Mystery Knit Along Clue Three Changes Made, Spoiler Images

I’m blogging about my journey as I attempt to complete a MKAL (mystery knit along) challenge.  Well, for me it’s a challenge.  I have spoiler images on this page, if you are beginning this KAL!

In the Through the Loops forum at Ravelry we are sharing progress, problems, questions, and ideas while knitting an asymmetrical shawl from clues doled out over the course of about six weeks by the designer. I’ve been behind from the beginning, but only by a few days.  This requires a LOT of knitting.  Far more knitting than I have ever done in such a short amount of time, and in a pattern far more difficult than I have ever attempted.

It takes discipline and concentration and I am having fun!

Although the shawl requires 2 skeins of yarn, a number of knitters were worried about running out of yarn.  Some ran out, and I am one of them.  As I began Clue #3 which would have had 3 rows of color A (my yellow color), I knew there wasn’t enough.

mystery shawl knit-along clue three
Starting Clue 3 and realizing the yellow yarn is gone!

I decided to ask in the forum if anyone had simply changed to Color B, or if that would mean running out of that color eventually.

The designer, Kirsten Kapur, suggested I could use a contrast color from my stash, which could also be added in later in the pattern. I liked this idea, so I wouldn’t have to stop knitting and fall further behind. Many people have already moved on to Clue Four at this point.  I guess I will also add this new color in somewhere else.  It’s my backup if Color B begins to get short.

The trouble was, my stash of yarn is pretty small. And I needed fingering weight in a color that would go with light blue and cumin yellow! Probably a pretty green or another shade of blue would have been the best choice, but I didn’t have either of those. So to finish up my Clue #3 rows I substituted a rust color for the yellow.

Now my shawl will contain three colors, but only little of the third color.  I hope in the long run it will all look okay.

shawl knitting clue 3
Added Color C, which is rust to finish up Clue #3

I have now begun Clue #4, but it’s a toughie, so I’ll wait until morning, when my mind is fresh and full of coffee, to do more knitting.

By the way, some people are actually knitting 2 of these shawls at once! And many knitters get the clue finished within a day! Then there are those who have only just decided to start, or are behind like me. At least I don’t feel like I am the worst knitter in the group.

Miss bags rust color ball of yarn
“Canyon Wren” is a rust color yarn and is now my Color C for this project.

 

Finishing Up The Spindrift Shawl

The Spindrift shawl was a free pattern download offered by designer Helen Stewart. I appreciate having something like this crescent shawl pattern to practice on.  The pattern is fairly simple, but I did learn how to do a picot edge bind-off.  You can read more about how I came to be knitting this shawl on my first post here.

The fingering yarn I chose to use was from Miss Babs, in one of the Wild Iris, Yummy-2ply colors named “Sorcerer”.  It closely matches the colors in the designers image of the finished shawl, and I thought hers was lovely.

To go with Sorcerer, I chose a lavender color yarn from Mrs. Crosby called “Monkey Orchid”.  I will use that color to finish the edge.

Shawl yarn
Shawl yarn from Miss Babs in fingering weight, and lavender DK by Mrs. Crosby

Notes on the Finished Shawl

I had to reference a video about making the picot edging. (Find it on my Day 2 blog post.)

I knew I would probably not have enough yarn because my skein was shorter than the recommended length. The lavender color was attached for the picot edging and once I got the hang of that bind-off, it went quickly.

Still left, the weaving in of ends, washing and blocking. I have never blocked anything, but I have the boards to do it with. My time is taken up with the MKAL I am working on (and am behind!). So this shawl will have to wait.

spindrift shawl
The Spindrift Shawl is finished
Screen Shot 2018-07-05 at 4.07.51 PM
The lavender picot edging



Finally I found the photos of this finished shawl. This was a very good beginner pattern with practice for yarn-overs and doing a picot edge. It’s a small shawl so it knits up fast. Download the Spindrift pattern when you sign up for the Curious Handmade workshop. See details here.

Spindrift shawl
My first shawl knitting project

Knitting Cowls or Infinity Scarves

knitting the Honey Cowl

When I began knitting, cowls were of great interest to me. They are often called “infinity scarves” as they are usually knit on a circular needle, in the round, like a hat, but on longer needles. They can be small to fit over the head, with a single wrap, or long to wrap twice.

Long scarves were my preferred item when I was beginning to knit because they gave me lots of practice using the same stitches over and over. But scarves use up lots of yarn. A single wrap cowl does not.

The difference is that the cowl is knit using circular needles.  It creates a long, wide loop and some people pull them up to cover their heads.

Some cowls are knit back and forth, like a regular scarf, then connected at the ends. This happens when the desired pattern, such as a cable, can’t be achieved by working in the round.

