Jane Eyre Shawl: Latest Obsession

I've never read Jane Eyre but I watched the 2011 movie version with Michael Fassbender (another obssession) and Mia Wasikowska last week. Jane wore a simple rustic shawl, as seen in the screen shot above. It immediately caught my eye as it would any knitter watching the movie. As soon as I got a chance I looked it up in Ravelry and found this pattern. It's supposedly the closest to what is shown in the movie. I might have something in stash 2-3 Stitches West visits ago that would be perfect for this. It won't be as rustic looking but it'll sure be super soft. Nothing says homely and old spinster like a dark shawl on my shoulders! How fitting.

Cherish

Look! I'ts not gray yarn! Taking as long as I did working on the Traveling Sweater I don't want to use any more gray in my garments for awhile. I have plenty of stash that has a ton of color. For instance, for this cute vesty project I'm finally using Dream in Color Classy in Gothic Rose...a very dark red wine sort of shade. I hope to finish up before month's end. Cherish should be a nice layering piece to wear at work even through the summer months.

So much gray!

Goodale, originally uploaded by Filipina Sakura.

This is Goodale, another gray project. I say that because the last 3 FO's have all been different shades of gray. I'm in desperate need to have a pop of color somewhere! I apologize this is not a good picture of it. One of these days I'll get a decent full length mirror at home so I don't take these pictures in the office restroom.

I finished the knitting over a year ago. From what I remember, Madelinetosh's Pashmina was a dream to knit up and I love how drapey the garment turned out. Overall, I'm a teenie weenie bit underwhelmed with the final product. Yes, the little details are very cute, but not on me. Wearing it for the first time today I found the pocket flaps (the fronts that are folded) a bit flimsy. They don't stay folded back and it looks awful. They'll have to be sewn down to lay flat. Eventually I'll warm up to it the more I wear it.

The rest of my knitting agenda is finishing all the WIPs I've put on hold. I have high hopes to have Saroyan done....soon?

Traveling Sweater: A year in the making

Traveling Sweater, originally uploaded by Filipina Sakura.


I'm so freaking elated that this sweater is off the needles, ends weaved in, and all the wonky parts are steam blocked. The amount of yarn the pattern called for the larger size I knitted was 5 skeins of Woobu and I only used 4 skeins. I probably have about 1/4 of the 4th skein left. I'm kind of ticked that I have an entire skein left untouched. Woobu is wonderful to knit and the draping is lovely but this stuff ain't cheap!

Knitting it was a piece of cake compared to seaming all the parts together. When I seamed the right sleeve, I ran out of material on one side leaving the other side open and unseamed to nothing. I had to undo and reseam it to make it work. Looking at it you'd never know there was a problem. I never said I was a great knitter. :) So glad I can enjoy wearing this sweater before the weather gets warm again. I look forward to the rainy weather coming up in a few days!

Next is the Goodale cardigan. The knitting was done over a year ago. Life seems to get in the way of all my knitting projects. I got some sewing of the pockets done and weaved in all the ends. I still need to find the perfect 7/8" buttons to sew on, seam down the i-cord edging of the pocket flaps, and knitting the neckline edging. Getting 2 cardigans done in a week and ready to wear is enough encouragement to get Goodale finished! I need to find a cute top or spring dress to wear it for work.

I started a summer tank top but it's slightly complicated getting it started. It's more lacey than I expected. Lace and I dont' exactly get along. I might move on to another summer tank tunic with the Habu yarn I splurged on at this year's Stitches West. The past 2 months have been so busy I almost forgot that I bought it.