Ludlow it is! ~ by guest blogger willyg

What can I say? I wanted an excuse to be a part of the knitalong, even though common sense tells me I really don't have the time. Y'all are that lovely, I just had to join in.  I caved at the last minute and switched from my initial thoughts to opt in favor of a simple knit-purl scarf. After all, I have nine skeins of Loft in the Tent colorway, and I could really use simple right now. And large needles wouldn't hurt, either.

You see, life's been kinda hectic. Why does it always seem hectic? Oh, that's right. I decided to knit lace blankets for my family Christmas gifts!

Since I don't have a pretty photo of the yarn and pattern to show you, I'm gonna offer up a couple pictures of the Girasole I finished earlier this year.

I'm still plodding through the border of my second Leaves of Grass (remember that?), and am almost there! When I finish it, I will be done with Christmas 2014, haha!

So, yes, simple knitting at a large gauge is good. I tend to do more complicated projects all the time, and I'm hoping that working on "mere knits and purls" will be a good exercise in simplicity. Can you tell I need it? 

While I may not be the most talkative fellow in the group, know that I'll be feeding off your beautiful writing and pictures, and knitting myself to sanity.  

Happy New Year!

Now I've officially finished my LOG - by guest blogger WillyG

Okay, here it is, off the blocking mats. (I'm trying hard not to be obnoxiously excited.)

Mel asked how this ranks among the things I've knit, and I think it's right up there at the top. It's certainly the most stunning thing I've managed to work up, thanks to the sheer size and a fortuitous combination of Jared's lovely pattern and Chris's excellent dyework. The yarn is Celebration by Briar Rose Fibers, and the 40% bamboo gives a sheen that makes the shawl light up when held at different angles. 

Photographing this was really fun for two reasons: taking pictures of newly blocked lace is always fun - playing with the angles and admiring the different sections - but there was the added "fun factor" of having two walls near my back door that worked like Velcro. I just slapped the blanket on the wall, tried to arrange it fairly neatly, and it just stuck there. First I tried this weathered shed, then a stucco wall, and both held this particular yarn with ease.

Against the stucco



Hanging on the shed



I love how the handdyed colors ripple like water on a lake

As you can probably see, I played with some of the photos to highlight different aspects of the lace that are hard to capture with a less-than-ideal camera. I know it's not purist, but I'm a bit addicted. The two photos immediately above are pretty close to the real thing, even though they are different; the appearance transforms when viewed from different angles. This shawl/blanket really catches light! I'm grateful that Jeff helped me decide on this yarn.

Thank you for your encouragement along the way, as well as your generous patience! This KAL thing is fun, since everyone can appreciate what went into it. Like many of you said, the border was a long one, but it really moves if you buckle down and concentrate on it. Thanks for motivating me to knit this from start to finish! I couldn't ask for lovelier companions along the journey!

Pre-funk progress update - by guest blogger WillyG

Here's a double update for y'all.

Melissa called for yarn reveals for the May Day knitalong, and I'm more than happy to oblige, despite being not quite ready.

You see, I'm trying to spin my own yarn for the shawl.

This is a big deal for me; I've been scheming to do something like this (knit a shawl from my own handspun yarn) for a couple years, but never did enough spinning to make it happen.  Lately, though, I've gotten comfortable enough using a spindle to get a fingering-ish weight yarn from two plies.

I currently have one of the two singles completed:

I'm using one of my long-time favorite color combinations; this photo doesn't show you as well as the first that I am spinning a gradient.  Ooh, it's fun! I won't bore you with all the little details about how I'm spinning it, though I will say that it is less intimidating than one might expect. Check out my regular blog if this intrigues you.

I told you this was a two-fer; here's the news on my Leaves Of Grass. Last night I broke into the last repeat of chart C!

I know, I know...I'm probably not even half-way, but I'm one of those people that has to set small goals for myself, and reaching chart D is good enough for me for a while.  There are just too many good things I want to make and learn to spend all my time on just this one blanket. The happy result of my procrastination is that it provides a nice, relaxing retreat from other projects when I do pick it up. There's something wonderful about the drawn-out process of short repetitions of lace knitting interspersed with free-flying plain rounds that helps me be a different person than at work -- less driven, perhaps -- and I'm trying to keep it that way.  Apparently, I'm succeeding, heheh!

The Mighty, Mighty Mel Saves the Day! ~ Post by Guest Blogger Jeff

Break out the bubbly! My Leave of Grass is FINISHED! Thanks in large part to Melissa, who, just by chance, had a partial skein of the same yarn in the same colorway as I was using - and was able to send that to me when I ran out with only 6 and a half edging repeats to go. All I needed was an extra 10 grams!

Anyway.

Behold!

Alpaca in the Leaves (of Grass)

the obligatory cat picture :)

oh, the horror! - Post by Guest Blogger Jeff

The good news: I only have 6 and a half more repeats of the edging to go!

The bad news:

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That strand off to the right of the needle... yeah, that's the end of my last skein.

I've placed an emergency order with Zoe's momma and hope to to be able to finish SOOOOOOON!

Edgerific.... Post by Guest Blogger Jeff

I'm finally feeling much better which means I can knit again! Woohoo!!!

I finished chart D on Sunday. Woohoo!!!

And I'm 7 repeats in on the edging. Woohoo!!!

Only, what, 64 more repeats to go? Woohoo!!!

