Lluna Shawlette test knit/post 1000, o and...

Happy New Year!

I am starting the year off with a new shawlette, Lluna by VanesaPolo.

 I knit this fun fast and beautiful shawlette as a test knit for my good friend VanesaPolo.  It was more of a knit than a test knit as the pattern is clear and well written, and very easy to follow.

It takes one skein of fingering weight yarn, about 420 yards. I used this skein of yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts that I dyed 2 summers ago at one of their Dye Days.  I used their red dye, then added just a bit of maroon to the center of the skein, and washed out the outer edges of the skein with water to try for a tonal effect.

It striped just a bit, but I really like the final effects of the colors.  The bit of striping on the border looks especially cool.

I started this while I was working on my Cables and Lace Advent Scarf 2015, but obviously, that had first priority.  Once I finished that project, I was free to knit only on this shawlette, and finished it in about 4 days.

The pattern calls for size 6 needles, but as I often knit loosely, I used size 5.  I was also a bit nervous that I would run out of yarn.  I actually can't remember which base I dyed, and if it was the BFL Fingering, that yarn has about 400 yds/ 100 g.  My skein had only 85 g for some reason.  I had 12 g left of my skein, so it was no problem, and I really love both the drape and the look of the knitting.

This shawlette was really easy to block.  I just put a pin at the end of each of the "teeth." I let the natural moon shape do the rest.  Both Beena and Muffin (who is more camera-shy) had to help.

As usual, blocking made a huge difference in the finished project.

I think Vanesa will release the pattern soon on Ravelry.

Post 1000
Really, it is amazing that I could consistently write this much of a blog.  I remember when I was writing for children.  My life was so crazy that I was always starting stories and abandoning them.  In order to actually finish anything, I started writing shorter and shorter pieces.  At one point, I wrote just haikus.

Hey! you there!  Crows! I
didn't ask you for a 5
a.m. wake up caw.

Anyway, Happy New Year!  Happy 1000th Post.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet in hand dyed yarn.