Any new KALs?

#1

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i see this has kind of fallen by the wayside this past year…

so is anybody working on a fun KAL that others here might enjoy?

#2

I’m participating in a KAL in a few weeks at my LYS. We are going to be knitting Chevron Sands. Here’s a link to my RAV page with a pic of the yarns.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/JanCA/chevron-sands-wrap

#3

Nice! That looks like fun to me. Enjoy!!

#4

I LOVE YOUR YARN, Jan! The best choice of all IMO! :wink:

I really like the pattern stitch. Very interesting, bold, but subtle at the same time.

#5

I ended up having to rip out 4" and start over with a smaller needle. Argh. I’ll take a picture tomorrow!

#6

Oh, I’m sorry. That’s much worse than realizing I did my rib cast on in the wrong sequence and had to start over.

I don’t remember seeing your Downton Abbey shawl, did I just miss it or forget that I saw it?

#7

Your Rav project folder doesn’t state what needle you started with. Your progress photo looks wonderful gauge-wise.

Another thing I love about your yarn and color choices…the result isn’t heavily striped.

Your skeins (colors) look different than the wrap’s progress photo. Which photo is most accurate?

I’m inspired to try this wrap, too, but only if I could find colorways that turn out like yours. Or, [B]similar[/B], I mean. Your wrap is much more appealing than the other projects on Ravelry.

#8

The yarn is really more like the balls. I took the wip at night and the color didn’t come out. It will be a bit more contrast than I would normally like, but I liked the colors. You will have an easier time finding yarn than I. I’m so incredibly sensitive I’m limited. The wip is with a size 8 needle. I started with a 9 which is what the pattern calls for. I knit loose.

The photo was before the striping. You may not like it once you see it now. :teehee:

#9

Thanks for the information.

What do you think about this Elann ‘Tarantella’ yarn I’ve got? It’s like Jojoland Rhythm or Jojoland Melody. I picked up a [B]Bag of 5[/B] (for $32 total) on Amazon. Each ball is 436 yds of fingering.

If I use this yarn I’ll skip the main color/contrast color directions, simply knitting along without changing ball…[B]OR[/B] alternating between two balls. That might crest something interesting.

Anyway, the Chevron Sands pattern is really nice, and would probably be nice with a solid color, or ‘flecked’ like MadelineTosh yarn.

#10

Thanks for the information.

What do you think about this Elann ‘Tarantella’ yarn I’ve got? It’s like Jojoland Rhythm or Jojoland Melody. I picked up a bad of 5 for $32 on Amazon. Each ball is 436 yds of fingering.

If I use this yarn I’ll ignore the directions for stripes, simply knitting along without changing balls…[B]or[/B] alternating between two balls. That might create something interesting.

I bought this colorway for shawls for two of my young teen granddaughters.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lazy-girl-shawl

So, what do you think about Lazy Girl for one girl, Chevron Sands for the other girl?? I bought peach fingering for the contrast color on Lazy Girl Shawl.

Anyway, the Chevron Sands pattern is really nice, and would probably be nice with a solid color, or ‘flecked’ like MadelineTosh yarn.

#11

That’s pretty yarn. The yarn needs to be something that drapes well. What fiber is it? (The page closed) If you think it would pool you might want to alternate. And yes, i think this pattern would work with a solid as well.

That lazy girl pattern is nice, too. I think they’d make beautiful gifts!

The store sample was made with the Zen Garden Serenity Silk Single as was the pattern. The sample was a lovely hand painted aqua /cream mix and the contrast was cream. I loved it, but they didn’t have the yarn for awhile and I wanted to make it anyway.

#12

It’s 100% wool, 2 plies. I notice that the Zen yarn is a Merino/Cashmere/Silk…which has [B]great drape! oooo la la![/B] I’ve got some Fyberspates 50/50 Merino/silk in my stash, but it’s ear marked for something else.

Sigh.

Well, I’ve got this yarn on hand, so I’ll try it anyway.

I purchased and printed the pattern. The 2-row Chevron Pattern seems too easy. I’m unsettled about it.

Question: [B]So that’s all I do is work those 2 rows over and over[/B]…swapping balls between Stripe Sequences 1-4? [B] That’s it?[/B] So it zigzags automatically due to the M1R, M1L, SSK, and K2T’s?

It’s just like me to make a problem for myself unnecessarily! :wall:

Also, the pattern states that the edges curl due to the st st. I wonder… when it’s all done, would a 3 st applied i-cord stabilize the edges?

