Lime Green Tuscany DONE!

At long last, this Tuscany is done! I LOVE this pattern. Thanks Amy.

Help with Cotton Tuscany

I posted MANY weeks ago about a lime green tuscany that I had started. Well, I have FINALLY finished, while moving my entire household from Oregon to California. YEA!!

So, here's where I need help -- I used an egyptian cotton. Do I need to "block" this? If so, how?

THANKS in advance.

Tomato WIP

About halfway done with Tomato!

I love this pattern & yarn! I'm using Cascade Luna for the main colour & Manos del Urguay Peruvian Cotton for the contrast colour. It's my first time using either of these yarn & I'm addicted to them! This is also my first time doing any kind of colourwork & I seem to be doing okay with it.

My blog if anyone is interested. :)

Finished Object: Tomato

I love this shirt.



Two weeks, that's all it took. I did work on it a lot, but I also have a full-time job and spend 9 hours a day, 5 days a week at work, so I didn't have that much time.

I did the second-smallest size on size 7 circs, the Denise Interchangeables were great for it. Those colours are Periwinkle and Stone, in Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton, and while I bought 5 hanks of the blue and 1 of the brown, I have one whole hank of blue left (I made the shirt 2.25" shorter, since I'm only 4'10") plus a partial ball of blue, and brown.

Edit: I traded the remaining yarn.

Tuscany Started

This is my first time (officially) on a knitalong. I'm excited to share my project with others and to see the progress of all the other members knitting the wonderful projects from this book. As the title suggests, I'm working on Tuscany. Originally, I wanted to make this shawl using a bamboo yarn. I looked at those offered by my LYS, which were wonderful choices, but, after attempting to calculate the appropriate yardage, it was just too expensive. I'm not adverse to paying good money for good yarn, but the problem is that I'm not really sure that I'm even a shawl person. This is my second shawl and I like knitting them, but I'm not quite sure I will use them. So, I didn't want to spend that much money...yet. So, I chose an egyptian cotton. I know, not too exciting, but I love the color. It's Mandarin Petit (from Norway) in a bright spring green (using sz 6 needles). I love the other examples earlier on the blog using the seasilk and bamboo in verigated colorways (beautiful color choices!), but after seeing my start, I also like the way the mono-color emphasizes the pattern. I've decided this is my "leaving the northwest" shawl, since it reminds me of where I live right now...the color of the spring leaves. I'm moving to a much warmer and drier climate in the next 2 months, so this will be a nice reminder of my favorite time of year in the NW.

being geeky & a cotton blocking question

Sometimes I get in a mood - a very non-commital mood mind you - when all I want to do is make swatches - lots and lots of swatches for potential projects or just a new yarn I think is gorgeous/exciting/fun. The book sugggested creating a notebook which I did & I love - now all my geeky swatches are organized & such. Here are a few pages from my book. Love it. :)


I also just finished knitting clapotis (my favorite knit to date) and had a question about blocking - I used Ella Rae Silkience - (6 balls) it's 41% cotton, 39% modal, 12% silk, 8% rayon - 108m/50g. Love the yarn - you should try it. So how do I block it? I've never blocked cotton, modal, silk, or rayon so do I soak it then pin it or pin it then spritz it or what? I don't have a stellar iron so steaming it isn't really an option. I don't want to post pictures of it big & finished until I have it blocked & gorgeous so here is a teaser:


Thanks & happy knitting!

Kate