Finished!

Did everyone get their cowls finished up? I did, and I love mine! I think I'd like it to be a teeny bit longer, say maybe 4 inches or so, but that's an easy adjustment to make for my next one.

I really like the yarn that I used; there's a little more charcoal grey in it than shows in the picture- I think it's lost in the knit sections, in that shot. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get better photos before writing this morning- I wrapped it up last night after dark, and the sun isn't due to come up for another half hour or so...we're in the dark days now, you know. We'll have to raincheck better pictures until later today.

Back to the yarn, though- the color repeats were definitely different between the two skeins. One had much more of the pink-purple in it, where as the other was more green and grey. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, but it is something to look for when picking out skeins of this particular yarn.

I thought it was nice and quick to work up- except at the end, when the last purl section seemed to take for...ev...er. That's on me, though, and not the pattern itself. I need to come up with a more efficient style of purling that I'm comfortable with- because as it stands, I'm a slow purler. I just can't seem to find a way to hold the yarn that seems right, which is fine when there's just a couple of stitches to make, but 6 rounds of 186 purl stitches gets a little old pretty quick. Again, that's me- and I'm planning on making another couple of these before winter is out, so clearly it's not all that bad.

What did you think? Pros, cons, challenges? Too fast or too slow on the pattern breakdown? Swing on over to FB today to let me know what you thought of the project and show me photos of your cowls, whether they're done yet or not.

Home Stretch of the KAL

Happy Wednesday, everyone! How's the knitting coming along? I have to admit I got a little off track after this past weekend, but I'll be knitting away this coming weekend so I can finish up with the rest of you. Fortunately for me, I have a reader-submitted photo to share with you:

Thanks, Mom! 

I absolutely love the colors she picked- the yarn is Lion Brand "Amazing" in their Strawberry Fields colorway. Gorgeous!! I've knit some hats and a different cowl using that line of yarn, and I have to say it's never a disappointment.

If you didn't slack off like I did, then you should be on the final bits of the project. This week's assignment is to Knit 3 rounds, cast off loosely, weave in the ends and enjoy!

Not sure about the cast off? It's also called a "bind off", and there's a great video over at Very Pink Knits. I should say another great video- she's my go-to resource when I need a refresher on anything knit related.

Oh, one more thing: I really want to see your photos! Post them over on Facebook so we can all admire your hard work and celebrate our accomplishments together. Also, tell me what you thought about the project... likes, dislikes, what you'd like to see for a future KAL, you know- all that good stuff.

Finally,we're taking a few days off, so things are going to be more or less quiet here from now until Monday. Until then... happy knitting and I'll see you when I get back!

KAL Status Report

We're one week in to our knit-along; how's it going? I'm enjoying this project quite a bit... It's coming together quickly, and is not overly complicated. Any challenges? How about the cast-on!?!?! That took a little getting used to, for me.

This week's goal is to Purl 6 rows, Knit 6 rows, and Purl 6 rows. That will take us through the bulk of the cowl, and all that's left after this section is one more chunk of knitting and the cast-off / weaving in ends. Sweet!

I'd love to see photos of how yours is shaping up- stop by FB and show me!

Let's Knit it On

Got your pattern, needles and yarn all set? Cool! Let's Go!

I'd recommend getting Cat Bordhi's video from the last post all queued up and ready to go, before you start the cast on. I got a little sideways with mine, and I'll tell you, it's a tough one to undo if you need to start over. So take your time, and watch your tension- you really don't want this cast on to be too tight. If your yarn starts squeaking, it's WAAAY too tight and you need to loosen everything up before you proceed. This will make a big difference, when you start working on the first round.

All told (even counting tearing out my first cast on and starting over) it's taken me a little over an hour and a half to get the cast on and first full row done. It didn't feel like a long time, though, so I was kind of surprised when I checked the clock. 

Take your time, and if you've never used circular needles before, get accustomed to how they feel in your hands- it is different than working with a pair of straight needles. Try not to fight them, though- again, it's all about tension. Go slow for now; once you get the first full round completed, things start to look normal and you can speed up quite a bit. 

So, this week's homework is to get through the cast on, knit 5 rounds, purl 6 rounds, and knit 6 rounds again. I like writing little tick marks on the pattern itself to keep track of where I am, but there are some row counter apps out there for smartphones, if you're so inclined. Whatever works for you!

For our new knitters- check out the videos over at Very Pink for very clear and easy to understand tutorials on Knit and Purl stitches. I can't say enough nice things about Staci's site and her excellent tutorial videos. 