Free Cowl Patterns

At Purl Soho find a number of free cowl patterns (and some beautiful and unique yarn).  Some are super easy like the Slip Stitch Summer Cowl, and Floats Cowl.  Others require the use of cable needles and other more difficult stitches that require brainpower to complete (for me).

The Syncopated Cowl is lovely and is pretty in a chunky type of yarn.  Purl Soho also has beautiful linen yarn, which is perfect for those of us living in warm climates.

Ravelry also has many free cowl patterns.
See links to Ravelry designer patterns below.

Single Wrap Cowl

Malabrigo Neck Thingie is a single wrap cowl.
Darn Knit Stripe It! cowl uses self-striping yarn.
Fishermans Rib Cowl – This free pattern page gives the gauge and needle size needed for 4 different yarn weights!  Pretty cool.

Keramos (pictured below) is a double layer cowl knit in stranded colorwork and then enhanced with embroidery (if you want). This would not be a cowl for a beginner as you should be familiar with knitting colorwork, or Fair Isle. I do love that a softer yarn can be added inside as wool can sometimes feel scratchy.

lined wool cowl Keramos knitting

Double Wrap Cowl

Honey Cowl (below) – I have made this one in autumn colors. It was easy, and came out thick and plush.
Pelham Bay Cowl is very basic, doing stockinette stitch throughout. Or add some texture yourself once you get started! (You must register to download)

Double wrap honey cowl pattern
Wraps twice around the neck

These are harder to find for free, but there are a lot of pretty patterns to pay for.Search Pinterest, or other online places to find more free patterns (or purchase one).

Read Anatomy of a Cowl at the Knitter’s Review site for lots of cowl info.

Please Keep Reading

So How Is The Mystery Knit-along Going?

I finished the first “clue” which is basically the beginning of the shawl pattern in the MKAL.  I’m working with the yellow yarn, which show a different coloring all my photos.  The second photo down is closest to the real color.

knitting a shawl
Assymetrical triangle shawl MKAL

I am proud of my self for getting through Clue 1 and finishing.

Now I have begun Clue 2 and it’s a different story.

My inexperience is beginning to show and slow me down. I’ve already made a bunch of mistakes, and asked a question in the forum. I’ll continue to knit, but I have a feeling my Clue 2 is not going to be so pretty.

I still consider this to be good experience for me. The only way to gain knitting experience is to knit! Stepping out of my comfort zone is needed to gain expertise. We learn from our mistakes.

The designer (Kirsten Kapur) of this shawl knit-along made it clear this was intended for experienced knitters. I can only blame myself if I am unable to finish.  It has been fun, and I will continue until it’s obvious that my shawl will turn out a mess. Or, maybe I will be surprised and it won’t look so bad.

Clue #2 Started

After some trouble with the cdd (center double decrease) stitch, I began to move along on clue #2. Many fast knitters finished right away, but it will probably take me another week at least to get this part done. I have made bunches of mistakes, but I managed to get past them and move on.

The photo below is very close to the actual color of the yarn. It’s called “cumin” and is a Miss Babs yarn made of Merino wool and Tussah silk. In my head, I call the color “baby potty”, but I do like it.  I have 2 more sections (40 rows each) before I finish this clue.

knitting a shawl
Into Clue #2 on the mystery shawl knit-along

In the meantime, I continue to finish up the Spindrift Shawl. That one is turning out nicely.  I’m adding the lavender picot bind off.

Nearly There For Clue #3

I’m part way through the last repeat for Clue #3. This has been a long one, but after one complete run through, the knitting got easier.

Two things have helped me greatly while doing Clue 2:

Add stitch markers at each 10 stitch repeat.
And mark off the 10 count repeat on my pattern print out. I simply added a little dot at the place where the next 10 stitches began. By doing these two things the pattern is broken up enough for me to catch a mistake sooner.

mystery knitting shawl knit along
Beginning my 3rd repeat on Clue #2

Thanks to the little freebies Miss Babs includes (cute stitch markers) I had them to use to mark my stitches.

And speaking of Miss Babs (one of my favorite yarn places to shop online), some of the knitters who have gone on to work Clue #3, which is available now, have been worried about running out of Color A yarn. Yesterday I read in the forum that the Miss Babs company has offered to send 20 extra yards of yarn to those who run out. In addition, if you need more yarn than that, they will give 20% off the purchase of an entire skein!

Miss Babs has beautiful yarn, gives away cool freebies with a purchase, and now is offering this! So many reasons to buy from them. I won’t know for a few days if I will run out of yarn, and hopefully not. My plan was to simply use another color, but I may ask for that 20 yards. I’d better get knitting.

I did run out of my Cumin yarn… see what happened next.