"Three Fates" Shawl FO

I love doing test knits. Especially when they're wonderfully designed and thoughtfully put together!

This was a test knit for Amanita (aka Agata Mackiewicz). 

When she asked if there would be anyone interested in doing a test knit that combined cables and garter stitch in a shawl pattern, I jumped on the opportunity! Cables are one of my favorite things to knit. Seriously. They're so much fun! Garter is something that I wasn't really sure about... I tend to get really bored with garter stitch... it's just so basic. 

This knit, though, really seemed to move along very quickly!I used Misti Alpaca Baby Suri Alpaca & Silk, and the weight of the alpaca makes this shawl drape so wonderfully. I very, very, very lightly blocked the shawl. I don't even think that I needed to block it! 

I used almost all of 7 skeins of yarn to knit this. I actually got rather frustrated that the yarn only came in 50 gram amounts... so many ends to weave in... but it was so worth it! 


Now, all the important information for the pattern:
Pattern Name: Forest Mystery
Yarn: DK weight
Yardage: 700 - 735 yards
Needles: US 6 & 7

WIPs and a slow reintroduction

It's been almost a month since I posted about Bella. I think I'm ready to start up a schedule of posting to the blog again. I'll start off slow, just to be sure I have the energy.

I'm going to start with a round up of my current WIPs, mostly as a listing for myself to see where I need to focus a bit of my time and energy...

• Alma Park Alpacas support spindle spin
• May/June Jenkins Challenge spin
• Shetland lamb fleece spin
• Natural green cotton spin
• MKAL with The Cottage Knits, Ellie & Ada, & Mina Loves Deisgns
• scrappy fingerless mitts

I also have a couple things that I need to knit for friends (the Peace de Resistance mittens, to be specific) that haven't been cast on yet! 

I know that at least 1 pair of mittens needs to be finished by Black Sheep Gathering. And I would like to be finished spinning the Shetland and start my sweater by BSG as well. The support spindle spin can languish (and probably will... to be honest), and the MKAL might be frogged to find a pattern I like better. I'm not a huge fan of the construction and looks of the pattern. Maybe by the time the pattern is actually complete I'll like it more and finish the shawl? But only once I've seen pictures... 

I did just get a new toy today! I spent the morning and early afternoon at the local library for Fiber With a Twist! I shared a table with my friend Leslie, the one with the amazing Shetland sheep. I didn't do much business today, which wasn't terribly unexpected, but I did trade a skein of yarn for a tiny loom! So, I will need to play with that a little bit, of course, in between all of the other projects that I have ;)

And, of course, I have a few things that I need to list in the Yarn Runner etsy store. Pictures and listings will happen tomorrow, as long as the weird thunderstorm weather clears up!