The whites shawl - a work in progress

This shawl is 100 stitches across, knitted in seed stitch on a size 4 US cable needle. It is a combination of about 30 different yarns of various fibers and tones of white and beige. The finished shawl should be approximately 30 in x 72 in.

The warm colors are highlighted in the first two photos and I adjusted the white balance for the final two so that the more realistic colors are represented.

If you want to see more everyday photos of what I am doing I post frequently on Instagram @journalofathousandlives

Another Capelet

Capelet

Worked in stockinette stitch with mixed fibers, 15 inches long, size 9 cable needle.

It's formula knitting: cast on and knit 7 inches, decrease and knit 4 inches, decrease again and knit 4 inches then bind off.  Once you get the formula you can use any gauge. 

I really enjoy this simple shape for creating individual textiles.

If you want to see more everyday photos of what I am doing, I post frequently on Instagram @journalofathousandlives

 

In the Studio - Shawl Merino Nylon Rayon

Shawl, woven stitch, size 11 needles, wool, rayon, nylon: work in progress

These yarns are actually tapes, which are not spun but processed in ways that result in tapes that are actually long slender fabrics themselves. I have used a merino tape and a nylon/rayon tape that are dyed with the same colors but the fibers take the colors differently.  It's a beautifully complex thing.

Silk blend aran woven stitch

Blanket; rayon, silk, cotton, woven or linen stitch, size 8, 40in cable needle

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This yarn feels quite good going through the fingers, so it's a pleasure to knit with it. I stalked it for a couple years just as it was disappearing.  Now I hope I can create a large piece using this method of alternating rows to get subtle color transitions. I like the woven stitch, aka linen stitch, to make these color shifts that obscure the row lines just a little bit by using the slip stitch.

Stripes! scarf

Scarf, mixed fibers; mohair, silk, wool, nylon, rayon; seed stitch and stockinette stitch; size 4 needles, 14 in.; approximately 10 in. x 74 in.

Yet another scarf recently pulled from the work in progress bin, this one is a lovely weight with good drape.  There are probably around 20 yarns, cut into uneven lengths to give the strips a dynamic feel. The mohair will give it great insulating properties so it will be a great bright scarf to wear all winter.

The size 4 needles make this a fairly dense fabric but the fluffy mohair keeps it light weight. It is a LOT of knitting and I blazed through many a podcast while finishing it up this fall.

 

Fuzzy and shiny - pastels for autumn

Shawl, 14 yarns, mohair, linen, silk, nylon, rayon, beads, seed stitch, size 9 nickle cable needle, 32 in.

Cast on 3 stitches, add four stitches to each row, change yarns each row.

A chart to help organize use of the colors and yarns in the fabric.

The rayon in the "ladder" yarn has a gorgeously shiny surface that reflects light in beautiful contrast to the mohair yarns, which remain a matte surface.

The long edge is about 72 inches, and at it's deepest point it is about 15 inches long.  The shawl can be worn over the shoulders like a traditional shawl with the point in the back, or it can be turned with the point in front.  It can also be worn as a babushka to keep the head and neck warm.

I Can't Resist Shaggy Black Shawls

Scarf, seed stitch, mixed fibers, size 10 wood cable needle.

The surface really looks this complicated, which is most of the reason I like to make black shaggy shawls. This one has fifteen yarns and that also made it a wondrful textile to put together.

I carried around a grocery sack of yarns for awhile, but it was definitely worth it to produce this wild and drapey fabric.

The textile was created in a pet-free and smoke-free environment.  It has some wool and mohair content and will be for cooler weather.

I'm beginning to love the "card" method of keeping the rows of yarns in order.  For this fabric I wanted to balance the delicate and bulky yarns and spread them through out evenly, so the card helped me determine what would be in the next row as I went along.

It's about 75 inches long, so plenty of length to produce wrapped up shapes or sprawled out shapes.  It will go around the neck twice and has plenty of length to do interesting knots.

The triangle is deep enough so that it can be worn "babushka" style like a headscarf and it will cover the back of the head and ears on those extra-cold days or nights.

It's just shy of "wild thang" category.

The light is reflected and absorbed differently by each yarn, and the beads provide a bit of sparkle.  So this can be funky or sophisticated and be a great wrap for many different occasions.

This scarf is for sale along with  others in my etsy shop, Little Hands Studio: 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/littlehandsstudio

Breaking out the bright colors

Scarf; mixed fibers (12 yarns); stockinette stitch; size 5 wood needles, 14 in.

I went deep into my collection of mohairs and pulled out all these lively colors.  I'm combining them with spring greens/yellows to amp up everything. Whee!!!

