FOs: Malabrigo Loafers

Somewhere between finishing the Transverse cardigan and knitting a pile of monster parts, I sort of lost my mind. That's really the only explanation I can come up with for why it seemed wise to plan more holiday knitting at the end of November. 

Um, yeah...

So I grabbed the Malabrigo and cast on slippers for my father and brother-in-law. Since it was only after I'd purchased the yarn that I got the pattern, I didn't realize that short rows were involved. So, yes, I unwittingly queued up a new skill test for myself just to add to the Christmas frenzy. As I said, sort of lost my mind.

Pattern: Malabrigo Loafers by Julie Weisenberger

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted (Marine & Red Mahogany)

Once I'd committed to the project, though, I went all in and decided to knit sole inserts for both pairs. If you're going to wear Malabrigo on your feet, why not make it extra cushy? Both pairs were finished before we left New Mexico, but I didn't get a chance to photograph the second one until we were in MN (hence the crappy shot on flannel sheets).

FO: Slightly Carnivorous Herbivore

Pattern: Herbivore by Stephen West

Yarn: Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino #319

I've never really been a shawl person. Then I discovered Stephen West and his unisex designs. Nothing grandmotherly about them.

First up was the Pagona I knit a few months ago. Now the Herbivore. I love the texture of the twisted stitches, but must confess there were times I didn't enjoy the knitting. It's too intricate given the fingering weight yarn to be good TV/movie knitting. Yet, it's just mindless/tedious enough to not be fun to knit for long stretches. If it weren't for several sessions of "Knit Group of 2" with Jane while the girls were ice skating/hanging out in the pool, I might not have finished it for quite awhile. It proved perfect for rambling chats where you know the other person well enough that you don't feel rude making infrequent eye contact.

Also of huge help was the KPPPM yarn: so soft, so squishy, such interesting color combinations that it was fun to watch the rows take shape. I was so worried after coming up short on yardage with the Pagona that I bought 3 skeins at the outset. I ended up using just shy of two. Now what to do with the other skein? It's too lovely to return.

Go Heavy on the Greens

When it comes to the Pogona, load up on whatever color it is you're using. Seriously. The two skeins I'd purchased had 24 yards more than the 380 the pattern called for, so I figured I'd be safe. I'm always under in yardage used.

Well, I was just hitting a center triangle length of 12 inches (far from the 15 called for by the pattern before the edging) when I pulled out the kitchen scale. At best, I could hope for 4/5 more rows. Frantic call to my LYS the next morning, followed by lunchtime yarn run for the one (and only) skein left in the dye lot.

This has me seriously confused. I had gauge. As did many of the others who I've since read about on Ravelry. But then there are just as many people who made the shawl with the called for yardage or even less. If anyone can explain this phenomenon, please drop me a comment. Best guess I can come up with is that it all hinges on row gauge (which the pattern doesn't specify).

But all's well that ends well — with another 162 yards. And Crystal Palace Panda Silk Print was a joy to work with (52% bamboo with merino and silk rounding out the 100).

I got to try out my blocking wires for the first time. So much easier. Terrific investment, I'd say, not that anyone asked. Only problem is they were so easy to work with that I overdid the blocking by several inches. But since I wanted this shawl/scarf for the summer, I guess airy is good?

FO: Citron with an Edge

I, like so many others, loved the Citron when I first saw it in Knitty. I watched it explode in popularity for the Ravelympics and then continue to be added to queues at a healthy double-digit/day pace in the many months since. (Any statistics junkies out there really need to check out this cool feature, if you haven't already.) So by the time I got around to actually knitting it — not counting my first failed attempt with Classic Elite Yarns Silk Alpaca Lace (which is now taking an extended timeout in my stash bin, given that it was the second failed project attempt with said yarn) — I called it "Citron #1,000,001."

And off I went, casting on with Malabrigo for the first time. What can I say about this heavenly soft, color-drenched yarn that hasn't already been said? Sigh. Or about the mindless mindful knitting Citron's many stitches provide? (It was only that last 540-stitch ruffle that tested my patience.) Then I tried on my unblocked piece and, once again, was reminded that my neck is as short and stumpy as Ms. Callis' is long and graceful. (This probably wouldn't be such a sore point, but all my life it's a detail that's been rubbed in with silly zodiac descriptions proclaiming that as a Taurus I have a "swan-like neck." No, I'm not bitter.)

So after scanning Ravelry to see how else knitters were wearing it, I found a kinder draping. Check. Then I decided that as much as I loved the ruffles, it was a little too girly for my wardrobe liking. How about mixing in a few hard edges? So I blocked it with some random, angular points. (Promise: It wasn't just lazy pinning.) Must say, I'm pleased with the outcome.

And, for better or worse, so is Izzy.