...to start off the year than with a FO?
In the quiet days following the New Year celebrations, I managed to finish the Fire and Flames Shawl (aka Frost and Ice Shawl). It was another fun knit from Heirloom Knitting using the gorgeous Rowan Kidsilk Haze yarn. This particular design did surprise me by the amount of yarn it suddenly gobbled up at the end; in the below photo, you can see where I attached the final ball of yarn:
Just a couple of inches from the top! And this is how much yarn I have left over:
It's not so little that I started sweating about it, but it was close enough to make me wonder if I would have had enough yarn had I used the given needle size instead of two sizes smaller. If you decide to tackle this design, it might be worth getting an extra ball, just to be on the safe side.
Speaking of the yarn: I've always been a great fan of Rowan Kidsilk Haze. I've used it for a handful of projects in the past and have been quite pleased with the result each time. In fact, I still have some sitting in my stash for future projects. So imagine my surprise when I found that the color I used for this shawl came off onto my comforter that I had over my lap when I was knitting! This has never happened to me in the past with KSH-- it was both unexpected and disappointing. Has anyone else experienced this before with KSH? It does make me wonder if the quality of the yarn has gone down in the recent years. If I remember correctly, this color (#579, Splendour) first came out in Fall 2005, so it is relatively new.
On top of the color coming off, I noticed that this KSH shed A LOT. After even a short session of knitting, I found purple fibers floating around everywhere. When I swept the floors, the collected debris had a distinct purplish tinge, and the fibers stuck to whatever I wore when I was knitting like vecro. A few fibers even found their way into our dinner! Again, this hasn't been an issue with the KSH I've used in the past. Perhaps I just had an inferior lot (for those interested, it was #629), but I'm certainly wary about purchasing more now.
Now, all this shawl needs is a nice blocking. But how much will the color fade in the process? And do I want the wonderful undulating surface of the shawl to be replaced by more
open lacework?
Even as I was finishing up this shawl, I was already thinking about the next project. Baby knits have been on my mind again as I received this book from B for Christmas:
Rowan Babies by Kim Hargreaves. All of the designs are so charming, it’s hard to decide where to begin. Maybe with this one?
Or this?
While I mull over my choices, I’m knitting the Ruffles Scarf from the book Scarf Style. Simple, yet interesting pattern + stash yarn = guilt-free fun! Photos soon.
