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I'm heading into the weekend with one less project in production.
Purpleplexy is off the needles and blocked.
This substantial shawl was taking up a lot of room in my knitting bag, so it feels good to lighten the load.
Purpleplexy was a filler project for me. I would work on it in-between more pressing projects. Because of that, production dragged on longer than it normally would have.
This design is mostly garter interspersed with daisy stitch gradient stripes. As with most projects that require color combinations, half the fun is picking the colors.
The yarn is Lillian - Wheat and Drizzle Gradient Bundle.
On the subject of gradient bundles . . . not a week goes by that I don't receive several requests for them. Here are a couple options for those who are interested. I will have a full selection of gradient bundles available at Rhinebeck - Building C, Booth 42.
For those who can't make it to Rhinebeck, the bundles will be posted to the website later this fall. If you want to make sure you get in on the fun, I'm also offering a preorder option. Contact me for details.
I've been flipping back and forth between two shawl projects. In some ways they are the same, in other ways they are so different.
Both shawls are worked from top to bottom but with different construction techniques. My Purpleplexy stitch count has been steadily increasing and now stands at over 350. I'm in the middle of another stripe section, so it's a little more time-consuming. Once I finish the stripes, the pace will pick up again. When all is said and done, I'll have over 450 stitches.
On the other hand, my Just Enough Ruffles Light seems to be cruising right along. I'm in the middle of 36 short rows. Because the rows keep getting shorter and shorter, it feels like I'm making great progress.
And then I read ahead in the pattern - sometimes a good idea, sometimes not. I never recommend reading ahead in a book, but reading ahead in a knitting pattern can be valuable. I'm not sure if the knowledge that the final stitch count will be 768 is valuable information or not. This might be a situation where ignorance is bliss, but at least now I can brace myself.
I never let a little bad weather interfere with a planned stop at the beach. This week's color inspiration . . .
All the grays.
When anyone in the family asks about my travel schedule, I remind them they can find all the details on my website. There's a lot of coming and going in my household, and this is an easy way for everyone to know where I am.
The other day my daughter was planning her fall schedule, and since it hinges somewhat on mine, she went to the website to check my calendar. There she discovered I hadn't posted my fall show schedule, and she let me know she couldn't make her plans until she knew mine. Life for a teenage girl can be trying. In all fairness I thought I had already updated the list, but apparently I had only posted through June.
To bring everything current and to keep peace in the house, I updated the Events page to the end of the year. You'll find the same information in the right sidebar. Fall is a crazy busy time, and this year is no exception. There's not a lot of wiggle room in my schedule, and I'm looking forward it.
This week I've been tempted by several new knitting projects, but so far I've managed to stay monogamous.
I might fall off that wagon this weekend, but for now Purpleplexy is getting all my attention. There's another set of ends to weave in . . . a sure sign that I'm making progress.
Miles and miles of garter.
My color inspiration for this week . . .
Hot pink.
It's always good to have a Plan B. This week I've been running around a lot, carrying my knitting with me wherever I go. My Flaming Desire socks have been getting my undivided attention. You know how it is when you get into a groove with a project and want to see it through to completion.
The other day I was out and about and waiting for one of the kids. I was working away on my sock and didn't mind the wait time. I reached the bottom of page 7 and was about to flip to page 8 when it happened. There wasn't a page 8 to flip to. I sorted through the stack of pattern pages to see if it was out of place. It wasn't. Then I emptied my bag to see if it had fallen to the bottom. It hadn't.
Earlier in the week I was taking only the socks to work on when I was out of the house - remember I wanted to finish them - but by midweek I came to my senses and tossed another project in my bag . . . just in case. My general rule is to carry at least 2 projects, but I had gotten lazy, and it was nice carrying a lighter bag.
When page 8 went missing, I still had plenty of waiting time on my hands, so I'm glad I tossed that second project in the bag. I'm on a roll with Purpleplexy and am starting the third set of stripes. Now to see if I can keep the momentum going on both projects. I still need to find page 8 . . .
My kitchen is a hodgepodge of mismatched items collected from yard sales and thrift stores. This matching set almost looks out of place. My color inspiration for the week . . .
According to the box it's caribbean.
I appreciate a good set of instructions. Whether they are for assembling a bookcase or baking a cake or knitting a shawl, good instructions can make all the difference. I admit that sometimes I consider a specific instruction as nothing more than a mere suggestion. I've done plenty of assembling, baking and knitting to realize which instructions I need to follow and which ones I don't.
When I started knitting Purpleplexy, I read through the pattern and noticed the instruction to weave in the ends as you go. The explanation was, "to ease the burden . . . at the end of the project." I filed that instruction under suggestion. Weaving in ends . . . no problem, I'll just do it all at the end.
The other day I was working on Purpleplexy and did a little math. Right now I have 20 gradient ends. By the time I finish, I'll have 50 gradient ends. That doesn't include a few ends from the main color.
Sometimes the designer knows best, and this is one of those times. I decided to take that suggestion to heart. Weaving in the ends as I go will definitely ease the burden.
This week's color inspiration is an eye-catcher . . . bright and bold.
I wonder how they taste.
This coming Saturday is World Wide Knit in Public Day . . . a designated day for knitters to gather and knit in public. For you knitters in the area, Bella Yarns is extending the celebration to include Sunday. I'll be at the shop with a trunk show. Bring your knitting and join in the fun, 2:00 - 6:00.
Knitting time has been in short supply, but I'm slowly gaining momentum with my Purpleplexy.
Garter and gradient stripes . . . simple yet entertaining.
Another race.
This is how I spent part of my weekend. My daughter ran a race, and I got to hang out. I can't complain. It's designated knitting time, and the setting was beautiful - boats, water, music.
The sky was overcast. There was rain forecast for later in the day, but it moved in a little early with off and on sprinkles. I'm sure it wasn't enough to bother the runners, but I decided to wait it out in the truck.
Another gradient bundle.
This is what I brought along to keep me company. The colorway is Drizzle . . . very fitting for the day.
Purpleplexy. When I was planning this project, I went back and forth on the colors several times before settling on this combo.
One section is finished, and so far I like it. I know. There will be a lot of ends to weave in, but right now I'm ignoring that. Instead I'm enjoying the shifting colors.
