WIP Wednesday - Shawl Overload

Hello again!  Life is settling back to normal and I can eek out a few moments to clear my thoughts and post.

My spring cleaning has been going well and I got some cleaning accomplished this week.  I cleaned out my fridge and pitched any thing that was expired and bought new.  I still have to mop and do a thorough wipe down of the cabinets and stove.  I took off for Good Friday this week so hopefully I can get that done.

I still have to work on the other rooms but a little bit at a time does wonders!  Oh and speaking of wonders, I found a great new app for cleaning called Brightnest.  Basically they have suggested tasks and you can schedule them.  Then you get an email or alert to remind you to do them.  I admit that this definitely helped to get the fridge cleaned out and my sink shiny.

Speaking of Spring, where is it?  I want daffodils, tulips, crocuses and hyacinths.  Seriously fragrent bulb flowers are my favorite part of spring.  So where are you spring?

We got snow last night?  It will melt by this afternoon.

I got a new toy this week!  I bought a light box, lights and a small tripod.  This means I can stage gorgeous shots of my yarn!  I know I promised images last week but I think the wait may be worth it. ;-)

So let's talk about what I have been working on that's fun.

Candy Skein Leftie

Instagram picture but don't the colors just pop?

Well when I last posted I had only a picture through the green and completed through the blue.  I got so much more done this week.  I think the red is my favorite so far but all of the colors are just gorgeous.  Especially with the Instagram filters.

I had a great low-key weekend and spent most of it lounging in bed watching NCIS and knitting Leftie.  It was really nice to just hang out instead of run around like I have been.

Overall, this project is coming along because it's easy to get 6 garter ridges and then start on a new color. Even though this is probably going to be as big as the Trillian, it feels easier because it's broken into little parts.

Tropical Ginger Hitchhiker

Tropical Ginger!

The other project on the needles is the Tropical Ginger Hitchhiker.  This is another case of small accomplishment because it's an 8 row repeat to make each tooth.  The color change ads an extra bit of dynamic that makes it easy to just sit and knit.

Well that's it for this week.    For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams

<3 Heather

Finished Object Friday - Sun and Stars Trillian

Holy Butterscotch!  I am posting twice in one week.  Stop the presses!  No really, this post has been in my mind for about 2 weeks but I was waiting on a couple things.

• First, I wanted to show my knit night group.  
• Second, I wanted to block it.  

Alas, only the first got done and I am impatient so you get to see the finished object now.

So while I have many things in the crafty pipeline (Three lovely shawls, three large afghans, and a cardigan) I can't help but cast on when I get the bug to do something.  This was definitely the case with Trillian and the brand new skein of Wollmeise in Maharani.  This skein was a Christmas gift from my friend Dianne who went to Germany before the holidays.  I was so spoiled and really have to amp up my Christmas game for this year.

The yarn is AMAZING.  I know a lot of people covet the yarn but please remember to use it.  While it is so lovely in the skein and all caked up, using it and knitting with it is even better.   It is so nice and easy to work with that I am completely spoiled with other yarns.

So, after untwisting and winding the skein, I was amazed at the depth of color and variation that came from 3 primary colors.  The yellow, red and blue each brought hues of secondary colors.  Green, oranges and teals were all present in the yarn and just shine as little color bursts through the cake.  It was a compilation of everything I love, bright, saturated colors and nuance with more subtle greens, teals and oranges.

I needed to pick a pattern to do this yarn justice.  I love all of Martina Behm's patterns and she designed them with Wollmeise in mind.  So of course I had to pick one as my first project with the yarn.  Now many have made and showed off their Hitchhickers but I wanted to make something a little less popular and a little more unique.  After debating for a few minutes with the yarn, it finally told me that Trillian was the way to go.

I cast on and ripped out several times because I got nervous about the "right" side looking good but after a while I just said Butterscotch it and went with it.  Boy am I happy that I did.

