I have finished knitting something. I know, shocking. Sorry to stun you like this early in the morning. đ
Awhile ago I was going through the craft room and found a little metal tin with tiny balls of yarn in it, mohair with a touch of lurex. The best I can figure out it must’ve been this Artyarns kit. I don’t typically work with mohair and I don’t recall buying this so it may have been a gift. The beaded mohair skein was nowhere to be found, so I was left with roughly 400 yards of silk-mohair blend divided into 3 skeins, a dark grey, grey, and whitish grey.
Honestly, it looked a lot less than 400 yards. I must’ve wound them into balls at some point and they were tiny.
I didn’t want to follow the kit’s pattern. When you look at it, that pattern would be best done via crochet, and I wanted some mindless knitting, so I winged it.
As you can see, it’s an asymmetric shawlette. The pattern is your standard basic triangular shawl. I wanted it to be less of a shawl and more of a shawl-shaped scarf, and I think it’s skinny enough for that.
Pattern
Garter Section:
Cast on 5.
Foundation row: Knit across.
Row 2: Knit 1. Knit 1 front and back (increase.) Knit to the end of the row until 3 stitches left on the needle. Knit 2 together. Knit 1.
Row 3: Knit to the end of the row until 2 stitches left on the needle. Knit front and back. Knit 1.
Rinse and repeat. It gives you kind of triangular, slightly curved shape.
Edit: As I was adding this to library on Ravelry, I realized where I had learned this shawl shape. I’d made Nurmilintu by Heidi Alander at some point years ago, so you can just follow that pattern for garter.
At some point I decided to add a lace section.
Lace Section:
Row 1 and 2: Knit.
Row 3: Do the increase (Knit 1. Knit 1 front and back.) *Yarn over. Slide 2 stitches onto right needle, knit one, push the slipped stitches over it (3 stitches to 1 decrease.) Yarn over. Knit 1. Repeat from *
Row 4: Knit.
I repeated rows 3-4 3 times and finished the section off with 2 rows of knit.
Alternate garter and lace until you are tired of it, or until like me, you run out of yarn.
The advantage of this lace is that it’s garter lace. I didn’t feel like purling. The whole thing was pretty mindless. Surprisingly, it looks nice and it is very, very soft.
Normally I would block the crap out of that lace, but I am hesitating. Mohair gets weak when wet and I really don’t want it to felt. Plus, I’m not sure crisp lace would go with the look of the shawlette.
I do have to say, if you are looking for upscale fade yarn, where the colors blend almost seamlessly, this wasn’t a bad combo. The dark grey had a ton of silver in it. If you decide to buy Artyarns mohair, Webs sometimes has it on sale. I checked and today it’s a full price, but I’ve seen it at a discount there before, I think. Also Webs just got in a hand-dyed version of Lana Grossa. I might try that next.
Now I have to figure out what to knit with it.
Hi Ilona, I saw this and thought of you ???? Maybe this will lure you to my area for your next in person signing ????
That is stunning.
Itâs lovely, I like the fade effect and the lace inserts. Beautiful!
I can’t knit or crochet to save my life but I do ok at quilting.
Is there anything you canât do?? Seriously!?
Ilona, you are this uber tea connoisseur, chef extraordinaire, knitting freak, research guru and writing goddess… you save puppies, deserve mum of the year accolades, and still find time to keep your legion of fans happy on the speaking circuit and online!
Itâs rather intimidating! Develop a flaw, so the rest of us mere mortals donât appear so lacking in comparison! ????????
I don’t know much about fiber arts, but I know what I like…That’s beautiful. I like the greys and the little bit of shine. Simple and elegant.
Love It!
This is so pretty. I always wanted to learn how to knit.
I think it is perfection without blocking! Thank you. I have a lot of crochet thread that is too fine for me to work, not that my eyes are getting on in years. I will try this pattern with it.
At one point I decided I wanted to knit. I had the needles. I had a little instruction book. I think I was kid 2’s age? I never did it.
Maybe I will wait until I am way into grandma age and fulfill Nevada’s grandma expectations.
I have tried my hardest to learn how to knit, to no avail…
But at least I can crochet đ
Thank you for the post, Ilona Andrews. The finished product is lovely. I thought colors were good too.