An unintended break.... Posted by Guest Blogger Jeff

So shortly after my last post on Saturday, I noticed a tickle in the back of my throat, which at the time, I just figured was because of the forced air heat at the place we were staying in Rehoboth (as opposed to the radiator heat we have at home). Though as the day progressed, I increasingly got more and more paranoid that I might be getting sick - and with the flu going around in the northeast like crazy this year, I was super paranoid. By the end of the day, I was pretty certain I was sick, and though I was able to knit on Saturday, Sunday was off and on knitting since I felt like pooh. I had hoped to get through Chart D over the weekend, but still have about 1/2 a repeat to go.  :(
I'm finally starting to feel a bit better (at least the chills are gone), so hopefully I'll get back to knitting soon. For the time being, it's just some laying in bed and zoning out on DVDs.

I do have to say, though, that Will has been fantastic at taking care of me in my infirmity. Love you, sweetie!

Another milestone.... Posted by Guest Blogger Jeff

First time through Chart D. DONE.

(Hope the pic shows up... I'm posting from my phone.) :)

Alpacas in the Leaves (of Grass) Update... posted by Guest Blogger Jeff

I'm officially marking my Ravely project page as 50% complete. At least I've used up 50% of my yarn, so it better be 50% complete!

I made it almost through round 25 of Chart D with the first skein of 660 yards.

I am really loving this pattern - and the yarn I'm using. The alpaca is so soft to knit with and is knitting into a lovely soft fabric as I'm knitting at a less airy gauge to be more of a throw than a shawl.

This weekend Will and I are going away on a knitting retreat with one of our knit groups. We'll be heading down to Rehoboth Beach, DE tomorrow morning and spending the long weekend knitting, and drinking, and eating, and just enjoying being away from home with a group of 16 crazy knitters. :) We'll see how much I get done.

Have a great weekend everyone!

O Tan-Faced Prairie Boy - by guestblogger WillyG

Other knits are getting in the way of my Leaves of Grass, but I did spend the first hour of this year knitting this little nugget. What a delightful way to begin!

Other than knitting and subsequent slumbering, my first official act of 2013 was a full song-and-dance rendition of "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" Dear Jeffry was very kind and did not protest the entire time, despite the fact that this is not an acceptable behavior in the morning.

I am currently - and perhaps perpetually - nearing the end of Chart B. 

Don't mock me; I'm just giving you all a fair chance to catch up to my awesomeness. cough, cough

Here we go a KAL-oling... posted by Guest Blogger Jeff

I was reminded the other day that I had yet to make my presence known to the Leaves of Grass KAL group. Oops.

So, I'm in... and I'm using a 100% alpaca sport weight called Heather Prime Alpaca for something a little weightier than the lace I'm using on the Neibling-a-long. :)

So, without further ado, here are a few KAL & NAL photo updates:

Leaves of Grass KAL ~ Ravely Project Page: Alpacas in the Leaves (of Grass)

Cast on at Midnight New Year's Day with some bubbly

 

Though this photo doesn't show it all, I am currently in my 4th repeat of  Chart C

 

 

Niebling-a-long ~ Ravelry Project Page: P♥M Wonderful - the Niebling-a-long

 

I'm through round 78, which puts me at 19,956 sts out of 101,148 (or 19.729505279392572%) of the small size of the pattern - though I do plan on adding a knit-on lace border instead of the crochet cast off (because I'm insane like that AND my crochet is awful) so that will add a lot of stitches - I just don't know how many yet since that pattern is currently undecided. :)

 

Happy knitting everyone!

 

Wait for me!! ~ by guest blogger Morgen

I'm in!

5th Annual Girls in Sheep Clothing New Year's Day Knitalong ~ posted by Melissa

Establishing some new traditions and continuing an old one ~

Churchmouse Yarns & Teas Holiday 2012

We made our second annual journey across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island to get us into the holiday spirit ~ mission accomplished!  Churchmouse was wonderfully decorated again and we all were pleased with all the help we had choosing yarn, patterns and tea...thanks, Karen!

wild, wild women and a little beastie boy

Not only does saying 'cashmere' when having ones picture taken make you smile, it also makes some of us just downright goofy looking!

And on the way home we talked about our upcoming New Year's Day knitalong ~ it will be the 5th one that we've participated in and the 4th that we've actually hosted if my recollections are true.  It will run alongside the already in progress Nieblingmania (which may go on forever!!) and we will cast on January 1st.  We've chosen Jared Flood's Leaves of Grass (which I think is also the 5th Jared pattern we've chosen to knitalong with including non-new-years-knitalongs ~ I think we might love him!)

 

 

So, you know the drill.  If you're interested, gather your pattern and choose your yarn and get ready to cast on with us January 1st.  It's a great way to ring in the New Year and settle in after the chaos of the holidays have passed.  Let us know if you'll be joining us, and if you haven't participated before and would like to, add a comment or contact me on Ravelry (here's the link) and we'll let you know what we need from you to get you added as an author on the blog so you can post progress pictures and chat as we go.
 

I'm looking forward to knitting along with everyone!  And believe it or not, the squatting girl with the goofy looking 'cashmere' face is me and I'm wearing my Jared Flood 'Bridgewater' shawl for the first time...ever!  It was last year's knitalong ~ about time I wore it, eh?  ~ Melissa

edited to add: I went through all my rav projects and this will be the 10th (!) knitalong ~ it all started when Kelli and I joined a blogger in Norway for a New Year's knitalong 01-01-2008...she opted out the following year so I started a blog just to have a place to host another knitalong...and the rest is history!  That blog eventually morphed into this blog and the knitalongs continue ~ we've done 4 calendar shawls, 3 Jared Flood knits (Hemlock Ring, Juneberry and Bridgewater), Juju's Loops Prairie Shawl, the in progress Niebling kal and the upcoming Leaves of Grass.