Skip to main content

The Zilver Shawl and Fifty Shades of Charcoal

I was inspired after last week’s post to try some non-sock knitting.  I’ve accumulated several – fine, a lot – of gradients over the months.  These cakes are so delicious and without any of the calories.  The way the colors shift from a mere hint of color to the most saturated of hues – all without adding in new yarns or weaving in tails – has made it difficult to resist these beauties.  When you think about it, it’s more economical to purchase the gradient than four or five fingering weights in the same color family.  Yep, that’s the story, and I’m sticking to it.
 
I hunted through the stash for the gateway gradient – Eaden Yarns.  I originally stalked shopped Eaden Yarns for their self-striping colorways.  I have a thing for 6-color, narrow (3-4 rows) self-striping yarn, and Eaden’s colorways are some of the most unique I’ve seen.  But during one update, I noticed these beautiful gradients.  I selected a neutral shade since I knew I would get the most wear out of it.  The colorway is Charcoal.    

Given that I’m new to shawls, I wanted a project that was more than just rows of stockinette, but not too sophisticated that I would be ripping back at the slightest distraction.  So, I queued up my Ravelry faves and found a pattern that combined simplicity (stockinette) with textural interest (doubled ridges): Zilver.  Better yet, it used 436 yards; my cake had 437.  

After knitting a swatch and getting the gauge, I felt confident that I could pull this off, despite having a one yard cushion.  I cast on with the darkest shade, a deep soot, which transitioned midweek to a subtle slate before ending over the weekend in a smokey/off-white.  The shawl was incredibly fast to knit, and allowed me to multitask (i.e., watch television and occasionally my children).  

Thankfully, the yarn gods were also on my side.  I ended up with several yards to spare.  With fall upon us, I know my new shawl will get lots of wear, and the color goes with everything.  I couldn’t be happier.

Of course as soon as I had it off the needles and on the blocking board, I started to scheme about other shawls to knit.  I have a few things in mind, but I have yet to commit.  

 So instead, I decided to queue up a hat.  It should be a fast knit since I’m using an aran weight yarn.  I also cast on for another pair of socks – in White Birch Fiber Arts’ Sand in my Seagrass.  I have one leg done, but with the kids going back to school and my colleagues returning from summer end vacays, knitting time will be at a premium.  Until next week, bon tricot. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

May Day, May Day: Lifelines and Socks

I had hoped to show progress on a shawl I’m knitting using Knit Circus Opulence Yarn in Turquoise Pool.   But a dropped stitch meant I had to rip back an entire lace repeat.  Quite frustrating, but I did learn a new skill – putting in a lifeline.  I could have ripped back a lot more if it hadn’t been for that trick.  Moving forward, I’m going to use lifelines for remaining lace.  Since my last post, I’ve also ventured outside the sock realm.  I signed up for a sweater class at my LYS.  I’ve selected Purl Soho’sSweater Sweatshirt for my project.  I must say after the first class, I was a little discouraged.  I assumed that sweater knitting would be the same as socks or shawls: as long as I got gauge, I would be good to go.  But no.  Because my gauge is different than the pattern, I will need to make the smallest size, and the cast on number as well as the decreases will also be adjusted.  The instructor say...
Post a Comment
Read more

There’s Nothing Plain About Vanilla – Another Set of Stockinette Stitch Socks

It’s been a few weeks since my last post, but I’m proud to say I’ve survived a stint with strep throat, my son’s first birthday party (with 24 of his kindergarten classmates), and Easter, complete with a visit from the Bunny, an egg hunt in the backyard, and a trip to see Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s circus.  It’s been a whirlwind, to say the least.  But in that time, I’ve been sneaking in some knitting when I can.  To feel creative and productive (which don’t always co-exist happily), I find it best to have a pair of plain vanilla, stockinette stitch socks on my needles at all times.  I can trot them out of my project bag and knit a few rounds while waiting for folks to shop our yard sale, like I did this past weekend, or while I watch the kids play outside in the front yard.  The first time I saw the Regia Jacquard sock yarn was on Susan B. Anderson’s blog.  I was saddened to learn it’s since been discontinued.  But during my Goog...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Trouble with KALs

Knit-a-Longs (KALs) are great for digging into the stash, except…well, when they’re not.  I’ve been participating in Desert Vista Dyeworks’ Officially Unofficial Monthly Sock Club .  Each month, participants post a picture of their yarn accompanied by a completed pair of adult-sized socks.  The KAL began in January, but it wasn’t until late February when I had my first DVD skein in hand.     Given my exceedingly large supply of fingerweight yarn, it’s only logical to assume that I would have one, or two, or ten skeins of DVD, but I confess, I did not.  Since the KAL is structured into four quarters, I decided to wait until April to dive in.  So far, I’ve knitted Halley’s Comet, the Entertainer, and Monopoly.   Halley's Comet The Entertainer Monopoly This month, I’m quite enchanted with Harold’s Purple Crayon, and I’m surprised at how fast these socks are working up.   But the irony of expanding my sta...
Post a Comment
Read more