Falling Leaves -- My Fall Colored Ginkgo

This is a new shawlette that I am knitting. The free pattern Ginkgo Shoulderette Shawl is found on Ravelry and is a top down triangular shawl designed by Maggie Magali. I am using the Koigu KPPPM sock yarn that I bought at the big sale in January.

I really like this yarn -- it is soft and has a great deal of spring to it. In fact, I have double checked the label twice to make sure that there is no Lycra in it! I think that as I knit it rather loosely, when blocked there should be nice big lace holes.

I started this project on vacation and the first part went really went fast as it is all stocking stitch. However, I have to admit I am having some trouble now that I am to the charted pattern. It is a mirror image shawl and I keep getting mixed up on which side of the mirror that I am on and forget to switch on the other side of the spine. So I have tinked alot on this project. At this point, I am on the 16th row of the pattern. Only 18 more to go.

Well, I have more work to do, so Happy Knitting!

Yarn People are Crazy!

Saturday, 7:00 AM, mid January, 14 degrees Fahrenheit  -- and I waited for an hour to get inside. It was the LYS's biggest sale of the year: The "If You Think I'm Counting All This, You Must Be Crazy" Sale was a chance to buy some great yarn at 40% off; but only if you were in line by 8:00 AM.

Unfortunately, I did not go with a plan; I didn't go with a list of what I wanted; I didn't have any patterns. The only thing I had in mind was 400 yards of fingering weight yarn for The Ashton Shawlette by Dee O'Keefe. My feet were burning from the cold when I finally got in the store. And I have to admit, my mind went numb and I didn't know where to start! So I calmed myself down by referring to the short list of yarns that were not included in the sale. I didn't want to waste time looking at yarn that was not on sale. 

Noro! I ran for the shelf that held the beautiful Kureyon Sock Yarn. I grabbed two different color ways: Aqua/Purple and Pinks/Purple. This is a 70% Wool 30% Nylon blend that could be perfect for the Ashton Shawlette! I wanted to make sure that I would have either color to choose from should this be the yarn. Although I have never knitted with this specific Noro yarn, I have knitted two pairs of socks with the worsted weight variety: my road trip socks and my forest footies.

Not completely satisfied with my first possibility, I headed to the back room where most of the sock yarn is stashed. A beautiful variegated yarn caught my eye. This hand-painted 100% Merino Wool from Koigu Wool Designs, KPPPM ranges from a pale apricot through shades of orange into a deep burgundy. Yum! I picked up three hanks totaling 450 yards. This would be a gorgeous Ashton Shawlette in beautiful fall colors.

No sooner had I picked up the Koigu, then I saw a beautiful Kauni lace weight yarn from Danmark. There were several delicious colors, but I liked the chocolate to off-white that will have a self striping effect to most knitted items.

Wow! I had so many wool choices at this point -- maybe I should look at something different. Louisa Harding Yarns; Mulberry in Midnight Blue. The 100% silk yarn is so silky and slippery that the yarn ball won't stay together, but the yarn has a wonderful shine to it. Could this be the yarn for the shawlette?

Back past the Noro shelves. What was that? Did I miss seeing that the first time? I was so busy looking at all of the sock weight and lace weight yarns, I missed the beautiful bulky Noro yarn Hitsuji. Now why, if I was looking for yarn for a lace shawl, would I want to look at a bulky yarn? But it looked so good, with the rust and green and goldenrod colors. Hmmmm. What to do? What to do?

So what did I bring home?

ALL OF IT! Happy Knitting!