Finally making progress

I am making Maluka with the yarns that I picked out. Maluka is much smaller than Kleio, which was my original choice. I ran out of the handspun far short of the garter st section and didn't want to re-size Kleio. So I went with Maluka even though I will have a lot of the yarn leftover, I think. My Maluka should be a good size since I am using thicker yarn and a bigger needle (4.5 mm vs 4 mm).

Kleio starts with the body and then adds the lace edging. Maluka starts with the lace edging and then adds the body. The lace edging of course is boring after the first few repeats. But I stuck with it for the requisite 33.Here is Maluka with part of the body done. I think I will be done in a day or two. I picked up 149 sts on each side of the center instead of the prescribed 100. I think this will make a deeper shawl. We shall see.

One step forward, two steps back

I thought I would have a WIP to show this week. But I failed to check the yarn quantities for the shawl I started to knit. So there was much frogging yesterday. I have a new pattern started, bit there is no enough to show off. So stay tuned for next week.

Quick FO

I started this on Friday night and it is done. Yes, it was a bit of a stretch to finish it in 2 days. But these were two football days. I knitted as I watched four games this weekend and it is done.

Closeup of the corrugated knitting which forms the cowl. This is a k2, p2 rib done in 2 colors. I had the advantage of using Noro Silk Garden for the second color so I didn't have to join yarns. That definitely sped up the process.Here is the finished cowl. It is bulky but will be warm and definitely cheery. Purple is my favorite color!
I will be taking a few days off knitting before I begin anything new. My hands can sure use the rest. Plus, it is back to work tomorrow so there are fewer hours to knit anyway.

I have  been spinning this week although I am starting a new knitting project today. I felt like color so I picked up some brightly colored Targhee. I love Targhee. It is soft and easy to spin. Here it is in fiber form. I think I have spun about a third of it.

This is a shot of the bobbin with the purple on it. The single is quite fine but you cannot see that as they are all the same color.

So I took this shot. It is part way through the pink after the purple so maybe you can see the single.

Here is another shot. I changed the angle slightly to see if it was clearer. I am going to chain ply it to keep the colors distinct.

 More after I start knitting again. Color feels good in these short days!

Kniting and Spinning FOs

The dancing cranes stole is done. I am very pleased with it. It softened up a lot with a good wash in the machine. Linen is very stiff when it is new but with use and washing it gets softer and softer and softer. I didn't want to give this to someone when it was stiff and rough so I washed it and it softened up considerably. It is nice and drapey now.
Another close up of this beautiful but easy pattern. I love lace patterns like this. They are so intricate looking but really easy to knit.
Here is an overall photo of the stole.
I was planning another project and found that 2 skeins of Claudia's fingering weight yarn is only 350 yds. That makes a pretty skimpy shawl! But I lucked out and one of my handspun skeins goes very well with the Claudia's. What do you think? I will make a shawl combining these. They are different weights but hey, I am sure I can make it work.

I also finished plying some singles I had spun a while ago. I chain-plied it so the color gradient is maintained. I am quite pleased with the results. It is a little over-plied so I have to run it through the spinning wheel again to remove some of the plying twist. But that is a minor detail.

This is the skein. Not very bright colors but quite attractive.