Un-inventing the Ashby~ guest blogger Andee

Hello all!  I have been contemplating the KAL for a little while. I being a lover of all things Brooklyn Tweed and a devoted member of Flood's Flock I wasn't 100% sure what pattern or direction I was going to go with this KAL. I love this group and I know I had to just pick a pattern.  I have already made an Ashby a few years ago....but after the first repeat I had realized that I wasn't reversing the symbols for the right and wrong side. I not being a fussy knitter just continued doing it wrong :) I'm relaxed like that. I figure as long as I was consistent than it was okay with me. However I have always wanted to make the correct version of the Ashby.  But on the other hand...... I really don't need another shawl. What I do need is a cardigan......... which led me to play with my current already done (modified) Ashby on my form.

I thought I can totally un-invent this pattern into a cardigan. I know it would make both Elizabeth Zimmermann proud and I think even Mr. Flood himself wouldn't have a problem with it.

So this one will stay a shawl.

This one is going to be a cardigan! I have more done that in looks in this picture....but it didn't want to lay on the form nicely so you'll have to wait for the unveiling of it when it is done :)

I am using Fiber Company Canopy WW-Orchid. It is 50% baby alpaca, 30% merino, 20% viscose bamboo and OHHH so lovely to work with.

I'll try to share as many notes as I can when I finish it, but for now I'll say I am doing the edging and I turned it twice so the angles lay on my hips and the panels run up both sides like a button band. The back will be done in the same texture as the shawl. I think I am going to include some pockets in it and I'll keep my fingers crossed that I have enough yarn to finish!!!

Happy Knitting Everyone!!! 

Lady of The Sea ~ a post by the other Kelli

Was a simpler knit then you lace-shawl goers. Blocked at 87 inches. If you
haven't try Guernsey, like Ludlow, put it on the list.

Great use of long-time stash.  A fabulous knit.  I love the big cozy scarf-wrap.  From the sidelines I'll be watching and knitting something you can bet.  ~Kelli

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!

Oh How The Mind Wonders~ a post by Kelli

1-2-15
As I knit I can't help but think of fisherman out at sea, yes mostly my own. I think of all the love that's folded in each stitch of those past and future Guernseys.  The hope for safety. My mind goes to the romanticness that it's not.
It's hard endless work, and those fisherman sweaters were there for a bit of warmth and a reminder of home, if they had the luxury of thinking of home. Probably never got washed until the long season was over...if they had someone to hand wash them.
Now we have machine knitted tight, lighter weight, soft, machine washable 100% merino undershirts to send them out in.  Technology to write/talk daily, to get the updates on the days away which helps with the loneliness.
The hard endless work is still there~

I'm enjoying my romantic, days long ago thoughts. Due to my new knit~

Snowing in Seattle (well not quite...) ~ guest blogger Steph

Excitement for this KAL seems to keep building. When I was first faced with the possibility of reknitting something that I cast on for earlier this year I was a little hesitant. Okay to be honest a lot hesitant.  I originally cast on for Ashby in late February for some vacation knitting. The project had been in my queue forever and I was really excited to use Faded Quilt in Shelter. Fastforward to a popped cast on and the vacuum cleaner finding some yarn on my carpet and I was less than excited.

I think I have recovered from stress of trying to make a a failed project work. It is a new year and I am going to cast on in Snowbound.  I am excited to participate in a this KAL. It didn't snow in Seattle this December, so I figure that it is only appropriate that I cast on in a snowy colorway for this KAL.

edited by Melissa to do a little housekeeping : if you're new to the blog and don't know about our knitalong here's a link ~ jump in if you'd like ~ there's still time!

Orange you glad? By guest blogger Kelly Lightbeam

Ludlow, made with LOFT in Embers ~
photo courtesy of Brooklyn Tweed

The last few years have been very good for the color orange.  There's Burnt Orange, Coral, Tangerine, Ginger, Amber, Melon, Goldfish, oh the list is endless!

I've noticed that people are talking about it all over the place.  I was standing in line at my LYS, and the owner was praising it's virtue, saying that it's the new big thing.  I've seen comments here on the blog as well.  Everywhere I look, someone is doing something amazing with it.  I myself, am in the middle of an orange movement.  I've knit a few Jared Flood patterns in orange recently, including Sempervivum, and Leaves of Grass.  I'm planning to knit Ashby in Rowan Felted Tweed in the Ginger colorway for our Knit-a-long, which I'm looking forward to!

