Looking forward to learning with everybody--

Hello--I am an enthusiastic (well, OK, obsessive) knitter and I am already a big fan of this book because it's going to be such a great addition to my knitting library. I use wool, angora, alpaca, etc. but have been specifically interested in learning the ins and outs of creating garments using plant fibers. (Yes, yes I know-- silk is an animal fiber!)
The designs are lovely-- besides the standouts others have already mentioned, I am definitely going to have to make myself the "hers" gansey and the silk jacket-- but even more than that, I love the fact that Amy has included a very interesting primer on plant fibers and a whole chapter on swatching.
I'm also excited to see that this KAL is going to be encouraging people to swatch and share their results with each other-- this is going to be a potential gold mine of shared knitting knowledge.
I've had significant trouble knitting with cotton in particular, so I hope to learn a lot from Amy's book.

Intro Post

I received the book on Friday, so I'm still trying to decide what I want to do. I love the mosaic knitting one, but I don't think it would suit me. I think I'll end up doing Bacardi (which would be a challenge), Cables and Os, or Tomato. Since it's spring (apparently, anyway. There is *still* snow on the ground here) I'll probably go for Tomato.

hello!

Hi everyone. I just bought no sheep for you two days ago, and today, I ordered the yarn to make the tuscany shawl. I ordered three skeins of silken in the colorway paris. I can't wait to get my yarn and get started on the shawl!

New to this blog- happy to be home

Yes!

I've been working most of the last year with soy, bamboo, cotton, rayon and polyacrimide yarns due to my asthma and allergies. I can only put very fine merino wool next to my skin- and then only for a short bit.

I look forward to learning about more renewable plant based fibers. Also wanting to learn how to drop spindle spin these fibers. I have a drop spindle, wool (that is not so itchy for me) and a booklet but know I will need to work in other fibers.

Best,

Mimi

Hi Everyone!!

This is my first KAL. I'm going to be knitting Cables and Os. I ordered the Queensland Cotolino in lavendar and will be anxiously awaiting its arrival so that I can get started.

Soy Silk Geeky Thing

Here's my geeky thing, I got to know my skein of South West Trading Company Phoenix (100% Soy Silk). Using US size 8 bamboo needles, I tried out garter stitch, stockinette, a couple of drop stitch patterns, and a bit of broadripple lace. I think overall I like how this yarn looks in stockinette best. The yarn was very nice to work with, it's an excellent vegan yarn that comes in such pretty colors. Sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to find 100% vegan yarns in the colors I like, but this one is great.

Show us your Swatches

Are you making your Geeky Things? Show us your photos! A swatch can be beautiful too! And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you must go back and re-read chapter 3, "Learn to Love Your Geeky Thing." I'll send a surprise skein out to the first person who posts a photo of her Geeky Thing.

No More Lace!

I am at the shoulder shaping. It calls for short row shaping - wrap & turn fun! I've never done short rows w/ the wraps before, but I've been researching it lately, knowing I have to do them for the shoulders. I'm ready to just get one with it! LOL!

I don't have to do any more lace. The front is stockinette. I am ready to do some mindless knitting.



Cheers!

Hi, i'm new!

I signed up for the No Sheep KAL and exchange but haven't actually bought the book yet! I love fluffy fibre especially mohair but thought this would be a good chance to get into other fibres. However, I just finished knitting a cardigan in Jo Sharp 8ply cotton which I ended up giving to my mum (looked better on her than on me!). Promise to buy this book and start planningn a project soon!

The legend of Morrigan

Hi, everyone!
I hope you're having fun knitting from the book. I've already started my Cables & Os cardigan -- progress pics can be seen here. Work has stalled a little while I got the latest issue of Knitty out, but I'm on vacation in a few days and am looking forward to hours of travel knitting in my future. I also saw my first Tuscany in progress last night -- in deep blue Silken. It is gorgeous, and so exciting to see my pattern being knit by someone else! Happy happy!


For those interested in the Morrigan sweater -- the modernized Aran sweater designed by Jenna Wilson, take a peek at her blog -- The legend of Morrigan. She's chronicling the design process behind this sweater and it's great reading.

Knit on!

