Once again I have let this go much too long.......a few things finished since the last time I posted.  Lots of projects in the works.  I am up to clue 5 on the mystery sweater (universal 30 day sweater project).  I didn't make it in 30 days, but I like the way it is going.  I have been pleasantly surprised by the way the yarn is working up.

I managed to finish my westknits mystery shawl....and found the perfect ribbon to accent it.  I wasn't happy with the holes in the middle, so the ribbon is a perfect solution.

I have been learning broomstick lace.  I took a class at my lys, Fiber Frenzy.  The class was for broomstick lace, knit version.  I didn't even know there was a knit version but I love it and the yarn I used to make it.  I made a cowl using 2 skeins of crystal palace goldrush,  purchased at Fiber Frenzy.    I have wanted to try the crochet version for some time now so the knit version was just the beginning.  I found a tutorial at the crochet crowd, and with Mikey;s help via you tube I made my first crochet broomstick lace cowl  using a size 50 knitting needle for the broomstick, a size j crochet hook and one skein of wisdom poems chunky yarn  ultraviolet colorway.  

Lots of projects in mind with universal yarns right now.  the mystery sweater is being done with classic shades midnight ride.  I have another sweater in mind using classic worsted lp apple orchard and deluxe worsted cedar colorway.  I am also trying to come up with a projects for my universal stash. including but not limited to poems sock spa, toast, borealis, tropical sunset, blue haze, vista poems florescence, classic shades harvest, rain forest, campfire..  Not sure where I am going with all this yarn I just know I want to use it.

Just not enough time to knit or crochet all the things I want to make I suppose.....oh well back to stitching for now....

Sweaters, shawls, and socks!   Not sure what is going on in my brain but for some reason I can't seem to process.  I seem to be drawn to MKALs.    Mystery knit a longs for those unfamiliar.  It started with "color craving"  from Stephen West.  previously discussed here.  Well clue for was released October 4,  I should be done......maybe I would be if I weren't juggling so many different clues in my head, lol.  I do hope to finish the majority of these things by the 31st of October (it's the 19th now,  maybe some wishful thinking.  Maybe some flat out denial...who knows.  I also started the sock it to me mkal with Meltran designs,  I have tested patterns for her before and loved he work so again thought it would be fun.  I seem to be stuck on clue 1,  was moving along nicely and somehow dropped part of my cable stitches (never tried cables before, could be a part of what slowing me down here (more denial).  Clue 4 comes out on Tuesday and I hope to at least be up to three at that point.....we will see.     The MKAL for the 30 day sweater challenge is in a similar state.  clue 6 was released on thursday,  I am still on 1...I just signed up for another sock mkal that I was invited to participate in thinking I had to Nov 30,  wrong it's october 30.. Thinking I am not going to make that deadline, once again we will see.   And the last one kicks off with the first clue on october 31  at least I have until December to get it together....My hooks are going to be neglected for the next 30 days it would seem.  I guess I should get back to stitching.......A little progress up to this point......

Needles and hooks are just a little busy today......I finished the baby v-stitch throw made with a g hook on the body, and an f on the border.  I sued premier cotton fair yarn in turquoise, leaf green, and lemon drops.  This is number 3 for this pattern.  Love the way it turned out the cotton fair colors are nice and bright and the pattern works up very nice.

v stitch baby











Using needles more this week I think....  I have started my socks for the meltran designs MKAL.  Using stash yarn that has been in my stash since last year.  It is knit one, crochet two crock  o'dye  #622 skyway.  just past the half way point on sock one, just cast on sock two

sock number 1

I have finished clues 1,2, and 3 on the Westknits MKAL "color craving"  Just one more to finish.  clue 4 came out October 4, but I have been behind on this from the beginning.  I was taking a bit of a break from it, but plan to go back to it very soon.  I want to finish it and I need my needles for other projects.

As if that is not enough to keep me busy I am also knitting my first sweater.  Using yarn that has been in my stash for quite some times.  Universal Classic shades midnight ride colorway.

clue one is finished!  taking a little break before moving on to clue 2...maybe I will be ready for clue 3 on Friday.

Stephen West Mystery Knit Along.


A little background.  My friend and fellow knitter Judy joined a mystery knit along in 2012 named rockefeller.  I thought at the time it would be fun to do so I bought the pattern (I had just found some lovely malabrigo sock that I have posted about here.  I thought it would be perfect for this mkal.  I needed a second color for the kal so I went in search and found lots of lovely yarn along the way.  I joined the rockefeller kal forum and watched all the progress all the while still searching for just the right color to go along with my lovely malabrigo stonechat.  My friend Judy made a beautiful shades of blue rockefeller.  I never got mine started.  here we are a year later and several yarn purchases later and I still have not cast on rockefeller.  I had decided since it was in my library for a year that I was going to do it.  It made it as far as my queue on ravelry.  Just when I was ready to start, I saw a post for this year's MKAL  "color craving"  as with last year I had just bought some lovely yarn,  went to my friend Judy (who along with 2 other friends and fellow stitchers Joan and Sandy)  has opened a lovely yarn shop by the name of Fiber Frenzy (located in Berea, KY)  to find yarn to once again go along with something from my stash.  After spending sometime looking around the shop  I started with 3 totally different colors than I had originally planned.

Unlike the first Westknits MKAL.,  I have cast on this time.  I am using Cascade Heritage Silk blood orange as color A,  Cascade Venezia Sport Dark Bronze as color B, and  Cascade Heritage sock fall foliage as color C.  I am about 10 rows short of finishing clue 1.  Clue 2 came out on Friday, Sept 20.  So I am slightly behind.  hoping to get both clues done before clue 3 comes out this friday.  so here are a few pics of my "color craving" MKAL   clue 1.........

It fair time again!  I wanted to enter something in each category I could, but just didn't get it all finished in time.  They expanded the categories so there were more possibilities this year.  Did pretty good I think.  I entered 10 items, won ribbons in 8.  Blue ribbons for my drops in the pond afghan as well as tranquility (octagons and squares), and my first thread project.  The pineapple doily centerpiece.  I finally used up two skeins of Noro Kureyon making a felted ipad pouch.  It's just about the right size for my nook.  Just a few pics from the fair,,,,,

In a word....Shawls

Not sure why exactly I have three shawls going at the same time but  I do.  The first is the circular motif shawl for the the crochet crowd challenge (this one officially ended at midnight last night. but it was the first of the three I completed.  I finished it about a week ago.  I used paton's metallic yarn.   loved the way it looked in the store and wanted to try it.  I was a bit disappointed with it.  It is really pretty, but not practical. It snags very easily.  I used two skeins of steel blue and one skein of pewter for the shawl.  I can't decide if I like it or not.  Loved the colors, but it doesn't say shawl to me.  I think it is destined to be a table runner, it looks wonderful that way.  The second shawl is one that was already on the needles.  I stated it in January, put it down when working on other things and forgot about it.  I restarted it because I could not remember where I left off with it.  (it was really only a beginning anyway).  Well it has grown to the point that I have had to extend the cables.  Love it!!  I don't love working with the yarn (has mohair) but I love the way it is working up.  The pattern is great and has lots of visual interest.  An last but not least is this wonderful shawl I am testing over at FPT on Ravelry.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one.  It is beautiful.   And is taking all my concentration because it way above my skill level.  Being around all my wonderfully talented friends has rubbed off on me.  I am so far beyond my comfort level on this one.  I have had a few slip ups, but it's coming along.  working on the last chart now.  

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