsummerkal.

All members who produce a finished shawl will be entered to win a giveaway package, just don’t forget to link it to the pattern page on Ravelry so that I can enter you!