When geeking it up is really important...pt. 1

I have two rogue yarns in my stash, and I have large quantities of both. Here is installment one of my two tales of: The Importance of Buying the Single Skein.
The first is a tale of a cotton/rayon seed by Blue Heron Yarns. They still carry this variety of yarn, although the colorway I bought is now discontinued.
When I saw it hanging in loose hanks on the wall at one of the LYSs I frequent, I was struck with how gorgeous the colors were and with the drape of the strands. Because of the rayon in the blend, it is slightly shimmery and has a fluid feel.
However, as all veteran yarn-buyers are aware (and everyone who has read Chapter 3 should now know) there is a real danger to buying any yarn before you have test-knitted it, especially when it has an unusual texture to it. More than once, I have bought a cool yarn, taken it home, knit with it, and discovered that I didn't like the fabric it made. This is exactly what happened with this yarn. Unfortunately, I was NOT a veteran yarn-buyer at the time I purchased it, and it was $10 off (at the time, it retailed for approx. $35 per 440-yard hank) so I bought over 2400 yards.
When I got it home, I enthusiastically (at first) started knitting swatches, but my enthusiasm quickly turned to dismay. Because of the texture, it was extremely difficult to find a tension that would be satisfactory for a cardigan (which is what I wanted to make with it) and every kind of stitch pattern I tried got lost in the nubbiness. Lace was also a no-go because it doesn't hold its shape. I think that this would be a lovely yarn for a scarf or shawl, but I really have no use for a 2000-yard shawl!
The punch line: this is one of the yarns featured in the Berthe Collar pattern! Check it out.
However, since I don't want to knit a dozen collars, I still have to figure out what to do with the rest of it. I will probably make a collar now, though, because I CAN...
but there are no other projects on the horizon, and in the meantime it is $250 that has been benched for the last two years.

Have you heard about the No Sheep Secret Pals Skein Swap?

Hey Knitalong members - Do you know that there's also a No Sheep Secret Pal event that's open and taking registrations? Participants in the No Sheep for You Secret Pals Skein Swap will receive two skeins of nonwool yarn—one in June and one in July 2007—from their anonymous secret pal; they also mail two nonwool skeins in two months to their assigned pal.
As long as it is 100 percent nonwool, it qualifies. Interweave is asking participants to send only new yarns to their pals--let's show a little love to our local yarns shops and craft stores this summer. If you participated in the One Skein Secret Pal event or the Spin to Knit Handspun Secret Pal event, then you'll know it works pretty much the same way. Registration deadline is May 1 and pals will be sent out by May 15. Register online at: http://www.interweave.com/knit/books/No_Sheep/swap/nosheepsignup.asp
Some participants may be using this knitalong as a forum for publicly thanking their pals and posting photos of their nonwool skeins (which we encourage--it's fun to see pics of the new yarns).

Slow, but progress

...none-the-less!

I'm really enjoying this pattern and even though I'm not getting a great deal of knitting time at the moment, it grows at good speed.
I'm quite pleased with the colours I have chosen too, I think they work well together.

It's Here at Last!

Hi all!

I received my copy of "No Sheep for You" yesterday morning after waiting 2 very long weeks! I love it! Especially all the titbits of information on yarns. I studied Fabric Evaluation at Uni so find this kind of thing really interesting.
I have found a pattern which is so suited to me,

"Intoxicating"



It's so suited because I get bored easily, once I have mastered a new pattern or stitch, I loose interest, but this one has a different pattern on the front and back and the sleeves! I love the pinbox mosaic, a pattern which looks like "fairisle" but there's no stranding...Oh I could go on forever.

I'm part of a Stashalong, so no new yarn for me, I had to hunt through my stash and found plenty of balls of a cotton/acrylic blend in a pink/peach colour, a ball of cream coloured cotton and just incase I don't have enough of that I have a ball of red cotton/acrylic blend, So I will alternate between cream and red mosaic squares.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's work...
Good Luck - Angie (Riggwelter)

I Started Eileen!

Hi everyone! I am not allergic to wool, but I love knitting with non-wool yarns, especially for warmer weather.

The pattern that really spoke to me was Eileen. LOVE this top! I am using Garnstudio Bomull-Lin, a cotton/linen blend. I just got through the first pattern repeat.

I look forward to seeing everyone's projects.

Berthe Collar

Hey there, thanks for letting me join.
I am the one that came up with the circular scarf, named the "Berthe Collar" by Amy Singer.
I'd be curious to see how many of you come up with your own versions of the pattern. There are a ton of different yarns you can use for it, and if anyone has any questions, let me know! Just put your questions in the comment section.
Talk soon,
Karin