ROFLOL about your âsaltyâ model. My college niece says âsaltyâ is proper terminology when she is not âproperly â decorated and I need pictures of some project. ????. Personally I thought kid 1 did great.
Thank you for sharing instructions. I donât knit but I am attempting to learn as Titan being a mixed breed (Rhodesian Labrador) is either too large or too small for commercially available dog clothes. His natural coat is not thick enough for below freezing temperatures. So one day I might make a shawl for my sister who loves.
Very nice, love the colors.
That’s a pretty nice outcome for winging it. Congratulations! And, Kid 1…good job!
I have one sister who embroiders, one who knits well, one who knits OK and sews and makes quilts constantly, and then there’s me. Yarn irritates me. I can never keep the tension right when I do anything with it. I do sew, but I make clothes. Except all my patterns fit the me who weighed 40 pounds more than I weigh now with doctors and a husband hounding me to eat more because if I lose much more, organ failure will come! So I’m trying to alter patterns for clothes that fit me to wear so I don’t look like a bag lady as I try to eat enough for them not to fit!
That you can pick up random yarn and end up with what you made is astounding to me! I’m so glad that you had a chance to catch your breath and knit something nice and relax for a day or two. All I can do is look and admire, but what you made is worth admiring. I love looking at pretty things, so thank you for giving me photos to look at.
All I can think of is that when you do have grandkids, they had best live where they need sweaters, lots of sweaters. Or lots of grandkids. One or the other.
Itâs gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the pattern.
Very nice ! Now I know I do the garter stitch. Because I am too uncoordinated to anything but the same stitch over and over ! LOL
My Grandmother offered to teach me to knit when I was young but I never did learn. It’s one of those things I would feel like I had to get done, but I really think those crafty skills are awesome! I love it! Gold star to you and your model!
So pretty! I love grey. I crochet and discovered Webs for yarn recently. You can get some real nice yarn on close out! (Iâm a clearance lover ????)
I wish I could knit but I get lost after the casting on. Being left handed doesnât help!
Awesome! I also like the fade on Kid 1âs hair color…
Beautiful!!
Any idea when youâll start the next innkeeper book! You left off at such a cliffhanger and I keep waiting to hear news about the next one. Itâs definitely my favorite series of yours. Thanks!
Not for a long while. Recently we posted something free online. Some people were mean and I had a bit of a realization: I don’t actually have to do this ever again. Right now I don’t feel like doing another freebie, so I don’t know if we will ever finish the Innkeeper.
Mean people suck.
Well whatever you do will be frosting for the rest of us who love your writing.
+1
This is really late but I’ve been catching up on blog posts and I saw this. I’d gladly pay for more of the Innkeeper Chronicles, I’ve never done the freebies because I’m more of a book or two a day than a chapter or two a day person. The suspense KILLS me and I can’t stand it lol. I’ve enjoyed the series so much and have re-read it a few times! Anyways, I hope you choose to continue the series someday, but I’ll honestly read whatever you put out.
i love the way mohair looks but i live in cali and feel like it will always be too warm. that said i have had the rocket tee in my sights for a bit.
That is just gorgeous!!!. Once upon a time I used to do cross-stitch but haven’t done that in years. My mammaw tried to teach me crochet but I couldn’t do it so I did the cross-stitch instead. I know I can’t do the knitting either but you are gifted. Thank you for this.
Pretty.
Pretty! And the colors go with everything. Nice to know youâre getting in some relaxation time, too.
Wow. Beautiful I love the colors. Thanks for posting your knitting stuff. I knit as well. Itâs like a crossover cosplay when my knitting love and urban fantasy love mix together!
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Very pretty. I have several projects for myself that I started, never finished. I never seem to get around to them. I am mainly knitting hats, etc., for homeless and seniors right now, as our temperatures have dropped suddenly and they need them now.
Thatâs gorgeous. I love that fade. I hate that I canât knit!! Iâve only used mohair once before, when crocheting a sweater for my daughter, and it blocked pretty well. I used room temperature water and didnât notice any felting of the mohair.
Oooooh, I have a random Artyarns kit that I bought in what must have been a fit of insanity a decade or so ago – the pattern isn’t even appealing to me, I can only assume I was drawn in by the adorable metal tin and pretty shiny yarn. I might finally do something with it now, seeing your pattern!
