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FO – Kiri Shawl

 IMG_1959(You can find my kiri shawl on Ravelry.)

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kiri

kiri

kiri shawl

kiri shawl

kiri shawl

 This project started with a random trip to Oxford Fiberworks, where I fell a bit in love with a couple of skeins of Malabrigo Rios in the ‘Marte’ colour way. I think originally I was planning for them to be long mitts, which then morphed into a shrug (which I actually cast on for) before deciding I needed some shawl knitting back in my life.

Back in 2007 the Oxford Bluestockings had a Kiri knit-along and Abbi knit her’s in a chunky weight and I was amazing. I’ve had it on my to-do list to make one ever since, and I realised that this was a prime opportunity. Kiri is just diverting enough a pattern, and knit up on 7mm needles it should have been a quick knit. However four birthdays and Christmas got in the way of completing it, until last week when I decided I couldn’t start my birthday sock blank until the shawl was finished and blocked.

Blocking in a house full of small children is a pain to be honest, and I just have to bite the bullet, shut the door and do it. Luckily it only took about a day and a half to dry. And today I’m wearing it.

I have to say – I’m really pleased with it. I love the stripes (Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, and some Alpaca handspun). I love how they balance the differences between the two skeins of Rios. I love how squooshy and warm, and big it is. I love the stitch size, and the drape and basically I’m really happy with it.

Plus it goes with my ‘Troy and Abed in the Morning’ tee.

I think we can chalk this one up as a success. *big grin*

 

 

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What’s on the Needles February 2015?

I’m just sneaking in under the wire to have a look at what on the needles in February compared to last month, and I have to say, knowing this post was coming up was motivation to get some projects finally finished.

The Kiri shawl is done and blocking upstairs as I write this – finished on a long car trip to see granny at the weekend (including cast off in the gloom on the way home. I pretty much got away with it.) Assuming I can keep the pins in it while it dries (CR is carefully re-arranging them every chance she can get), I’ll blog about that later in the week.

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The cowl for CR took much longer than it should of, mostly because there hasn’t been any uninterrupted knitting time to be had recently, and any attempts to work on it were punctuated by two small people wanted to sit on my lap. But now it is done, still in time for the proper chilly weather we’ve been having here recently, and frankly doesn’t really need a block because I want to keep it as squooshy as possible.

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It was a fluke, but it goes really well with the body warmer CP got for Christmas. (Why yes, that her most requested ‘coat’ despite it being February – can you tell she’s about to be 2?)

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Of course if she ever gets sick of it, it turns out it’s a really good fit for me too…  😉

The socks from last month are no further on but there are next on my list of things to work on. (Pretty much…)

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They still look great though.

Let’s not talk about the rug (except to say that I bought one from Ikea that is in the front room and I’m really happy with it.)

Anyway…

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goodbye Winter…

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…roll on Spring!

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What’s on the needles January 2015?

Kiri shawl wip Jan 2015

Kiri – This languished over the first part of the winter as I got on with Christmas things, but it’s Malabrigo, and I’m probably only about three pattern repeats from the end. The problem is that every time I try to knit it, someone wants to sit on my lap. But I just need to get it done, so that I can actually wear it while it’s still cold. And it’s mostly still cold. Especially when the wind is blowing as hard as it has been recently.

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Sock – I bought myself some Regia for my Christmas Stocking this year, and promptly started a sock on Christmas day. This is my out and about sock, but for some reason I actually haven’t been working on it much in the last couple of weeks.

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CP’s Cowl – I knit LR a cowl (to replace the one she snipped into last year – yeah it’s was pretty horrifying, but she was 3), in a single session while I was in bed ill, watching Leverage. W was adventuring at the University Museum. It was heaven and just what I needed. I started CP’s cowl straight after, because although she will probably only agree to wear it when it’s REALLY COLD (and who knows if it will get REALLY COLD this year?) but I wanted to have it done, then it’s done and then all three have cowls that will work for the next few years. And now I’ve stalled (because it’s not REALLY COLD and she is nearly 2 and probably will scream blue murder when I try to put it on her.) But I need to get it done.

stripey swatch

Stripey Swatch – The BFF destashed and I got the goodies, which is great because I can’t afford to buy garments worth of yarn right now. This was potentially going to be a stripey Effervescence Cardigan (assuming the swatch worked out) but the swatch was too stiff on the suggested needles, so now I think it’s probably going to be it’s own thing. I need to try the stitch pattern, with the striping to see if it’s really bad or not, and then go from there. (Yeah, I’m not sure what I’m doing, but the colours look really wearable, and I’m looking forward to another go-to cardigan for next autumn.

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The rug – I stalled. Mostly because having a toddler around it a bit like having a cat around, when it comes to having a box full of actively-being-used yarn around. But it’s good fun knitting something this big, and it will look great when it’s done, and most of the yarn is sitting there waiting to be knit up. So mostly it’s about getting my evenings back to work on it.

(Also – wow there is a theme there isn’t there, now that I can see all the photos together.)

I wonder what I can get finished before my ‘What’s on the needles February 2015?’ post next month?

What’s on your needles right now?