Sneak Peek - Part 2

This Rhinebeck sample is fresh off the needles.

Down The Road and Back Again.

This shawl has an interesting construction.  Simple stripes paired with slip stitches provide texture.  Increases and decreases create a crescent shape.

To utilize most of your yarn, the pattern includes instructions based on the weight of each ball.  

I followed those directions but could have worked a couple more repeats before starting the decreases.  On the other hand, it was nice to avoid playing a game of yarn chicken.

The yarn is Lillian Sprinkles and Lillian Ribbit.  Picking colors is always part of the fun, and using Sprinkles opens up all sorts of possibilities.

There are so many great murals around town, and I wish I had time to capture more of them.  This one caught my eye recently and is this week's color inspiration.

Soothing colors with a splash of red.

Knitting by Weight

Usually knitting patterns ask you to knit a certain number of rows or inches.  Count the rows.  Measure the inches.  Pretty straightforward. And then every once in a while there's a pattern that has you knit according to the physical weight of your yarn.  

I've been working along on my Down The Road and Back Again.  I'm still not sure of all the twists and turns in this pattern, but I'm OK with that.  Sometimes knitting requires blind faith.  This pattern also has you knit a percentage of the yarn before moving along to the next section.  

I understand the reasoning behind this.  The pattern can accommodate different amounts of yarn.  The whole concept is pretty clever, but it makes me slightly frustrated.  Counting and measuring are easy and give up-to-the-minute progress.  Weighing, on the hand, isn't accurate in the moment unless you want to pull out the scale every few rows.

I hadn't weighed my yarn since I started this project, so this morning I decided to check in.

I still have 25 grams to go before I can move on to the next section, but that's not so bad.  Now I can estimate how many rows I still need based on how much I've already done.  I'm feeling better about the situation.  I've figured out a way to count rows even though the pattern is based on weight.

Swapping

I'm busy pulling everything together for next weekend and Vermont Sheep and Wool.  As part of my show prep, I have this going on.

Attendees and vendors will be swapping stitch markers all weekend long.  It sounds like fun.  If you're going and want to get in on the action, see the website for details.

I found my rhythm and am cruising along on one of my new projects.

Down The Road and Back Again Shawl, in case you're interested.  Slip stitches are magic.

I caught this week's color inspiration just as the fog was rolling in.  

Surrounded by gray.