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Gadabout: Knitting That Is So Much Fun I Can’t Wait To Do It Again

I liked knitting Gadabout a lot.

Gadabout

I like knitting cables and these were unique.  And somehow, although I was able to memorize that pattern on the first repeat — something that almost never happens with me — it never got boring.  Gadabout is one of those patterns where you want to do "just one more repeat" before you put it down for the night, so you keep going until it's done.

It does not hurt that this is in cashmere.  It does mean that I haven't taken it off since it finished drying after a good wet blocking, which really brought out the pattern.

This is a go to pattern.  I'd like to knit it next in The Plucky Knitter's bulky Snug — a cashmere blend.  But I'd also like to do it in a gently variegated yarn, perhaps a Malabrigo Mecha version.  I think it would also look great in Elliebelly Basilisk, a silk and merino blend, and I may need to dye some of that up in a wheat color to use as well.

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Knitting Gadabout

My Gadabout cowl started out as an experiment.  I had some aran weight Debbie Bliss cashmere yarn in a natural color, leftover from a hat I knitted years ago.  I had just under 300 yards of it left and it was so soft that I wanted to knit something to wrap around my neck.

image from images4-d.ravelrycache.com

So I dyed it blue and went off in search of a pattern.  I swatched for a simple scarf, but didn't think the yarn had enough structure. I tried a Black Death shawlette.  It was a great pattern, but I wasn't feeling the love.  Then I saw , cowlThe Plucky Knitter's Gadabout and fell instantly in love.  I adore cables, and these are clever but simple to knit.  Best of all, you can memorize the pattern during the first 16 row repeat, making this the perfect portable knitting project.

Gadabout

This is a pattern that whispers to you "just one more repeat, your bed will wait."  It's almost impossible to put down.  

I'm about half way finished — my six 50 gram skeins limit how large I can make it.  The pattern itself has three panels of cables running up its length, but I wisely cut back to two out of fear of yardage and think this should work, as my gauge indicates I'll still be as wide as the pattern calls for, given the bulk of my yarn.

I love this pattern, and let's face it, I live for cashmere.  This is one of those rare patterns I feel sure I'll knit a second time.  If you're looking for something to cast on for this new year, this is it!

 

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What Would You Knit With It?

I've been doing some dyeing for myself, as well as some for prizes at the close of the Adventurous April Knitalong.  I thought it would be fun — and helpful too — to show off the yarn and ask what you would knit with it if it came to live with you.  You can respond in the comments here or in this thread on the Elliebelly Group on Ravelry.

Strawbroan

The first yarn is BFL Silk Sock — It’s a 55% superwash Blue Faced Leicester/45% Silk yarn with 438 yards to the skein.  It’s a fingering weight, and I’ve dyed two skeins of it.

The colorway is Strawberry Roan — inspired by our trip to Iceland and the “Little Horses” (we were told it’s an insult to call them ponies) that populate the island. The Strawberry Roan horses were so pretty and particularly sweet.

Gulf

Also inspired by our Iceland trip, this is the Gullfoss colorway on aran weight Blue Faced Leicester.  There are 183 yards in a 100 gram skein, and again, I've dyed two skeins.

Champagne

Panda is a silk and bamboo blend, roughly 50/50 that has 150 meters to a 100 gram skein.  This is a new-to-Elliebelly yarn that I'm testing out for the first time.  I am very fond of the sheen so far — the yarn seems to glow from within.  There are two skeins of this and I wish I had dyed more as it would make a lovely large summer weight Clapotis for wrapping up on the beach at night or for movies in the park!

Pinky

Pink Loves Brown is a classic Elliebelly colorway that I've dyed here on 8-Ply Coventry Cashmere.  Each two ounce skein has 130 yards, and I've dyed two in this colorway.

Alg

As yet unnamed, this new colorway was my effort to replicate some of the rich blues and greens we saw on our Iceland trip.  The three dye bath process was definitely worth it.  I've dyed four skeins of this colorway on 8-ply Coventry Cashmere, again with 130 yarns per skein.

Lakehouse

Finally, another classic Elliebelly colorway, Lakehouse.  This is on aran weight BFL, with two skeins of 183 yards each.  It's been a long time since I dyed this colorway, and it took all the strength I could muster to avoid casting on with it immediately.  I love how the golden strands peak out from between the variety of blues and greens in this colorway.

So, friends and knitters, what would you knit with this yarn?  What patterns have you been dreaming over?  Inspire me.  Motivate us all.  It's so much fun to see different knitters' take on the same yarn!