Triangle shawl of nylon and mohair.

Complete!

Triangle shawl, mohair, nylon, rayon, woven or linen stitch, size 9 wood cable needle, 32 in.

This has been an exploration of using shiny nylon tapes.  In this piece I combined the tapes with mohair yarns and so-called "ladder" or "railroad" yarns, making a fuzzy and shiny shawl.  I know the two photos look like two different shawls.  Some is due to lighting, but the rest is due to the way that the woven stitch can be done in a way that produces the vertical striping on the "back" side, or the reverse stockinette side.  This pieced helped me discover this effect and I'm obsessing with it by doing it on purpose with lots of other work. I used about 15 yarns in rows that alternated between "cool" colors and "warm" colors.  The photos don't show the range of hues and values, which go from deep blue/black to shell pink through orange, purples, blues and reds.

The nylon tape makes it heavy. I like the way the nylon looks, but that's about all the good I can say about it.

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.

Mohair and railroad

In the studio - mohair and railroad

Diaphanous and fuzzy

In the studio - reds shawl

Shawl, wool, mohair, nylon and rayon, rib stitch, size 11 cable needle, 24 in.

These three yarns, although three different brands, all have the same colorway.  It appears slighly differently in each yarn because the fibers take the dye differently.  

I am enjoying the texture of each yarn. They are wildly different weights. I am striping by doing one of the three for each row and keeping the order the same through the three yarns.  The fabric is lacy, fuzzy and I think it will be warm.  It's knitting up very quickly because of the somewhat large needle size.

The rib stitch provides a vertical line which counter balances the strong horizontal stripes created by the differences in yarns.  It will be quite stretchy and comfy.

Finished shawl

Shawl, garter stitch, nylon and rayon ladder or railroad yarn, size 9 metal cable needle, 24 in.

For the first time ever I got a very good blend of colors using the railroad yarns I've collected over the last several years. I had a little bit of trouble getting it right, and probably had to test out four or five variants before getting one that I liked. The lacy sheerness of the knitting is a feature that I like very much. I'm ready to play with many more fabric designs based on similar combinations.

Finished scarf

Scarf, nylon and rayon, garter stitch, size 9 metal cable needle, 16in.

This is the May 21 scarf, finished at last. I'm liking this size scarf - about the size of a folded bandana. It's meant to be an accessory neck scarf, one that can be tied and draped in a few different ways.

In the studio - small scarf

Scarf, nylon and rayon, garter stitch, size 10 wood cable needle, 24 in.

This is a small neck scarf that is very slinky and interesting and it acts like a small bandana. Since I was in the cafe knitting and had my camera, I decided to just photograph it there.

Finished scarf

Scarf, rib stitch, "Melody" yarn by SWTC, nylon and rayon, size 9 plastic needles

The needles are big enough so that this fabric has a dreamy drape. The color changes a good deal with the light, and I'm not sure if the ruby red color comes across to everyone, but trust me, this is a luscious red. I'm keeping it for myself because I know it will work well with my wardrobe, and I want to wear it.

I went to my new local yarn shop again and happened to arrive at about the same time as the Sunday social knitting group. It was great to see everyone's project. I'm often highly impressed by the skills I see in projects.

Many of these people are members of the Cult O'Socks as I call them. There were some socks in that shop yesterday, babe. Oh yeah.

I was looking for kid mohair to use in a project I've started which calls for black. No black in the shop. Just about every other color though. So...how much do I want to hunt for black kid mohair in my LYSs. As is so often the case, when I'm looking for something specific, it's not to be found in the local scene. *grumble* That didn't keep me from browsing around the shop and having fun, however.

I showed off my forest green kid mohair scarf (December 8 2006 entry) and they made all the right admiring sounds. I'm stroked. I am using a teensy steel crochet hook to incorporate sequins. Photos soon.

In the studio

Scarf, rib stitch, "Melody" yarn by SWTC, nylon and rayon, size 9 plastic needles

I still have a few hundred yards of this yarn, so I'm going to make this scarf, which has a beautiful hand, and something else.

I made a capelet with it that had other yarns blended in sparingly last year, and I may try a similar blending again.

In the studio

Vest, "ladder" yarn, nylon and rayon in "old gold" colorway; stockinette stitch, size 13 cable needle, 16in.

I tried to take this photo in afternoon light, and so next time I'll know to capture the morning light. However, this is the "vest" thingie, front bodice piece. The needle size makes the fabric very lacy. This will be the most complicated structure I've attempted in a long time, but I'm looking forward to doing it and wearing it!