Happy knitting! If you have questions, or want to post pictures of your work in progress, please post them on Facebook! I'm looking forward to hearing from you. :)

 

Yarns for the KAL

I picked up my yarn! It's Red Heart Boutique 'Unforgettable' in the Echo colorway. Click on the link to see their other colors.

It's 100% acrylic but it has a nice feel to it, and it's machine washable. Oh, and it's a third of the price of Noro- which makes total sense, since the Noro yarn has real silk in it.The gauge appears to be a match as well- the pattern calls for using a size 8 (5 mm) needle, and so does this. The skeins are also labeled as being 280 yards, so 2 will do the trick nicely.

I considered getting Red Heart Boutique 'Treasure' but I liked the colors in Unforgettable more. Treasure has more of a marled/heathered look to it, and Unforgettable was more silk-like. Plus, the skeins are only 150-ish yards, each. I think that Treasure would work just fine, but you may want to go up one size on the needle, since they call for a 9 instead of an 8 on their labels. It's close enough that the pattern would work just fine, if you happen to love one of those colorways.

One more possibility for you is the Lion Brand 'Amazing' yarn. Same thing on the gauge, though- you may want to up the needle size to a 9 instead. (Although, I used that yarn for one of my cowls, and I'm pretty sure I knit it on 8s.) It's a little more rustic-looking (less silky) but again, they have some gorgeous colorways to choose from. These skeins are also in the smaller side, at 147 yards each, so make sure you buy enough.

I found mine at Michael's, but if you don't have one nearby you can check the manufacturer's site for a local retailer. (Oh, and if you go to Michaels, hit their website first for a coupon.) All three of these should be readily available... the hardest part will be deciding on the colors! Happy hunting, all. :)

Spring Moebius Cowl KAL

Image by knitomatic, on Flickr and Ravelry. 

The people have spoken and the Spring Moebius Cowl, by Haley Waxberg, will be our first-ever Knit Along (KAL) project!

Click here for the link to Ravelry, where you can download the pattern and supplies list. If you're not already a member, you'll need to create an account. It's totally worth signing up for, as that are LOADS of project patterns available, both free and for purchase.

A note about the yarn: as much as I love Noro yarns, they can be on the spendy side. Feel free to swap in a comparable yarn in the same gauge, if you can't get a hold of Noro. (I'm going to head over to my local JoAnn store later this morning, to look at substitutions, and I'll post those this afternoon.)

We'll kick things off on Monday, so over the weekend, gather up your supplies and take a look (or three) at the Moebius cast-on video from Cat Bordhi to get familiar with the start of the project.

Questions? Drop me a note either here or on FB, and let me know. This is going to be fun!

Who's Up for a Knit Along?

Like clockwork, once the weather starts to change even the slightest bit, my hobbies shift as well. I'm itching to knit something these days, and it's too warm during the day to work on something huge. So, while I was surfing Ravelry for ideas, I started thinking about organizing a knit-along (otherwise known as a KAL) and making it a group thing. Who's with me? (Fellas, I'm talking to you, too. There are lots of guys out there who knit, so don't be shy! Think about it- how impressed would your lady be, if you knit her a gorgeous gift?)

My goal for our KAL project is that it will be easy enough for beginners to work through, yet still interesting enough for an advanced knitter. We'll have updates on FB, and our new knitters can get help from anyone in the group, including me, if they run into trouble. I'd also like it to be a small enough project, that it could be wrapped up in no more than 3 weeks. With the holidays coming, this would be a great way to kick off the making season!

I'm a huge fan of scarves and cowls when the weather gets cool. So, I've picked out two possible projects for our KAL, and I'd like to hear your feedback. If you're not on Ravelry yet, you'll need to sign up (it's free) to access the patterns. Not all of the patterns available on Ravelry are free, but the ones I've picked out below, are.

My first choice is "A Noble Cowl" by Emily Kausalik.. I knit this cowl a few years ago, and I get compliments on it every time I wear it. I love the way it fits, and it's definitely a wardrobe staple for me. Also good to know: it was the first pattern project I ever tried, and it wasn't hard at all. If you're a newer knitter, this is a great project to get you used to following patterns and what-not.

My second choice is this "Spring Moebius Cowl" by Haley Waxburg. I haven't knit this one before, but after reading through the pattern, it's just a series of knit and purl rows, so it looks super easy to make- perfect for someone who has never knit before, even.

What do you think? I'm also open to suggestions, if neither of these are grabbing you. Go ahead and browse the patterns on Ravelry (you can even view my Ravelry profile, here) and post a link to the Facebook page, if you see something else that you like more. Let's plan on choosing our final project by Friday, September 26th- this way, we can gather our supplies over the next couple of days and be ready to kick off the KAL on October 1st.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!