After I decided to just go with it

So I plugged on and with surprising single minded focus....okay there were some other projects going on but I worked mostly on this one primarily...I plugged along.  There were amazing moment when the pooling took my breath away and that is when the name was born.  I was struck by both the skein and the pooling that this yarn looked so celestial.  It was sunrises and sunsets on an inky dark sky.  It was pops of stars that shine and glimmer.  It was the Sun and Stars

There were moments where I was wrestling with it to get it so I was comfortable knitting. And moments where garter was getting a bit old.  But really I loved watching it grow and change.

Almost done!

The edging is the real star of the shawl

I just love the polling throughout the shawl

I just looks so nice anyway you arrange it

Whenever it's blocked and I can get a whole picture I will be sure to update.  Until then just enjoy the colors.

Check out more Finished Objects at Tami's Amis!

<3 Heather

Now for the Details:

Ravelry Page - Sun and Stars Trillian
Needles - Size 4/3.5 mm Chiagoo Red Lace Circular Needles
Yarn - 143 grams of Wollmeise Pure Wool in Maharani
Duration - 2 Months
Pattern - Trillian from Strickmich! by Martina Behm

WIP Wednesday - Butterscotch!

Okay this post has absolutely nothing to do with butterscotch other than that is a common word to leave my mouth as an alternative to the expletive that I am thinking.  Really it has been a butterscotching month since I last posted.  I didn't even post a monthly recap because I only posted once in February.

Chatting a lot here in the beginning so here is something pretty to look at :P

Seriously, I didn't forget about this and everyone it's just that every week Wednesday would come and go.  I had great intentions to get posts up about what I was working on and what was going on in my life but the time would pass and I would just plan on the next week.

Mostly, it frustrates me that I didn't blog because it does help to put some things into focus for me.  It helps me to summarize me thoughts and tell little stories which help in my everyday life as well.

So you first, how are you?

Oh Really?  Do go on!

That's lovely!

Work in general has been busy.  I am not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing but my time during the day just flies past.  This week is the first time in a month that 90% of my time isn't booked and it's nice to get some time to think and reflect.

Outside of work, has been okay.  I had a midterm, spring break and back to class again.  I didn't do so hot on the exam. (read: really bad)  I don't know what happened but now I have to bust my butterscotch to scrap through.  Keep me in your thoughts and wish me luck.

Home is okay.  I am working through cleaning up my place and starting spring cleaning.  I really need to wash the walls, wash the curtains, and vacuum everything.  Winter brings such yucky stuff inside.  On top of that, I need to convince my dad to clean too.  He's not a slob or anything but would never dream that you should wash the curtains.

My Living Room

Also Easter is steadily approaching and I really need to think about what to make for dinner and who will be coming.  Seriously, who schedules these holidays so close together?  All in all, work, school and knitting have been keeping me busy.

On an update, POK has already gotten her pattern.  The yarn is ready but I need to make the stitch markers.  I didn't forget just working on finding the time :).

So let's talk about what I have been working on that's fun rather than work.

Candy Skein Leftie

5 colors!

I have been busy getting another project done but I did manage to get more leaves on my Leftie.  I have through the blue actually done but this is the most recent picture that I have.  I kinda like the color changes because its a small sense of accomplishment. each time I get to switch to a color.  The colors are hard to photograph with my phone so I am going to have to break out the big camera to show how gorgeous the colors are doing.

Tropical Ginger Hitchhiker

The orangey color is actually the Crystal Palace Mini Mochi shown above in Tropical Ginger.  I really hope to get to the other colors soon.  I bought this yarn in January for the sole purpose of making a striped Hitchhiker.   The white is a lovely Heritage Silk from Cascade in Snow.

I know I know I barely got one project off the needles and started another.  But you have to realize this is an accomplishment.  I looked at the yarn for over a month on my knitting chair (green one above) until the needles opened up and I could cast on.  Really that's huge.  I am trying to finish things this year so I am sparingly* buying yarn and planning ahead in an effort to get things done.

*Starting now I mean, because 2 grab bags of Wollmeise and 2 skeins of yarn from Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet do not count.  Because I said so :P

Anyway,  I did get some yarn earlier in the year that I want to show off so that maybe a post for tomorrow if I get the pictures tonight.

Well that's it for this week.    For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams

<3 Heather