Just a quick post to show my finished photos of the Dewdrops shawl. I began knitting the peach -colored triangle section a few months ago. (See my cast on post here.) I loved the yarn (Emma’s Yarn) so much that I then had to wait for the Four Purls yarn truck to visit my area again in April to pick up a denim blue color for the border.
From the time I cast on I had pictured a dark blue color for the border. I love the outcome and am very happy with the way this shawl turned out. I’m not a super experienced knitter, but I had no trouble with that lace border.
I have more trouble trying to get good photos once my projects are complete! Outdoors is the best choice for bright, true color photos. But I don’t want to get my newly cleaned and blocked shawl dirty! So I simply held it with one hand and pointed my iPhone with the other.
Outside photo shows the true colors
Get the Pattern
Want to knit Dewdrops yourself? Here is the link to the designer’s Dewdrops pattern page at Ravelry. Or visit Woolenberry.com to see more of Janina Kallio’s massive selection of shawls.
More of What I’m Knitting
So what am I knitting now? Well, I always have a few things going at once but I’m focused on the Sun Kissed shawl, which is also being knit using Emma’s Yarn. When I want to relax and knit something simple, I work on my Ruffled Scarf. I’m working on a pair of socks – which are coming out okay. I’m not a sock-knitter, but I’m trying to be. A post on that is in the works.
Whenever I buy yarn it’s a guess as to how it will look once knit up. Unless I am working with a solid color it really is a crap shoot with speckled and variegated yarns.
Below is my photo of some beautiful yarn purchased from Four Purls. The central Florida yarn store has a yarn truck which makes stops around the state to sell to us poor folk who don’t have a local store.
The yarn in my photo is “Gatsby” and “Farmer’s Market”. Gatsby is mostly white with blackish speckles. I’ve been looking online for similar yarn. The variegated Farmer’s Market caught my eye because of all those luscious shades of blue and pink. It’s a guess as to how it will look once knit up. So I’d like to share that on this page.
Emma’s Yarn colors: Gatsby and Farmer’s Market
I am using these two yarns to knit a triangle shawl with skinny stripes, alternating the two colors. The pattern is free to download at Ravelry. It’s called “Sun Kissed” by Veronika Jobe. Her stripes are green and white with speckles. I like the frilly lace edging. I don’t see anywhere what colors she used, only the yarn types. Someone guessed that “Optic” was the Mad Tosh color, and I think that my Gatsby skein comes close. The alternating stripes color could really be anything, but since I had purchased Farmer’s Market at the same time, I wondered what a variegated yarn would look like alongside the speckled white.
Pretty “Farmer’s Market” skein by Emma’s Yarn
After I wound my balls of yarn (I don’t have a winder), I couldn’t wait to get started on this pattern. I have cast on and knit a few rows of the shawl, which is pretty simple (don’t know about that lace edge, but that comes later). Because both the colors are light, the stripes are not as noticeable, but I expected that. I think it’s pretty. I wish the white had more pronounced “speckles” but maybe they will show up more along the lacy border.
The Super Silky Emma’s Yarn is a joy to knit with. I just finished knitting the Dewdrops shawl using it, and had to buy more. I don’t really wear shawls, but they are fun to knit.
A few months ago I visited the Four Purls Yarn Truck for the first time. I bought lots of wonderful yarn and learned a little about their store and the family behind it. Both daughters of the owners do their own hand-dying to create some beautiful hanks of yarn. It’s a family run store. I’ve met the husband and wife team, who are helpful and friendly, both times I have visited their truck stopover in New Smyrna Beach.
Outdoor tables full of yarn
My knitting experience with Emma’s Yarn was such a delight that I had to be sure and buy more when the yarn truck came to town.
Located in Winter Haven, in central Florida, the Four Purl’s yarn store takes road trips in their colorful yarn truck to share their wares with those of us who have no local shops. They show up in New Smyrna only a few times a year, but I am grateful that they do. It’s always nice to be able to handle yarn, and see colors in person!
Shawls and sweaters knit from patterns, which are listed on their tags.
