In the Studio - two Noro skeins in alternating colors

Two skeins of Noro yarn in the same color way

Alternating the skeins every row in garter stitch

Scarf, garter stitch, wool, size 3 US cable needle 16 in.

Watching how the colors change in the two different skeins is lovely.  The wool feels very good as it glides through my fingers.  This will be a wide scarf, about 10 inches, so with the fine gauge it's a little slow going.

In the Studio - silk scarf

Scarf, seed stitch, silk, US size 5 wood needles, 10 in.

This is a combination of four yarns, three colors of Peau de Soie from Fabulous Yarns fabulousyarns.com and one Indian silk yarn from Colorful Stitches www.colorful-stitches.com  Although the recommended needles size is US 7, I am using a smaller needle to get a more firm fabric.  It's still got a lovely drape, so I am very happy.  It has a texture that is very smooth and richly soft.

In the Studio - Freia handpaints in garter stitch

Scarf, wool, garter stitch, alternating rows using two color sequences of the same colorway, size 3 wood cable needle, 24 in.

I got the alternating rows pattern from Pop Knitting and now I'm obsessed with it.

In the Studio: capelet of tencel and cotton

Capelet, cotton and tencel blend, seedstitch, size 5 cable needle.

I've noticed that in the knitting magazines and on the websites that people are using the term "cowl" interchangeably with capelet. In my mind it's just a small poncho, but the word poncho has apparently become so gauche that many people are unwilling to use it.

At any rate, this capelet is beautifully soft due to the tencel fiber in the cotton, and I have enough yarn so that it will have a nice cowl-like collar.  I am knitting it from the bottom to the top, and will soon decrease the stitches to form a nice shoulder line.  I will do that at about 7 inches from the bottom

In the Studio: a capelet in black yarns

Capelet, mixed fibers,seed stitch, aluminum cable needle US size 9

This has been in the work-in-progress bin for quite awhile and I'm hoping to complete it this month.  It's a favorite type of fabric that is lacey because fine gauge yarns are used with large needles. It has a pom pom yarn and a squiggle yarn as well as an old railroad yarn in it - quite the wild child.

Cotton scarf - complete

Scarf, stockinette on large and small needles, cotton yarn, size 4 and size 10 needles, wood, 14 in., 65 in length, 12 in width.

The subtle stipes are created by using size 4 needles for 4 rows and size 10 needles for 6 rows.  It's an engaging and easy way to get a little bit extra texture for stockinette.  I really enjoyed working with this Rowan "Handknit Cotton" because the twist makes the yarn beautifully smooth.

The next baby binkie

Baby blanket, knitted, chevron stitch, organic undyed cotton, size 7 cable needle.

The previous blankie was so enjoyable that when I received the announcement of the birth of my friend's first daughter I got the needles and the organic cotton out right away!  The blanket is about 20x30.  I am using Pakucho cotton, which is selected for color rather than dyed.  It's beautifully soft, although I still don't have a grip on how much it shrinks.  But I figure it will do very well in the washer and dryer and generally be a blanket that doesn't have to be saved for special occasions.

Baby binkie - complete

Baby blanket, chevron stitch, organic undyed cotton, size 7 bamboo cable needle.

I really enjoyed making this organic cotton blanket and it helped me get over my reluctance to make baby blankets. The chevron stitch is fascinating  and I think the wide stripes are a good fit for this classic stitch pattern.

Railroad and Mohair Shawl - complete

Shawl, seed stitch, mohair, nylon and rayon, size 8 rosewood cable needle

I have several hundreds of yarns of South West Trading Company  "Melody" yarn in a pinky beige color and I always enjoy using Melody with mohair yarns because the little shiny rayon bits look wonderful with the fuzzy mohairs. The shawl was about 67 in across the top and about 20 inches deep at the triangle point.

This is a loose, diaphanous fabric.

I donated it to an auction to raise money for our Washington Park Conservancy here in Albany.

Silk and linen traingle shawl

Triangle shawl, seed stitch, two silk yarns and a nylon core with linen paper flags yarn, size 3 bamboo cable needle

The fine gauge of this piece resulting in a couple years between start and finish.  All the yarns are from Habu textiles, although I bought them in different places. For this shawl I pre-cut lengths of each yarn and then as I knit along I chose and incorporated each strand.  So the fabric has random areas of each of the yarns.  The silks are soft, and the linen flags are just a bit crispy now, but will soften as they are washed.