Techniques/Stitches – Yards of Happiness

FO: Rainbow Askews Me Shawl

I love knitting rainbows. It’s fun to do the color changes and to see how the rainbow will really evolve in the pattern you’ve chosen. They make me smile and I swear I get asked more about what I’m knitting when it’s something super colorful. So after enjoying knitting the last Askews Me Shawl I decided to knit one for myself and with a rainbow yarn.

I saw this fun Lion Brand Mandala yarn in a great rainbow and picked up two skeins. One skein alone has 590 yards so it’s perfect for this shawl, I used almost the entire skein so I got a full rainbow (and a rainbow on the floor as I was photographing it!). I decided to balance my rainbow with a neutral so I finally frogged my Flax cardigan of it’s Cascade 220 Superwash in Doeskin Heather and I think it’s a perfect balance.

This is a great fall scarf and travel wrap. It’s big and cuddly and warm and can really be wrapped around you (or you dog). Below is the right side, although with brioche knitting it’s reversible but by definition this is the right side. The light camel color is the main color but the rainbow still really pops out behind it.

But of course I love the side where the color is more dominant. I always love the wrong side of brioche. I don’t know why.

Fall starts this week and I’m ready for chilly mornings so I can wear scarves and hats. I’ve even got a lovely yellow hat I’m excited to pair with this scarf, it’ll be such a happy combination. When everyone is on the train wearing black and grey coats I’m always standing out with bright and happy color.

And I think Jellybean thinks this is probably the perfect wrap to go with her banana button down shirt. I just won’t tell her it’s for me.

Starting Tecumseh

It feels like forever ago since I wrote here but it really hasn’t been. I’ve been slow to respond to comments and I apologize. I’ve been away! I just got back from Las Vegas on Tuesday morning and I’m ready to dive into the Tecumseh Knitalong! If you haven’t already, join the Yards of Happiness Ravelry group (you can join the group even if you don’t plan to knitalong, there will be other threads there eventually).
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Jellybean helped me pull out my rainbow palette of yarn to take a picture to share with the group last night. Really, after not seeing me for 6 days there was no way possible I was going to do anything without her yesterday. She was stuck to me like glue! My base color with be Miss Babs Yowza in McHale, a deep navy blue and then I’ve created a rainbow with Berroco Vintage DK!

A couple of common questions I’ve been asked about the #TecumsehwithDWJ Knitalong:

Timeline: I wanted us to start around Labor Day (some folks in the group have already made great progress!) but I don’t have a solid end date. I know I fly through sweaters but some people don’t. I’d say, let’s see what we can finish before December.
Tips: I’ve been asked a couple of questions but I also saw that while I was away and people had questions they shared with the groups everyone was happy to jump in and assist. Ask away because everyone can give you help and suggestions.
Sharing: Share pics in the group and on social media! Add the #TecumsehwithDWJ hashtag to your project pages and your posts so I can see them! And I’ll share my progress and yours as we go along!

If you’re just starting to swatch, that’s great! If you’re already on your first round of colorwork, fantastic! There isn’t any pressure or push, I just wanted a group to knit along with me. Happy knitting you guys!

September 5, 2018 by IamDWJ Categories: Berroco, Jellybean, Knit Along, Knitting, Miss Babs, My Dogs, rainbows, Stranded/Colorwork, Sweaters, Techniques/Stitches, Things That Bring Me Joy, YarnTags: #TecumsehwithDWJ, #yardsofhappiness, Knitting, Tecumseh sweater, Yarn 1 Comment

So Many Works in Progress

I’m going into my last week at my job and they want me to wrap up all the things. Honestly, I don’t think they will realize how much I did until I’ve left because every few hours I remember another thing I need to switch over to someone else or give instructions on how to do or give some type of closure on. I’ll be happy when my inbox is zero’d out. On top of that I’ve got to submit things to the university at the end of the week in preparation for school! And I’m teaching two new to me classes and I’m a little nervous because they’re core courses so I have to match what others are teaching. So of course, what do I do over the weekend? Start a new knitting project in the midst of all my chaos.
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I cast on another cotton Guthrie sweater yesterday afternoon. This one will be long sleeve and it is black for the main color (I never knit with black) with hot pink for the pattern. I really do love this pattern and the colorwork is kind of rhythmic and soothing to me. It’s a great break in my mind from everything else. But I wasn’t just randomly starting new things and ignoring others…
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One of the few pics I’ve taken of the Spindrift cardigan I’m working on for my sister. I’ve completed the entire body and blocked it before I pick up stitches for the neckband (picking up stitches is my favorite part). Then I’ve got almost 6 inches of garter stitch for the neckband to work on before I’ll block it again and sew on pockets. It’s so close to being finished. YAY! And not pictured…I swatched the yarn for my newest test knit I plan to start this week. It’s all garter stitch and gauge is pretty critical so I wanted to make sure I was on point and focused on getting my gauge right. I like to wait 24 hours for it to dry and then do my measurements and I’m spot on! Woohoo!
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And of course in between the laundry, grocery store runs and cooking (I got an Instant Pot and am pretty obsessed with how fast everything cooks) I got distractions from my knitting. Jellybean decided for a bit that she needed to be directly in my face and staring into my eyes for a solid 20 minutes Saturday. She just kept wiggling that little butt and pulling up on me, so I obliged and gave her all my attention and love.
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And when Cher is over me knitting she just becomes the obstacle I can’t move. She loves to just physically plop herself directly on top of whatever I’m working on and demand that I rub her head. This was Sunday afternoon when she decided I did not need to focus on my Guthrie, she was totally more important. And she is, so I stopped for her.

If I can make it through this week I’ve got a week break to myself before orientation and classes start. I know I’ll be using it to prep for class and get myself ready but I’m still looking forward to that week at home to try and get my life together. I’m so close I can taste it.

July 30, 2018 by IamDWJ Categories: Berroco, Cher, Classic Elite Yarn, Color, Jellybean, Knitting, My Dogs, pink, Stranded/Colorwork, Sweaters, Techniques/Stitches, Yarn, yellowTags: #yardsofhappiness, colorwork, cotton yarn, dogs, Guthrie sweater, Knitting, stranded knitting, Yarn 11 Comments