 

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My Cashmere Orchids And Fairy Lights Hat

Elliebelly's Version of Tiny Owl Knits Orchids and Tea Leaves Hat

This has to be my favorite thing I've ever knitted.  It's a Tiny Owl Knits pattern named "Orchids and Fairy Lights."  My version is knit in an undyed, aran weight Cashmere yarn and it's a perfection of bobbles and cables.  The pattern is brilliant, and although it was at the outer edge of my knitting competency, it was so well written that I was able to hang with it the whole way through.

Side

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The end result is a fabulous confection.  This is definitely the start of a love affair with Tiny Owl Knits patterns!

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This Week’s Knitting Round Up

I spent this week out of town, which was both good (flight delays and hotel insomnia = extra knitting time) and bad (Iphone camera photos of my knitting are very unsatisfactory).  Here's the round up:

(1) Before I left I put in a little time dyeing which yielded both this fabulous dye pot

Random dyeing

And this choice of trim for finishing off Ollie's Crayon Ragman.

Trimchoices

Any thoughts on which color you think will look more like a design choice and less like a screaming "I ran out of yarn" advert?

(2) On the road I got through the better part of two (of four) repeats on the Orchids and Fairy Lights Hat.

Middleofsecondrepeat

This pattern is SO much fun to knit and have I told you I'm knitting it in a thick, soft, buttery cashmere?  This hat feels incredible.  And the bobbles are fun, the cables are a challenge to keep straight, and all in all, this hat makes me feel good about myself — a pretty big pay off for a little bit of careful pattern reading.  Stephanie Dosen is the designer behind Tiny Owl Knits.  She is a fabulous designer and articulates a great, clear pattern.  I can't wait to knit her Amy March Slippers and her Catching Butterflies Mitts as well.  You should really look at every single pattern she has, but if you look at only one thing, check out the incredible Bee Keeper's Quilt.  I definitely have a crush on Stephanie and her beautiful patterns!

(3) I've finished (except for a line of crochet trim on the bottom edge I need to teach myself to do this weekend) the Honegart Hat.

Finished on ollie

I love the pattern.  The details are clever and it is a very satisfying knit.  Several members of my household are vying to keep this, but it's a birthday present for the oldest child (who doesn't read my blog), so I suspect I may knit a few more.  I like the way the skeins of yarn play together — as I mentioned, two skeins were originally dyed together and then I overdyed one of them, so that some of the original color shows through.  It's hard to display in a picture, but if you look closely below, you'll see some of the green from the band showing through in the blue "honeycomb" top.

Finished on ollie2

(4) I also got in some time working on the body of Ellie's Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan.  I'm well into the "miles and miles of stockinette" part of the body which, while not the most exciting knitting is possible to do while carrying on a conversation or catching up on the news.

Body progress

I'm hoping to finish up the body this weekend so I can get to work on the sleeves and button bands.  I'm knitting this sweater in Madeline Tosh, Tosh Vintage Merino, which is a wonderful yarn.  I'm wondering if it would be possible to consider this yarn a collectible item so I could justify buying some in every one of her amazing colorways.  It's great to work with and the softly dyed colors are very pretty.

That's the wrap on this week's knitting, and a satisfying collection it is!  Usually I'm in varying degrees of frustration, but all of these projects seem to just want to go well.  The knitting gods seem to be smiling on me at the moment, which I'm going to try to enjoy, because I'm sure it will be fleeting.

 

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Enough (Knitted) Ruffles for Ellie

Ellie kindly agreed to model the finished "Enough Ruffles for Joyce" scarf so you all could see her new short hair.  And of course, I couldn't resist playing with Photoshop just a wee bit.

 

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The scarf is, of course, still all blue.

 

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I'm incredibly happy with the way it turned out.  The cashmere is fantastic, the color just right, the pattern, as promised, enough without being too much.

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I am as happy with the scarf with the tails worn long and hanging down as I am with it wrapped double around.

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And, the scarf even appears to have magical powers.  It knocked Ellie straight out asleep when she put it on after arduously playing the role of model for me.

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Knitting A Scarf: Just Enough Ruffles

I started Just Enough Ruffles yesterday.  Laura Chau is a genius pattern writer, using short rows to curve the scarf inward and on toward the ruffled edge.

Scarfstart

Having read the pattern carefully, though, I'm inclined to think that it was mis-named.  It probably needs to be called Too Many Ruffles.  I've just discovered that I'm going to be increasing three times in each stitch for a total of 600 stitches across the ruffled edge.  600.  Really?

Although I am not looking forward to that cast off, the cashmere is soft and dreamy and the robin's egg blue color is very nice.  Possibly my only real complaint about this one is that at least for now, I'm going to have to crank the air conditioning if I want to wear it.  This scarf is going to have to wait for much cooler weather!