Hollyberry Lacy Prairie Shawl

Hollyberry Lacy Prairie Shawl
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/38484177@N04/

When I finished my last shawl, I had always planned on knitting up another. So when I looked at a bobbin of single plied Hollyberry Merino Wool, I thought of knitting up this Lacy Prairie Shawl.

So I wound off the single plied Hollyberry Merino into a center pull ball and started knitting on the shawl on May 12th. The pattern called for using a size 8 circular needle. However, I knit tight so thought I'd better use a bigger size needle if I wanted this shawl to come close the size the pattern called for, so I chose to knit my shawl with a size 10 1/2 circular knitting needle.

I found that as I progressed on this shawl that I was not going to have enough yarn to finish the 38 pattern repeats of rows 41 through 46, that the pattern called for. So I only did 32 pattern repeats and then worked the next row of: knit 11, yo, k1, *yo, k2tog; repeating this across to the last 11 sts, then working a yo, k11 for 241 sts instead of 277 sts. Then I worked the first two rows of the top border and then repeated these two rows 2 more times. Then I worked in all my loose yarn ends, before washing it.

After I washed my shawl and laid it out to block it; I found that my shawl measured 80 inches wide at top edge and 52 inches deet at point. The orginal measurements from the pattern were 77 inches wide at top edge and 37 inches deep at point.

I finished this shawl on the 26th of May. This shawl took me 14 days to complete. I love this shawl its very lacy and lightweight too!

Here is a closer look at the stitches and the thinness of my handspun single ply Hollyberry Merino Yarn.

Fences

Fences
Originally uploaded by virginiasaccurso@yahoo.com

This past weekend my husband and I went out for a drive in the country. While we were driving down the country roads, we saw a lot of different styles of fences.

This gave me an idea to try out on a new pair of socks. So I set to work trying to write up a pattern for a new pair of socks. First I pulled out some graph paper and a pencil and started filling in the squares that would be purls and leaving the knit squares blank. I knew that I would be using 60 sts in these socks, so wanted the pattern to be a 15 stitch pattern. I found it a little hard at first to get the design that I wanted and was glad for using a pencil so that I could erase my mistakes. After a while I finally came up with a nice pattern, that sort of resembles a basket weave, but not quite.

Once I had my pattern drawn out on the graph paper, I began knitting on my first sock. I finished the leg of the sock and wasn't exactly sure if I wanted to continue the pattern on the top of the foot, and figured I'd decide that after I'd finished the heel flap and heel turn. When I finished these two areas, I had decided that "yes" I'd continue the pattern onto the top of the foot. So I picked up with the next row in the pattern, from where I'd stopped on the leg and continued knitting the gusset and foot of the sock. When I had knitted the length of the foot I needed, I then started working on the toe of the sock. Once I had the first sock finished and the information all written out in my book, I then started knitting on the mate.

Cuff: Cast on 60 sts being careful not to twist. Work in k2, p2 ribbing for 10 rows or 7/8 inches.

Leg:
Row 1 & 2 -- *p1, k2, p12 repeat around.
Row 3 & 4 -- *p1, k2, p1, k11 repeat around.
Row 5 & 6 -- *p1, k2, p12 repeat around.
Row 7 - 10 -- *p1, k2, p1, k3, p1, k2, p1, k4 repeat round.
Row 11 & 12 -- *p8, k2, p5 repeat around.
Row 13 & 14 -- *k7, p1, k2, p1, k4 repeat around.
Row 15 & 16 -- *p8, k2, p5 repeat around.
Row 17 - 20 -- *p1, k2, p1, k3, p1, k2, p1, k4 repeat around.

(Repeat these 20 rows until you have 6 1/4 inches or desired length)

Heel Flap:
Row 1: k3, p27 turn
Row 2: p3, sl 1, k1 to last 3 sts k3 turn

(repeat these 2 rows until you have 2 1/8 inches or desired length)

Heel turn:
Row 1: Sl 1, p16, p2tog, p1 turn.
Row 2: Sl 1, k5, k2tog tbl, k1 turn.
Row 3: Sl 1, p6, p2tog, p1 turn.
Row 4: Sl 1, k7, k2tog tbl, k1 turn.
Row 5: Sl 1, p8, p2tog, p1 turn.
Row 6: Sl 1, k9, k2tog tbl, k1 turn.
Row 7: Sl 1, p10, p2tog, p1 turn.
Row 8: Sl 1, k11, k2tog tbl, k1 turn.
Row 9: Sl 1, p12, p2tog, p1 turn.
Row 10: Sl 1, k13, k2tog tbl, k1 turn.
Row 11: Sl 1, p14, p2tog, p1 turn.
Row 12: Sl 1, k15, k2tog tbl, k1

Heel Gusset: Pick up and knit 17 sts, down right side of heel flap. Then knit according to pattern across instep. Pick up and knit 17 sts up left side of heel flap then knit first 9 sts from heel turn.

Row 1:
Needle # 1 -- knit across until 2 sts remain ssk.
Needle # 2 -- knit across top of foot according to pattern.
Needle # 3 -- k2tog tbl, knit to end of needle.

Row 2:
Needle # 1 -- knit across until 3 sts remain k2tog, k1.
Needle # 2 -- knit across top of foot according to pattern.
Needle # 3 -- k1, ssk, knit to end of needle.

Row 3:
Needle # 1 -- knit to end of needle.
Needle # 2 -- knit across top of foot according to pattern.
Needle # 3 -- knit to end of needle.

Continue repeating rows 2 & 3 until there are 15 sts on each needle # 1 & 3.

Continue working pattern across the top of the foot until, foot measures 7 1/4 inches or desired length.

Toe:
Row 1:
Needle # 1 -- k12, k2tog, k1
Needle # 2 -- k1, ssk, k24, k2tog, k1
Needle # 3 -- k1, ssk, k12

Row 2: knit across all needles.

Rpeat these 2 rows until toe measures 1 3/4 inches or desired length. Finish off with kitchener stitch. Repeat for second sock.

English Garden Merino Silk

English Garden Merino Silk
Originally uploaded by virginiasaccurso@yahoo.com

On April 27th, I finished spinning up my first skein of English Garden Merino Silk Yarn. I then washed it and hung it to dry, and went back to spinning up more of this wool. The next day I rewound the skein to figure out the yardage, weight and grams, then I took the picture and listed it on my website and on Etsy. Then I forgot to blog about it until today. LOL

I'm only blogging about this now due to finishing up the second skein yesterday and washing it. This morning before I left for my doctors appointment, I rewound the skein to figure out the yardage, weight and grams. I didn't need to take a second picture since both skeins are the same. The only difference is the second skein has a little more yardage then the first skein. This afternoon I listed the second skein on my website and on Etsy as well.

I'm in the process of spinning up yet another skein. I'm not sure just how many skeins, I'll be able to spin up from a 1 pound bag, so keep looking in my store from time to time to see if I have more listed.