FO Friday - Electric Village

The Electric Village shawl pattern is part of Kate Davies' West Highland Way collection. When it first came out I was indifferent to the pattern, but I was pretty excited to read about Kinlochleven, since we were there when the pattern was released. And then about three months ago I got obsessed with knitting it. I can't remember what kicked it off, but I had to make it. I bought the yarn on the 30th of October, cast on the 11th of November and finished a month later. It would have been quicker, but I was also knitting a Drawing Sweater.

I really love the way the yarn (from Passioned Flower a new to me but relatively local dyer) plays together. They are such different colours, but seem really cohesive.

The knitting was pleasant - garter stitch and simple lace, although it did feel like whenever I was knitting alone in a well lit place I was on the garter stitch, and when I was out with bad lighting and lots of friends I was doing lace. That's just the way it goes sometimes.

I wore it to work on Wednesday, and it's perfect for keeping the chill off when it's warm enough I don't need a jumper, but the aircon is actually working a little bit.

I was going to get photos on Wednesday night - we went to a trivia night at the Espy, down at St Kilda beach, but things got hectic and then it got dark. So these photos are taken in my balcony garden.

The only thing I would do differently is that if I had more yarn, I would do an extra strip of each colour, but the pink yarn was basically finished. Anyway, it's not small I just love a giant shawl these days. All in all a satisfying project with a strong finished object.

Comments

Geogradiant MKAL Part 1 - that was unexpected (spoilers)

Stephen West released the first MKAL clue on Thursday night. I started knitting it without looking at spoilers. When I got up on Friday he had sent through an "alternative" clue one. I then went and had a look at the spoiler thread to try to work out what was going on. Which was that some people thought the pattern looked like a "German hate symbol". I knit on anyway, since I was half-way through. Then he took down the original clue, replacing it with a mitred square in garter stitch. The Ravelry forums and Instagram are a complete shit-show, even though Rav is being moderated. It's been a bit disheartening, having something that is usually quite light and fun weighed down with all this. I admire Stephen's quick and sensitive response to this drama. I also feel that anything can look like anything if you squint. To me this looks like a Celtic knot. I think mine is pretty, and I'll knit on through all crises.

Linky Wednesday - the one with the drama

The drama about the Stephen West MKAL continues, and I can't be bothered with it. It's meant to be a fun, interesting, communal knit and and that's not what this year has turned in to. Stephen has done his best in a difficult situation, but I'm just not feeling it. Meanwhile, Israel is at war, and we (as a country) are going to vote "no" on a referendum that asks for basic consideration for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders. So yeah, lots of turmoil here. It's very tiring. I'm knitting a sock and considering what happens next. Luckily the reading was dramatic in a good way. I'm reading a NetGalley review copy of Last Summer at the Lake House and it's great. Super dramatic family drama about three sisters who loose their father unexpectedly and then find out that the family has secrets. I 've nearly finished it and I don't know what I'm going to read next. I've got a bit of a break between review books, so maybe Sta

Mussleburgh musings

I made a Mussleburgh hat earlier in the year, and even though I thought I was following the directions exactly it did not come out quite right. It was a little bit loose. My head is 51 cm, my gauge was 7 stitches, so according to the pattern I knit the right size. It's also a little bit shorter than I would like it. Too long for a beanie, too short for a good turn-up. I couldn't work out why. I still wore it, but it was not quite right. When I decided to knit one for Elise I knew I wanted to make it longer, and tighter. After I finished Elise's (with 24 fewer stitches) I realised something about mine: Now, this is a knit tube. I know how to knit tubes. When I make sleeves or socks, they don't balloon out in the middle. So I decided to reblock it. The instructions actually specifically say to fold it inside each other after blocking, but I probably folded it and dried it on my head, because that's how I block my hats. Not this time: Now it's longer and thinner

What I made, by Sharon

Search This Blog