Twisp of Fate

This week I finished the four shawls for my guild’s challenge project.  As previously noted, these were all done on the same warp of 20/2 mercerized cotton, and the same threading (extended manifold twill) and tie-up.  But I used different treadlings for each one, and different materials and colors as well.  They seemed rather stiff right off the loom, but after washing and pressing they have a lovely hand and drape.

Pattern weft:  brown 8/2 rayon used doubled, Tabby weft: 20/2 mercerized cotton, changing color every pattern repeat

Pattern weft: variegated 8/2 tencel used doubled, Tabby weft:  10/2 tencel

Pattern weft: solid teal 8/2 tencel used doubled, Tabby weft:  10/2 tencel

Pattern weft: variegated 8/2 tencel used doubled, Tabby weft:  10/2 tencel

I had enough warp left to weave this cloth (table mat?) in black 5/2 pearl cotton with a 20/2 gray pearl cotton tabby weft.  Used the same treadling as the 4th shawl above.

front side

back side

On the knitting front, I just finished a cowl using some of my handspun yarn.  It was a 2-ply and approx. laceweight.  One of the singles was spun from a merino/tencel dyed top from Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks.  The other was merino/cashmere in the same colorway.  These are dyed in a regular repeating color sequence, which I was careful to preserve in the spinning.  When plied together, the same colors lined up pretty well so I got this nice soft striping when knitting with it.

The pattern is “Zuzu’s Petals” by Carina Spencer (available on Ravelry or her website).  I was pretty much getting gauge on the recommended needle size, even with the handspun.  But I tried it on when partway done and decided it was fitting a little too close around my neck, so I took it back to the point where you quit knitting back and forth and join in the round to begin the lace chart.  Then continued the stockinette part with the same increases until I had added 24 more stitches (two 12-st repeats of the lace) then went on and joined in the round and finished it up.  I think it works much better for me, or at least in this yarn.

I just love this little cowl – it may be my favorite thing I have knit this year!