The Shawl in Situ

Here it is.

Too short! Click to enlarge.

Faux Lace Knitting

Today I finished a half-round shawl.  I wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy this process much.  It comes out looking like lace, but it’s done in strips of different stitch patterns (increasing the row length periodically), rather than a design repeated continuously across all rows.  So, half of this project was either rows of garter, or rows of stockinette.  Not a big deal at all.  The only really troublesome parts were the last (longest) section of yarnovers, and the binding off.  And the only reason these were problem areas was because I was afraid of dropping a stitch (or making some other error) and having to rip back to the last garter row in order to be able to fix it.  I don’t know how to fix mistakes in fancy sections like these.  But anyway, it’s done, and it’s blocking upstairs.  The yarn is Plymouth “Dye For Me” (merino, silk, cashmere laceweight) that I dyed as the Tyrian Purple in an earlier post (the one in a ball form).  I skipped 5 rows of the pattern in order to eke out the yarn (the pattern recommended 900 yards, and I had only 820), and it was perfect.  There is something like two yards of yarn left over.  I’ll post a pic of me wearing it, once it’s dry and there’s someone here to take my picture!  But in the meantime here it is in all its damp glory for you.

The "Radiance Shawl" Pattern

My New Obsession

Yes, it’s still microwave dyeing.  I have been knitting with a very nice soft “sock” yarn (though I don’t knit socks) and decided to see whether I could source it undyed.  I wasn’t too thrilled with the self-striping nature of the stuff I’d purchased precolored; my stripes kept changing color in the very obvious middle of a row.  So after poking around the internet for a while I found the yarn – Cash MCN Sock at Wool2Dye4.com.  It arrived last week – on the same day as my new supplies of dye from Dharma Trading (I use Jacquard Acid Dyes/citric acid).  In the last week I’ve dyed four skeins of yarn.  Here they are to show you.

I wanted Tyrian Purple, and this is mighty close.

Jacquard's Fire Red dye on the Cash MCN Sock base.

This is the Cash MCN Sock and another attempt at Tyrian Purple. Pic is a bit too dark.

Kraemer's Sterling Silk & Silver, same dye baths as the Tyrian Purple Cash MCN Sock.

I will be experimenting with more as time goes on, but this is so much fun.  It’s like cooking (which I hate), but better, because I get YARN out of it!