Speaking of my LYS, StevenBe has closed one of their locations in order to consolidate their stores and focus on their internet sales.  To clear out inventory, they held a dollar sale ~ Every skein was sold for one or two dollars.  It was mayhem.  When the dust settled, two hours after they opened the doors, there wasn't much left on the shelves, except for the fun-fur.  I myself got a little carried away and bought more than I should have, but I chalk it up to all the excitement.  When I got home, I unloaded the goods and it filled up half my couch!  While there were some novelty skeins in there (meant for a charity project), there were also some really nice merino and cashmere blend skeins, with enough yardage for some fun projects.  Unfortunately, when you double your stash, it means that you have to find space to store all of it, and I live in a very small house.
 

So, in the spirit of letting go of the past, so that you can embrace the future, I am offering up some free yarn to our blog members.  I have six+ full cakes (these things are huge!) of White Buffalo Unspun yarn in the Burnt Orange colorway.  It comes as a six-strand yarn, which can be separated, spun, and plied however you want.  I know that someone out there could take this and run with it!  If you are looking for a project, please let me know in the comments.  I would only ask that you cover shipping from Minnesota.


Thanks for reading ~ I have to get back to Ravelry to find projects to go with all the new loot!  I am currently looking at a number of hat and cowl patterns, since some of the skeins are singles.  I would also love to hear from anyone else with a love of the color orange ;)

Sending all my love,

Kelly Lightbeam

edited by Melissa to do a little housekeeping : if you're new to the blog and don't know about our knitalong here's a link ~ jump in if you'd like ~ there's still time!

Flood's Flock...a knitalong ~ Melissa

It's officially been decided...we are going to knit all the things!

The seventh annual Girls In Sheep Clothing knitalong kicks off January 1st and since votes were all over the board on our five choices

( you can see all the options here )

the theme is Jared Flood & Brooklyn Tweed and not a particular design this year.  Any of the five will work!  So, ready...set...go!!

Once you've picked your favorite pattern and gathered your materials (or if you're having trouble deciding and need some input), go ahead and get started posting.  Hop on and say hi and we'll get the ball rolling.

Here are the players who I've lovingly dubbed 'Flood's Flock'  :

Me (I'm 'twoknitwit' on ravelry)

Kelli (oneknitwit)

Tracey (1tims)

Steph (smyoo)

Kelly (lightbeam)

Andee (andeekf)

Andrea (aksaxton)

Morgen (acoldwintersnight)

Jody (savannahchik)

Will (willyg)
Emily (emilyk3661)
Karen (swanski)
Leslie (lepkat79)
Sue (purl3)
Juliann (juliannph)
Sherry (bays001)
Erin (coopersfool)
Maria (mariaknits)

& an anonymous knitter (fist pump to you ~ I'm glad you're joining us!!)
 

That's it as of today.  Anyone else that still wants to jump in, let me know ~ there's still time to join!  Cast on is a week away but I hope to start seeing some posts before then...I don't know which design I'm going to do yet and I'm curious to see what everyone is choosing!  Thanks everyone for making this such a fun tradition!

~ Melissa

knitalong, anyone? ~ Melissa

I've completely dropped the ball on the upcoming anniversary of our annual New Year's knitalong here at Girls in Sheep Clothing.  I haven't had a chance to even touch bases with Kelli about whether anyone would like to knit with us this time around...it will be our seventh annual event if anyone is interested?  I've had a few people drop hints that they might like to play but I'm not sure I'm reading you folks right.  So....

 

I'm going to just go gangbusters here and throw out a few ideas ~ jump into the comments if you're interested in joining and if any of these designs appeal to you (maybe list your top 2).  I'll give everyone's comments some thought over the next week and hopefully by Sunday we'll have come to some common goal and I'll let everyone know what's been decided so there's still some time to get supplies together before we start.

 

Tradition had me scouring Brooklyn Tweed patterns for ideas and here is what I've come up with ~ I tried to find a good mix of designs :

1 - Stonecrop (a rectangular lace shawl)

2 - Tilt (a square lace shawl)

3 - Girasole (a circular lace shawl)

4 - Ashby (a textured triangular shawl)

5 - Ludlow (a rectangular textured shawl)

(all copyrighted photos by Jared Flood used with permission from Brooklyn Tweed ~ please do not reproduce without their permission!)

 

Here's the skinny cut and pasted from last year if you're new to the blog and curious about what we're up to:

"Our official cast on date is January 1st so you have plenty of time to gather your materials (and probably change your mind about your yarn choice at least a dozen times).  As usual, our knitalongs are stress free ~ no deadlines (we still have one person finishing up last year's kal...that would be me!) & blogging along is encouraged but not required.  If you'd like to join us, leave a comment below ~ if you've knitted with us before, you know the routine.  If this will be your first time, there's a tutorial on how to be a guest blogger (thanks again, Kelly!) once I've sent you your official invitation to participate."

Okay ~ jump in and let's chat!