Men Who Knit Promoting and inspiring the art of knitting amongst men.

Believe me, I celebrate finishing objects - usually because I have so many on the needles that it takes *forever* to finish one. This is "Goober" - at least in my mind - though the actual title of the pattern is, I beleive, 'Ocean Tide' - from on of the online "mystery" knit alongs.

way too much stuff available too easily - I'm currently trying to resist

*the kilo cone of mohair silk blend that cost about 1/4 of what it would come to in individual skeins;

*the Icelandic book "Three cornered and long shawls";

*Addi Turbo's in several sizes; (I need them, I do, I do, I do!)

*a swift

I did give in and bu a reprint of Sarah Don's 'The Art of Shetland Lace'

I fudge around with patterns quite a bit - for a number of reasons.

Recently I wanted a simple lacey pattern for a mohair variagated yarn (need to get picture - promise soon) and came up with Fibonacci Eyelet Triangle.

If I do say so myself - it is working up beautifully. And usually when I do something like this it does.

Then I read various peoples blogs about how they swatch and calculate and rip and re-swatch and select a different yarn, etc,etc,etc. I think the most false starts I've ever made on a project was three, and two of them were less then 15 stitches.

So why is this? I put it sown to sheer dumb luck. Though I will admit normally it may be that subconsciously I put a lot more "thinking" time into a project then I am aware of - I know I like to have yarn marinate in stash a while when it hasn't been purchased with a specific project in mind - and it is rare that I don't have a pattern idea that mulls around for a few months in the back of my mind before I actually start it.

Whatever - I'm grateful so many of my projects come out in a manner I'm satisfied with. For example - the circular version of 'Progressive' I did earlier this year - - a whim; but it worked!

okay - the airport is in Tampa - I'm staying in clearwater and my Dad's b-day party is in North Redington beach - but that's probably more information then anyone wants to know.

So I most likely won't be around MWK until monday or tuesday.

I saw mention of an online yarn shop the other day - looked into it and the prices seemed really good. I mean *really* good.

So I just ordered some yarn. I had SHIPPING confirmation 15 minutes after ordering. And WITH shipping the five pounds of yarn is only $105.

(it works out to about 1/2 cent per yard)

Makes me wonder....am I dreaming? will let you know how things look after I get the yarn.

I've started "Helga" the second in a four part series of shawls I'm designing with Harry Potter/Hogwarts as inspiration. The first shawl "Godric" and what I've written up on "Helga" are over here

This one is simple, Faroese in style, and mainly designed to be nearly mindless knitting to give me a change from other knitting I am doing. Just enough design in it to keep it from being totally boring. I'm looking forward to the titillating anticipation as the rows go from almost 400 stitches down to 23 stitches.

By that time I may have figured out how to finish the neck band....

Second cable attempt - a bit more ambitious then the Irish hiking scarf.

It's all Baxternits fault. At least that's who I'm gonna blame.

First I knit the Progressive Shawl - design by Cynthia of Baxterknits. Then, because she said I could, I knit the Progressive Square.

and now - if that weren't enough - I am in the throes of knitting the Progressive as a circular! 13 rows to go before I start the edge.

And you know what is worse? she's got at least two other projects in the works.

ADDENDUM: 1/26 - only 1200 (as of 1:50 -eastern) 800 stitches to go before starting the edge...

and again: really bad photo attached - 1/4 of circle still to cast off/edge.

Cynthia @ Baxterknits gave me permission to adapt her 'Progressive' shawl as a square -- and here is the results. (see attached photos) - the colour is more true in the one you can't really see the patterning, and it is much more square then it appears in the photo where you CAN see the pattern - between the angle, the camera, my eyesight -- quality photos 'R' not us.

Red Heart 'Soft Baby' in a pale yellow - so pale as to be almost cream. Done on a size 10.5 (US) needle. It took about 12 ounces -- the soft baby comes in 7 0z skeins, so less then two skeins.

addendum - started the circular version over the weekend - it's currently 224 stitches around - 58 rows.

This is a duplicate of a project I was working on on another forum. I have added some items and changed some others - so it isn't just copy and paste.

I thought I'd I'd put down somewhere all the different "standard" shapes that shawls/wraps seem to come in, and some notes on how to get that shape - This is not including ponchos. I've also (for the most part) excluded consturction methods that involve piecing.

• 1) circular

• 1a) gradual increase

• 2a) edge to edge

• 3a) open

• 4a) worked lengthwise

• 4a-1) edge to edge
  
• 4a-2) on the bias