Lala and Eggplant Blob

Lala Shawl

Pattern: Lala Scarf by Kat Coyle from Greetings from Knit Cafe
Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug in Velvet Bilberry (1 skein), Velvet Plum (half a skein), and Velvet Leaf (a smidgen)
Needle: US 4 29" Bryspun circs
Mods: See belowFinished dimensions: 50" by 25" (lightly blocked)
Rating: Good enough to eat

Lala simmered on the back burner of my to-do-queue for a year and a half. Kat's original version is a candy floss confection of lace weight mohair/silk, but somehow I never got around to making it with any of the (copious amounts of) Kid Silk Haze in stash. Instead, last fall I did a swap with Anita, who sent me two skeins of Colinette Jitterbug. As soon as the skeins were in my hot little hands, I knew I wanted to use them with this pattern. Use a larger gauge yarn, a smaller needle, and the pattern would turn into a delectable, if rustic, shawl, thought I.

So, I cast on, and knit, knit, knit. Easy pattern, lovely yarn, Byronesque colors...quickly I used up the skein of Velvet Bilberry, added a little bit of Velvet Fern (already in stash) and tackled the Velvet Plum ruffled edge. If I were to knit this pattern again, I'd probably crochet the picots, as the effect is similar, and it's one heck of a lot quicker and easier. But I'd never knit a picot edge before, so I had to give it a go. It was fun, though very time consuming. I also omitted the final row of single crochet called for to finish the pattern, as I think the edge looks just dandy as is.

Once done, I gave it a Eucalan bath and blocked it very lightly. It was my first time using Jitterbug, but it won't be my last. The colors remained steadfast in the bath (kinda surprising, considering how deeply jewel toned the colorways are), and the yarn springy and soft once dry. In the skeins the yarn was over spun and kinky in many places, but the kinks disappeared once knitted/washed, and yielded a lovely feeling fabric. Gifted to my Mom, the colors are oh so her, with a little bit of me (the line of green) thrown in, too.

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Eggplant Blob

Through some fluke, I ended 2007 with most of my projects finished. Casting around for something to knit in mid-December, I dragged out my Gothic Leaf Stole. We got reacquainted, and are now spending lots of time together. I'm consumed with finishing it by the end of January, and have given myself an ultimatum: Knit a minimum of two rows a day on it. Or else. Most days I'm surpassing that minimum, and I'm now nearly 3/4 finished. Love how the linen is knitting up in this simple lace pattern, and I'm looking forward to showing you blocked photos in a few weeks.