Summer knitting round up! (part 1)

Part one is all about shawls! I managed to start and complete 5 shawls since the beginning of June. 5!

Homage to Ricky

Lava is Hot, Hot, Hot

Merope in Green

Maia
The latest one is "Frank's Lucky Mom":

Pattern: #10 Beaded Shawl from Vogue Knitting, Holiday 2008
Yarn: JaggerSpun Zephyr in "cinnibar"
Needles: Knitpicks Options, size 4
Notes: My friend, Frank, asked me to knit a shawl for his Mom, for her birthday. She has been lusting after them in the Long Wharf Theatre Gala Silent Auction for several years, but has managed to get outbid each time. (good for the theatre, but bad for her) I talked with him about what he was looking for, what she would like.. you know, like you do. We decided that shiny is good, color is good and not pastel. Right. I don't think that Frank understood how open-ended this project still remained. I sat down in front of the yarn wall with my laptop, and cruised ravelry and my books searching for the perfect pattern. I know Frank's Mom pretty well, and she is not a "flowery" or "geometric" person. She is an exotic person. I was looking for something that felt Spanish, Indian... maybe Moroccan. I knew I wanted beads - or at least charted and easy to add beads. I came up with three top contenders, and after much deliberation, decided on the Vogue shawl based on sheer awesomeness.

It is, for all intents and purposes, a half circle. BUT, it is also squared off. whaaaaaAH? You see, my dear readers, it is three triangle sections, making it a half of a hexagon. It fits like a half circle shawl, AND is squared off at each triangle. This happens because you are increasing on the two center spines and the two outer edges, instead of evenly across on the "pi" rows like you do in a half circle shawl. Maths are good...

Anyway, it is a unique shape, and the motif feels exotic and non-leafy, and it is beaded. Oh boy, is it ever! Literally a bazillion beads. The beading was totally worth it though. It looks so nice. I am proud to hand this over to Frank for his Mom. He is going to get the "best birthday gift" award, if I do say so myself.

The pattern was confusing at first, since the edging is odd... but once I tried it, we were golden. I like that the beads are denser toward the end, making the bottom edging heavier. The half hexagon is awesome, too. It stays on the shoulders without a pin, and is long enough to wrap up and over the shoulder if desired. As a woman with a sizable butt, I appreciate the lack of "arrow at my butt" on this shape shawl, as well. (What woman wouldn't like that aspect?)
All in all, I am very happy with it, and I hope Frank and his Mom are too!
So, I evidently had an ass-ton of knitting time this summer, because part two is just as packed!

Maia - a cautionary tale

Last week I completed my 6th shawl for 2010, Maia.

Name: Maia

Pattern: Maia by Rosemary Hill

Yarn: Schaefer Anne in an unknown colorway

Needles: Knitpicks Options, sz 4

Notes: This shawlette is named after Maia, the eldest of the Pleiades, and mother of Hermes. She lived on a mountain top, surrounded by trees and nature - which is why I chose the colorway that I did. The combination of greens, blues, and browns remind me of a sitting at Mycenae, looking out at the surrounding countryside. In Ancient Rome, the month of May was named after Maia, and she was known as the goddess of spring and beauty. I think this design is a great homage to Maia, and will be a great gift this holiday!

The most complicated part of this shawl is the cast on. It starts with a provisional cast on, and has beads, lace and edging all in one fell swoop! then you do it again the other direction, and start in right away on the body of the shawl with tons of lace and beads! All the beads and lace aside, the start is actually very similar to the start of a top down triangle shawl. You knit a rectangle, then pick up along the long edge and short edge and start the body. Honestly, once you get past this little fiddly bit, it is all very straight forward.

It was fun to get back to knitting with beads. Even though it can break my stride a bit, the end result is always so pretty. I makes me want to bead everything. Socks for Evad? Beaded! Blanket? beaded! Washcloth? Beaded!

Ok. Maybe not a blanket....

With all this glowing happy knittyness, why do I say this is a cautionary tale? Companion project stupidity. In the picture above, you will notice the 1x2 garter rib, knit flat. while this requires you pay some attention, it is not difficult to do, assuming you can read your knitting. Well, what happens when your companion project is also in garter rib?

I heard you say it. Nothing. It makes it easier!

WRONG.

My companion project was this hat:


Cute right? True, but also a pita. It is in 2x2 garter rib, in the round. Good lord. My brain had some major issues switching back and forth. I shouldn't have to think so hard to make a little baby hat!! Take it from me, heed my warning, think before you leap.... pick your companion project wisely!

companion projects keep me sane(ish)

Those that know me in real life know that I definitely skirt the line of sanity most times. Granted, I'm not a pyromaniac, or anything, but I have a habit of doing things that make others question my sanity in a big way. For instance, designing 4 shows at the same time. Sane people just don't do that.
When knitting, I often find myself working on ill-advised projects (cough. mohair in July cough.) or way too many complicated projects at once. For my own sanity, I really should try to keep it to one or two WIPs at any one time, but it never happens that way. never.

What I found does work is knitting a simple project along side a complicated one. Some days, following a chart takes too much brain power, or a project is too cumbersome for the situation, or I can't do it in the dark. Those instances call for a "companion project". A project that allows for "brain rest" and ease of knitting.

I am currently floating two:

Red Raspberry Swirl Sweater. I just need to put in ends and do a little crocheting around the neckline. I started this companion project along with my Lava Shawl. Up until the bust section started, it was really mindless, and totally easy to do just about anywhere. It was taken off "easy" status with the bust shaping. Paying attention negates the purpose. But, it is almost finished!

This is my current one:

I call it "Little Blue". It is not only exceedingly portable, but also totally awesome because it will knock another book off of my "to knit from" list. Unfortunately, it might take me twelve weeks to knit this little thing, since it is only worked on at the movies, or in line, and late at night when I'm too tired to do anything complicated. Most of the time, I end up not entering these types of projects into Ravelry because they are so small, and I finish them before I feel like I have enough "project" to take a picture of. Silly,I know.

What, you might ask, is the little hat a companion to? Currently, it is Maia, the next shawl in the Seven Sisters Series. I am almost finished already! Evidently, I am no better at posting about big projects than I am at small ones!