Pattern Samples Already Knit
A rack of clothing was displayed at the outer edge of the yarn tables. As I browsed, I realized these were patterns (name of pattern on tag attached to item) already knit up for us to see. This is a clever idea and next time I may do some pattern browsing before I buy my yarn.
As it was, I already needed quite a few skeins for patterns I had in mind. Hand-dyed yarn is gorgeous, but it is not cheap. One must restrain oneself when surrounded by all that pretty yarn. As it was, I still bought a lot of yarn!
My purchase of Emma’s Yarn, hand-dyed in an array of beautiful colors
My Knitting Plans Using The New Yarn
Sun Kissed is a free shawl download which I have been planning to make for a while now. I’ve been waiting to find the right colors. For the time being I am thinking of using “Gatsby” (mostly white yarn with dark speckles) and “Farmer’s Market” (look at those colors!) to knit it.
Emma’s Yarn colors: Gatsby and Farmer’s Market
Even though I recently purchased Stephen West’s “Mohairino Medley”, I didn’t find the right colors at the Yarn Truck. But I do love a couple of WestKnits shawls and was thinking of the Sea Swell Shawl pattern in particular when I bought the three skeins below. Or, I may knit another favorite by Westknits called Slumber Shawl.
L-R color names: Malibu, Turtle Haven, and 10 Questions
I found a skein of “Denim” blue for the border color to finish up my Dewdrops Shawl. I began the triangle shawl with Emma’s Yarn in “Main Squeeze” color which reminds me of pink grapefruit.
Denim blue color ball of yarn to finish my Dewdrops shawl.
And inside the truck I picked up a DK weight skein in “Don’t Call Me Peaches” color (below). This one is part nylon, with merino wool, and I am using it to attempt a pair of socks – again. Emma’s “Simply Spectacular DK” yarn is combined here with some fingering yarn from my stash to make a heavy-weight pair of socks (fingers crossed). For some reason I gravitate toward peachy colors!
Sock Knitting
While I was paying, the husband of the Four Purls team mentioned that they would not be back to New Smyrna until next Fall. They don’t go out in summer, which I can’t blame them for. It’s a really hideous time of year here in Florida and no one wants to be standing around in the Florida sun. So I will have to use up my yarn over the next six months while I wait.
Hanks of yarn purchased from Four Purls
Four Purls sells more than Emma’s Yarn, but it turned out that that was the only brand I bought. I also picked up a gauge counter.
Summer in Florida is a good time to stay inside in the AC… and do some lightweight knitting.
Although I live in a busy area, craft stores, and in particular, yarn stores, are scarce. Sure there is a Michaels in Daytona, but who wants to go there? And they sell mostly synthetic yarn I think. New Smyrna Beach is a very built up area and there is nothing here. We did just recently (end of last year) have a new yarn store, She Sells Yarn, open up north in Ormond. That is not too far away, but still a drive on busy roads. I do plan to visit the store one day.
The largest yarn store in Central Florida is Four Purls and it is located in Winter Haven. BUT…and this is cool… they have a yarn truck which they drive all over to visit areas like mine to sell their goods. Every few months (except in summer) they travel the 2 hours it takes to get to New Smyrna and set up on the grass behind “Hottie Coffee” just off Route 1. What a great idea!
I’m so glad they do this, and I missed the truck’s visit in October because I was in New Hampshire. Happily, I made it to the truck to shop on their latest trek. Sure enough, there was beautiful yarn everywhere. I was so excited that I forgot to take truck photos for my blog! (But I got some in April when the truck returned). I did spend lots of money on some pretty yarn.
The owner explained to me that Emma’s Yarn was hand-dyed by her daughters, and the tables were full of Emma’s Yarn. I have begun the Dewdrops shawl using the color “Main Squeeze”, and it is pretty, made of merino and silk. The yarn containing silk is very soft and I do love it. Shortly after I began knitting the shawl, I realized I wanted a denim blue color for the edge. I’ll pick that up on their next truck trek to my area.
Yarn from Four Purls yarn truck – Main Squeeze is on the pink one.
Four Purls also sells yarn online, but it’s fun to see the yarn in person. They come back this way in April and I see myself spending money on lots of new yarn that day! And I will take photos….!
New England's Narrow Road 