Anyway, I’m casting on in a minute. Using a US 7 with this fingering. A US 9 with fingering seems just plain wrong. But like you, I’m very willing to frog my work when I’m wrong. :shrug:

#13

My yarn, Sweet Georgia, is silk and merino. I would give your yarn a try, but unless you are an extremely loose knitter I think the 7 won’t give it enough drape. It depends on your taste though. I liked the way it drapes.

Yep, it’s two easily memorized rows! What we in the KAL are doing is knitting the two yarns together for the first stitch (rs row) and on the return just purl the two stitches together. It keeps you from a long carry up the side. All will be hidden in the curled edge. Look at the other projects… The edge looks nice curled.

[B]Other notes[/B]- I am not using SSK, I’m using k2tog tbl. It’s quicker and looks nice. Personal choice.
The bottom edge slants so don’t try to straighten it out.
Blocking will correct the ripples. Everyone’s seems to do that.

Don’t over think this. :hug:

#14

Thanks for the tip about the edge stitch when carrying the “resting color” up the side! :thumbsup: Sounds perfectly sensible since the edge rolls over into itself!

Something I found successful when the “edge” is going to be very visible: I make the “switch,” from one color to the next on the 3rd stitch from the edge (instead of stitch #1) At the point of exchange, I twist them together like you’d do for intarsia. No holes, plus when you’re just carrying the resting color up, the resting color is tucked away discreetly, no unsightly long legs traveling north-south.

I cast on last night. Working those M1 increases from the cast on are tricky, I must say! :wall: Are you using M1L and M1R paired increases? Thanks for the tip about the K2t tbl as an alternative to SSK. I’ll try both. They do have slight differences if memory serves.

I understand the concept of the pattern now. :aww:

So the pattern is 18 st + 10. Which means the 82 stitches is 4 repeats across, plus the end stitches. I cast on 154 st…8 repeats inside the *_____ *.

I don’t know if that’s enough to give me a deeper wrap, but I hesitate to do more.

Thanks for the info about the larger needle! Although I don’t see it yet, I understand the reason: for better “drape”. Hmmm. Now that gives me pause.

I’ll be frogging my two rows of progress immediately. I’ll cast on the 82 with a US 8 and knit along, reassessing my needle size. By going for 82 st width my colorway will change to watercolor effect more so than striped effect. I’ve got it worked out when I should use Color A and Color B, which in my case is Ball A and Ball B.

This might not work out, but it’s fun noodling with the pastel colorway. :wink:

#15

In re-reading the pattern, I saw that 82 st cast on will block out to a 12.5" depth. Not enough for me. It seems like an extra wide scarf rather than a wrap.

Well anyway, I cast on 128, which is 6 repeats across the needle. I’m using a US 8.

I’m also experimenting with different edges. I’m working the first and last 2 stitches as knits on RS & WS, garter stitch. Maybe it will prevent the roll, although I doubt it. The st st roll is a powerful beast. :wink:

I tried to modify the beginning of the wrap, working 2 rows of knits (1 garter ridge), but thought better of it. So I bit the bullet and worked Row 1 right from the cast on.

Did anyone in your KAL do anything to modify the first few rows of the wrap? Has anyone else tried working the garter stitch edge?

#16

As far as I know everyone is following the pattern as written except some are doing ssk and some k2tog tbl. Curious to see how your edge treatment works out. Yeah, isn’t that first row a $itch! Yes I’m doing the m1l and right.

We’ve been busy today so I haven’t had a chance to knit. You’ll finish long before me I’m sure. Ha!

#17

Jan, I love the way this pattern is turning out. The colors are very pleasing and the flow of the stitch pattern is lovely.

#18

I laid mine out and it seems like it’ll be at least 15" wide when blocked. Well see.

Thanks, Mary Anne!

#19

I knitted 6"…128 st wide…to get a good look at how well this yarn would “perform” with a US 8. If I was using the right yarn, US 8 looks perfect.

The 2 garter stitches at each end of the row: really good looking!

However, this pattern [B]needs[/B] the yarn recommended, the fiber content that includes silk. A slick, cushy yarn with good drape. The type of yarn where the stitches don’t cling to themselves; stitches that glide and slide!

Anyway, my 6" was hideous. The colorway was working nicely. But the fabric (stitches) was hideous. Biggish st stitches. Smallish st st. All because of the yarn fiber content, stitches that don’t glide and slide and settle into the neighborhood nicely, if you know what I mean!

So I’ll have to purchase yarn for this project. But not yet.

I frogged my 6"… :confused:

#20

That’s what I was afraid of. My yarn is silk and merino and drapes nicely. I’m onto the second set of striping now (6 rows between). Sorry yours didn’t work out!

Tonite is our group so I’ll have to see how others are doing.