slipstravaganza

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Hello there Friends! Happy beautiful Friday! 
So, if you are participating in Stephen West's MKAL2020 Slipstravaganza, this may be a bit of a spoiler.  So, please look away if you do not want to see how it looks.  However, I am just showing clue 1 and today we received instructions for Clue 3, so you may be caught up, also!
I finished clue 2 one day before the new details were revealed.  And I must say I was happy to take a day away from this bit of gorgeousness.  Only because I have decided to try to make the switch to become a Continental Knitter (again) and my hands are tired and sore from the constant tension I find myself holding in my hands.  
Oh, and if you are wondering what happened to the orange?  I swapped it out at the last minute for the white up there (with flecks of mint and forest green).  Although it was going to be fantastic with the pop of color and I would feel as if it were a little more "West knits" I questioned myself and wondered if I would wear it as much as I would wear a more monochromatic color palate.  
I am thanking my inner voice as I am loving the color palette and think this will fit nicely into my winter wardrobe.  

Now onto more Continental knitting and repeating my Slipstravaganza mantra to myself; relax, breathe. 
 
Happy Weekend, friends!

frida

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Oh boy, I uploaded all of these photos last week and then I forgot to write about it! Anyhow... here Frida is. And I am so happy with how she turned out!
I first saw this sweater from Jackie over at CadyJax.  And when I RAN to check out her ravelry page I mistakingly took the amount of skeins she held together for the amount of skeins needed to knit the entire sweater.  I kid you not.  I bought 3 skeins of yarn thinking it was going to make a sweater.  Jeez, this yarn must be magic!   It didn't quite get the job done and I needed to make another trip to the yarn store. Let me tell you, this yarn is a DREAM to work with and to wear!  It's just so light yet warm.  
The yoke consists of lacework that is very easy to follow.  It contains "columns" in between each panel.  I ended up carrying each "column" down the entire body of the sweater. (But not on the arms.)  I think I needed this bit of interest because I knew I would be bored of the twisted rib.   
I started the sleeves two at a time on magic loop and planned on just knitting until I ran out of yarn.  Since you hold two strands of mohair and one strand of mohair tweed, I decided to use one cake of the mohair pulling from the inner and outer cake.  After hearing my friend Nadine express her concern about the twisting of the yarn, I decided maybe that really wasn't such a great idea.  I did a little research and found this video explaining exactly what Nadine was talking about.  I ended up making two little balls and knitting the sleeves one at a time.  

Pattern: Frida
Yarn:  6 skeins of Shibui Knits Silk Cloud/ 5 skeins Shibui Knits Tweed Silk Cloud.  Both in Abbys.  
Size: S
Mods:  I made a couple of modifications.  The first was that I cast on for the Medium because after casting on for the Small I was concerned that the neck would be too small.  After finishing the ribbing I made sure to get the stitch count for the Small so that I could continue with the Small instructions.  I also carried all of the "columns" down the entire body of the sweater.  
I talked all about Frida and my new yarn purchase(s) over on Podcast 11.  

play nice

chalk lots

(Not my new kitchen.  It's my girlfriends and I do love it!)

 Good Morning Friends!  Happy Sunday!

School has been in session for a few weeks and to commemorate so many families out there,  Chalk Lots is running a back to school sale.  I can only imagine how challenging and stressful these times are for families.  Chalk Lots truly make my life at home a little more fun.  From the time my kids were younger till even now.  You can fit a little more school in at dinner as you have your children practice spelling or writing or answering a question.  They won't even realize they are still in their classroom. ;)

mystery shawl KAL 2020

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Happy October, friends! 
I do love October 1st. Not only because it is my sweet mom's birthday, (today she is 85... Happy Birthday, Mom) but because it is time to hunker in and start knitting even more! I haven't been part of a Knit Along in quite some time. Maybe since Kirstin Kapur held her Mystery Sock KAL. (Anyone remember those?)
But this year I decided to hop on board Stephen West's MKAL.   I'm not really sure how long Stephen West has been hosting shawl Knit Along's. Maybe since 2011? I have always watched from the bleachers as others knit away and displayed their beautiful progress weekly.

Stephen does put together kits, as do yarn shops, but encourages you to stash dive for his KAL.  So, last Saturday evening I started stash diving at around 11pm.  The next time I looked at the clock it was 1:30am.  I had yarn all over the place but decided to leave it "as is" and head to bed.  I woke with thoughts of this combination. All of the yarn is from some of my previous Knitcrates.  
  I came downstairs, made coffee, cleaned my mess from the night before, bought and printed the pattern, and sat to admire this combination.
Stephen encourages you to do a 'lazy" swatch in order to see how your colors will play out and pare next to each other.  I think this technique is rather brilliant!  And, it confirmed my decision that this was definitely the pallet I wanted to go with.  
I am certain I will pick up these yarn cakes 100x before October 9th.  I am SO looking forward to the first clue!
Let me know if you will be joining in on the fun!