tipperary – Elliebelly Knit & Dye Works

Counting Down To Knit Along

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

We've only got ten days left before the Adventurous April KAL starts. Please come sign up to knit with us if you haven't already. Everyone is welcome. We will be knitting Antarktis and stuffed toys, and trying out new techniques.

We have two last yarn giveaway winners, Susie and Sparkynfeisty. I've messaged you both on Ravelry. As soon as we can discuss colors, there will be yarn on the way to you!

After a few hours in my office, I'm clearly going to have to finish my Tipperary Shawl. Harry is not understanding about it still being on the needles and wants me to finish it so he can claim it for himself. It's divine. It is knit from a cashmere, alpaca, and merino blend. He's going to have to fight me for it.

Unfortunately, my money is on the cat.

Nighttime Knitting. Or Not.

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

*If you are looking for the post about the Adventurous April Knitalong and the Yarn Giveaway, click here.

I had plans to start the final repeat of my Tipperary Shawl tonight. I spread it out on my bed and went off to grab a few things I needed.

My cats typically ignore my knitting, but apparently there is an exception for Plucky Snug yarn — perhaps it's the bit of Alpaca in it? Whatever the reason, Harry, my Maine Coon Cat, decided there were more important things to do than knit tonight. Like snuggle all the knitting.

I really wanted to knit, though. There are so many stitches in each row now that it's going to take me a while to get through the final repeat of 20 rows and the cast off. I really wanted to get started. So I tried to gently shoo Harry away with promises of kitty treats later on. But he got feisty.

I had to buy him off with promises of a knit toy if there were any leftovers. Not much knitting around here tonight. Hopefully tomorrow!

New Knitting Project: Tipperary

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

I liked my last Norah Gaughan project, this capelet, so much, that I decided to try another. This one, straight off of her beautiful new website in her Volume 15 pattern book. It's called Tipperary.

In a mere five more repeats, this small start will grow into a beautiful, full shawl, that I intend to wrap around my neck like a large bulky scarf — there seems to be a lot of that going on in my life this winter, proportionate to the amount of time I'm spending up north this year.

The yarn is my new and continuing favorite, Plucky Snug. Swoon.

This is in the Steel Cut colorway, and it is still like knitting with butter. I really adore the merino/alpaca blend with just enough cashmere to make it perfect. Alpaca sometimes makes me sneezy, but in this blend, I have no trouble with it at all, and none of the hairy halo that I have found annoying in other Alpaca yarns. Five skeins of snug, or roughly 550 yards of this yarn, should do it.

I'm doing something new with this one, and using an app on my IPad called Knit Companion, which makes dealing with patterns a snap. Although I'm just learning to use it, it lets you blow up those tiny lace (or cable) charts so you can actually see them, and keep your place in the pattern with a row marker. Some kind Ravelry knitters pointed me towards Knit Companion and I'm really glad I tried it. You can download a free version and do a couple of tutorials to see if it's something that might work for you. I'm really glad I found it!

Knitting Catch Up

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Joyce Makes Art

With apologies — my long lovely weekend with this child

kept me from blogging. But, not knitting. In addition to reporting that she thoroughly enjoyed visiting Georgetown and had a great time auditioning at the Washington Ballet, I have some knitting progress to share.

One thing I have come to accept about myself is that although I can pack a week's worth of clothing in a carry on bag, my "personal item" — the second carry on airlines allow — is exclusively devoted to knitting. For this four day trip, I had four projects along with me.

Top to bottom you can see my newly cast on Tipperary Shawl, the French Laundry colorway portion of my Sugarloaf Cowl peeking out, a wee bit of my Vodka Lemonade sweater in the bag with the green zipper, and Olivia, which grew a lot on this trip.

I'm indulging my inner geek here, and sharing my Da Vinci drawing style Dr. Who meets the Daleks project bag, which is Olivia's home.

My big knitting news is finally finishing the fisherman's rib portion of Olivia, and moving on to the short rows. For some reason, short rows and I have never been friends before, but we are getting along famously this time.

There was, however, the predictable knitting disaster without which no trip would be complete. Forgive the late night/hotel room/bad lighting photo, but it portrays the exact moment at which my lurking suspicion that the game of yarn chicken I was playing with my third skein of Plucky Primo Aran was going to end badly. See the little bit of yarn that trails across the right front side of Olivia? That would be the 12" of yarn left from my last skein. And, at this point, I still have 50 short rows left before I get to the lengthy cast off row.

This was the first project I cast on with Plucky yarn, and I didn't stop to realize that the yardage for the pattern yarn, Plucky Traveler Aran, is different than the yardage for the Primo Aran that I substituted. Several other knitters noted the need to shorten the rib when knitting in Primo to conserve yarn for the garter portion of the pattern, but apparently oblivious, this girl knit a fulsome seven inches of rib and then came up short on the garter.

Thankfully, a kind knitter has already put one of her precious skeins in the mail to me. I'm hoping for a good match and a bit of time this weekend, as I'm ready to wrap Olivia's squishy goodness around my neck. Love, love, love this pattern.