Update: Just went and pulled out the kit and also realized the colors don’t even go together. Whyyyyyyyy did I buy this? So maybe I can split them up and combine with other stash yarn and do multiple garter shawls !
Not sure if the link will show, but I found a pic/listing showing one like mine here: https://www.ebay.com/i/303742238290
Kelly, you can dye it. Or you can sell it to me and I will dye it, heh!
I’ve never actually dyed anything except a tie-dye t-shirt at summer camp, hahaha. I’d be thrilled for this kit to go to a home that would actually enjoy it and use it! (Still asking myself whyyyyyy I bought this??? ????????ââď¸)
If you think you’d use it you are welcome to it – and if you won’t take it for free I can always check the sticker on it for what half-price would be!
Gorgeous job!
Uh-huh,
Gotz this stuff & want something to do … donât really wanna think , just do & let it be, grow, become …
Pretty darn classy
Donât it feel good
That is very beautiful! I really like the shape. Now I wish I could knit. LOL
That’s really lovely. And fairly straightforward, like “this is a project even I could take on”.
I was noticing that I have a few knitting projects that are cool… but I’m just more focused on spinning right now. (Possibly because I haven’t really gotten that far with spinning, due to bronchitis. I mean, I still have work to do on the new wheel.) Right now, I just finished up some wool I spun and then did a self three ply with for my sister, and I really want to send it off! …but it’s taking forever to finish drying after setting the twist. Oh, yeah, that’s why a niddy noddy is important. I guess I need to get a new one…
And it didn’t post. Hmm…
Making a sad face about no more Innkeeper. How about writing it and not doing it online? Would that be less annoying? I can see where having people jostling you as they peer over your shoulders would be annoying, but maybe writing the book without a horde of people arguing about characters and backstory might be more relaxing. Just a thought.
Wow, that is so cool!!! Very impressed. I would definitely buy that if I saw it in a store.
I totally agree. Itâs such Ana amazing series with so much potential for an incredible conclusion!! I need more scenes with Helen! The Furry ripper of souls Needs to help them find their parents!! Surely more vampires will decide to get high on coffee and run through the orchard naked again! Screw the mean people! There are so many of us that adore your writing and have found such joy and comfort in it. Please think about continuing the series. It truly would be tragic for us to never find out what happens next.
And space chickens debating philosophy….I mean itâs just gold!
It’s very stunning and has this winter-y vibe<3
Doesnât matter that it is simple when it is so beautiful. Have a great day.
Very pretty…
I love shawls, I just donât wear them much. The colder it gets in my neck of the woods is 75o early in the morning…
looks great!
Nice shawl, I like you lace and garter stitch combo. I enjoyed your “flaws” reply. One of my many flaws is loving to knit lace andnot like blocking it afterward. Major flaw, I am also the Queen of Flat Surface Clutter.
Have you ever noticed that if you are using cotton and other non-ungulate yarns you never have to block them. I’ve designed and made over 100 lace sweaters and have never had to block any of them.If anything, they have a slightly more dimensional or textured look. After the first wash the texture flattens out a little more, and it looks just like a sweater you blocked.
(Oh No! our heroine has left her shawlette On a bench in park. But now our hero
has entree to introduce himself as he returns it.
Your shawlette is Beautiful ???????? âŁď¸
I love to keep a mindless pattern going for when I don’t want to concentrate or watch what I’m doing. The secret is— don’t let on when it’s finished that it was an easy one. My husband often remarks that some of my “easy” sweaters look a lot more complicated than some of the tough patterns. Bless those “Old Shale” variations.
Have you seen the cartoon of Dos Equis’ “Most interesting man in the world”
saying,”I don’t always knit but when I do …. I knit lace, while watching a movie …
In The Dark.
Cheers ????
Beautiful shawl!
And yay for Kid 1 that she model it for you even though she was cold and didn’t want her face in the pic. She still went out and put it on. Thanks Kid 1 for allowing us to see what the shawl would look like on.
That is gorgeous! If I saw it in a store I would definitely buy it. Last time I was in Michealâs I found myself casually walking down the yarn aisle and I couldnât figure out why until I realized that I had just purchased the dead tree version of Emerald Blaze and I associate knitting with Ilona.
Beautiful!
Best View i have ever seen !