Swatching, switching, stitching.

And the joys of all three...

Jodie Morgan

May 17, 2024

INSIDE: Finished objects (hooray!), swatches of my latest yarn tastings (so soft!) and what’s next on my needles…

First up, I’ve got something finished to show you… Drumroll please! 🥁

Tada!

The Venezia Shawl has been a delightful knit, not only the pretty lace border that kept my interest but the feel of the soft merino in my hands.

I don’t think I’ll ever tire of knitting with merino wool!

The finished dimensions for mine were smaller than what’s mentioned in the pattern. The length from tip to tip is 68 inches (172cm) and the width at the widest point 15 inches (38cm).

Joji Locatelli’s was 76 1/2” (184cm) long and 16 3/4” (42cm) wide.

Blocking revealed the glorious lace structure and opened up the twisted rib middle section. How I adore the transformation after blocking. So rewarding!

I gave the shawl my mother-in-law the other day and she’s very pleased with it.

When I’m working from a pattern, I use my phone’s notes app to track my progress. (You can take notes by drawing as well as typing them.) So I use:

The pen option to cross out each row as I complete them.
The neon yellow highlighter to mark the section I’m up to.
I also draw with my finger to write what row I’m working on.

I don’t have a printer so I’m grateful I can markup a digital pattern on my phone.

It’s pretty cool! 😊

My latest yarn tastings were the following Knit Picks yarns:

Palette Fingering: 100% Highland Peruvian Wool (Tidepool Heather.)
Simply Alpaca Aran: 100% Superfine Alpaca (Aldous.)

Both were lovely to knit with!

The colorway, Tidepool Heather, is so apt with the greens and blues.

The camel brown color of Aldous is natural. No dyes or bleach are used to process it. I adore the soft furriness of Alpaca fiber!

I cast on a cowl with the Simply Alpaca yarn.

I’m using the stitch pattern from the Honey Cowl which is a 4-row repeat using purls and slip stitches with yarn in front (Slip 1 wyif).

I’m considering alternating with blocks of stockinette stitch.

Another project I’ve started is a 1x1 rib beanie with Knit Picks Simply Wool Worsted in ‘Wilbur’. (Featured in my yarn tastings a few weeks ago.)

The pattern is Ribelation by Anne Gagnon.

I can smell the lanolin of this 100% Eco wool as I knit with it which I find comforting. I also enjoy the rhythm and soothing effect of knitting 1x1 rib.

Switching between different projects is fun!

I now appreciate the appeal of having multiple knitting projects. This a new thing for me. In the past, I’ve stuck to knitting one item at a time.

I also managed to redo the unraveled crown of my Conifer Cap that was accidentally placed in the washing machine!

It’s shorter now, I think it shrunk in the wash! I’m unable to fold up the edge but there’s enough length to keep my ears warm.

Let that be a lesson to you, future Jodie! Always check the dirty washing! 😉

And I just found out about a bulky yarn that looks like it's been handspun. There are gorgeous colorways and the 3 ply twist creates a lovely effect for projects.

Chroma Twist Bulky is a superwash wool and nylon blend so it can be machine washed. It's currently on sale check it out here.

And another question for you: Do you find that your mood dictates what project you pick up to knit?

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