Aran Weight Shawl -- Free at Last!

The giant aran weight shawl is finally free from the blocking wires. It took the full 24 hours to dry. Of course it's not like there is any real rush on for a new aran weight shawl on a beautiful sunny June day - but patience has never been my strong point.
(Am I the only one who worries that when I take the pins out that the blocking magic will end and the shawl will return to its shapeless former self?)


I'm really pleased with the final product -- despite more than a few reservations while I was knitting it. The wool Rowanspun Aran weight (discontinued - but on sale at www.cucumberpatch.co.uk ) softened nicely with washing and blocking.


I used 450ish grams of the wool and the finished measurements are an impressive 96 inches across the top, and 52 inches at its longest point. Pre blocking it was a puny 80 inches by 38 inches.The blocking wires really made blocking this much easier than it might have been otherwise. The wires kept the long side firmly anchored and let me stretch each of the points easily.


The pattern was free - and as they say worth every penny! I'm being a bit harsh - but unfortunately although the shawl itself was easy enough the pattern wasn't written particularly well. If you've had experience knitting another shawl and understand the basic shaping, and incorporating repeats as the number of stitches grow you'll be fine. If it's your first shawl experience and you don't have someone to help you along I think you'd be frustrated.


The shawl was knit on circular needles - starting with 4.5mm and moving up a size every 50-75 grams of wool so the final repeat was knit on 8mm needles. It was a relaxing knit and I enjoyed working on it while watching tv (most notably the Apprentice and Any Dream Will Do) (sad but true).


As for my next project I think I'm suffering from an overload of inspiration!! My yarn stash is overflowing and I have so many things I want to do.
PS - still no sign of the Grafting Fairy -- not even Hotel Chocolat can lure her to finish off those dang socks.

A Tale of Two Circs

I believe that socks should be knit on dpns. I think it's important to be clear on that point.


I don't look down on 2 circular needle sock knitters. I simply pity the socks. Sure, once they're done they're ok, and can't be distinguished from their cousins with better beginnings -- but it's the unfinished sock I worry about.



Unfinished socks on a skinny set of dpns are a beautiful sight. On dpns socks look at home, the look as knitting should look to non-knitters - complicated and requiring incredible cleverness of the knitter. Unfinished socks on two circs just look, well uncomfortable, at loose ends and well, silly.

Until this week I believed all socks should be knit on dpns.

And then I faced the Bayerische.

I cast on using lovely Addi bamboo dpns. They were smooth and pointy - but darn it all making those twisted cabled stitches was fiddly. I blamed the 7 inch needles and replaced them with gorgeous Lantern Moon 5 inch ebony needles. Sigh. But the knitting was still less than graceful. And occasionally one of the wooden needles would bend a little... Sigh again.

So, under cover of the night and an assumed alias I ordered two 2mm Addi circulars. Not that I was admitting defeat. No. It was - you know. So I could come to a balanced conclusion regarding their unsuitable-ness for socks.

They arrived yesterday morning.

And ... well ... the Bayerische was tamed. Now I was gliding along each round. I could abandon my many attempts to sensibly divide the pattern among the 4 needles. Now the pattern quite elegantly split between the two circulars. And I sped along to the end. (Note I put the sock back on to dpns for the grafting fairy -- she prefers them as well.)

Happily my tension didn't seem to change, but the knitting was much much easier. So I'll cast the second sock on the two circulars.

Those less stubborn and opinionated than I might think that suggests my dpn stance is wrong. Ha! Never! These socks are just the exception that prove the 'socks should be knit on dpns' rule.

The Grafting Fairy

I'm beginning to think that perhaps the Grafting Fairy doesn't exist after all.... I've added another sock and still nothing. I'll continue to leave my socks on the window ledge for a couple of more nights and see what happens.


Maybe if I leave some chocolate with them....


Blocking a Very Big Aran Weight Shawl

A very big aran weight shawl is drying (very slowly) in the guest room. I cast it off last night after the nailbiting Any Dream Will Do final. (I confess to being very pleased that Lee won. I might even have voted once (or twice). )



Anyway - I'll post another picture when it's released from captivity along some details later this week.