Tunic Fade

2017 was the summer of forest fires in BC, and in the knitting world it was the summer of faded knits:  shawls, sweaters, ...  I had wanted to knit a faded tunic for a few years after seeing a few different versions on Pinterest but was not confident enough to do it on my own without a pattern.

Then came a Tanis Fiber Arts Etsy update featuring these beauties:

Knowing that they would disappear within minutes of the sale opening, armed with my phone, at the given time I made a quick purchase and was lucky enough to get them.  Having purchased the yarn, there was no turning back and it was time to find a pattern.

I liked the shape of Amy Miller's Seamus, a fun, light tunic in fingering weight yarn.  Using the total length of the tunic, I divided the tunic into 5 sections, reserving the ribbing for the last colour.  When it was time to switch colours I would usually knit 1 row of the new colour, 3 rows of the current colour, then 1 row of the new, followed by 2 rows of the current, then 1 row new, 1 row current, 2 rows new, 1 current, 3 rows new, 1 current, and continue with the new colour.

When adding the sleeves I tried my best to match the colours with those in the main body.  The original pattern has pockets but I decided not to add these.  They look great on a plain tunic though.

The final product is amazingly soft with beautiful drape.

To think that I almost didn't finish it.  I thought that the teal might be too bright and would have preferred to switch the last 2 colours.  The project lay dormant for a few months while I completed Christmas presents and a few other knits.  I'm glad to have returned to it and toughed it out because the result is a spectacular sweater that feels amazingly soft and light to wear.

I have fallen in love with the tubular bind-off.  It adds bulk to the ribbing and gives a nice, clean edge.

Colours:  Tanis Fiber Arts Purewash Fingering in:  Poolside, Atlas, Hummingbird, Luna, and Silent Movie

Unstartitis

In the knitting world, to be struck with "startitis" is to be enamoured with the thrill of starting more projects than being able to complete.  I seem to be currently afflicted with quite the opposite because I  can't decide what to start next.  Am I so intimidated by my yarn's beauty that I'm afraid to crack it open?

Back in December I purchased this:

It's Cosmic Label - Cosmic Night, from Tanis Fiber Arts' now annual Boxing Day Etsy Sale.  The now discontinued Cosmic Label has sparkles and I was lucky to be able to snag a few skeins before they disappeared.  

I'm thinking of making a Sunrise Cardi by Cecily Glowik MacDonald.  A few weeks ago I purchased "Swoon Maine", a pattern collection of knits by Carrie Bostick & friends inspired by the Atlantic Coast.  Every pattern is unique and has a modern understated style to it.  Most of the sweaters are worsted weight, but luckily I found this one in fingering weight on which I could use my prized Cosmic Label.  

I"m looking forward to knitting with this yarn again because the sparkles in the last project made with this yarn had me giggling all the way.  That alone should motivate me to start swatching, shouldn't it?

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/zenasmillet/wex

Thanksgiving Hat

This past October, we celebrated Thanksgiving up-island with friends visiting the island from the mainland.  The long weekend felt special because it was my first free weekend since Labour Day, as I had been spending weekends working through an awesome Yoga Teacher Training program at Moksana.  So, working full-time during the week and studying full-time on weekends meant there was little time left for knitting.  I couldn't wait to have a weekend off and start a new project!

I received a skein of "Jean Jacket" Amber Label Tanis Fiber Arts in late September as part of the Year in Colour Club 2014.  It was quickly hidden and I didn't even *dare* look at it until the Thanksgiving weekend because I knew it would prove to be too great a distraction from work and studies.  Good thing I waited to use this skein because the digital version of Shannon Cook's hat pattern "Schwimmen" was finally released the day before our 3hr drive up-island on that Thanksgiving weekend (for non-knitters, a long drive usually = knitting time).  I had seen a sneak-preview of the collection but thought it was being released at a later date.  Couldn't wait for the paperback version of this pattern so downloaded the pattern at home minutes before our long drive.

The weekend turned out to be a rainy one, so we mostly read, played games, and I knitted, of course.  This hat proved to be a very quick knit and was done by Monday.  It feels super light & soft.  I'm usually partial to fingering-weight hats for our mild Westcoast climate, but this DK yarn/design combo is very comfortable.

One last picture of this Thanksgiving Hat sitting atop the underside of Tippy, my Dad's row-boat.

Project notes

Green - Line Break Shawl

2012 was the summer of green & blue.  The often fickle West Coast weather was amazing when J. & I went on a roadtrip around Washington's Olympic Peninsula, land of giant green trees & blue ocean.  

La Push, Washington

Two years ago, I bought wool with this shawl in mind.  For some reason I didn't get around to making it right away and more or less forgot about the colour combo until I saw Veera Valimaki's "Line Break Shawl" pattern.  As soon as I saw it, the blue/green colours screamed back at me.   

I couldn't wait to start this project.  With row upon row of garter stitch, it was the perfect travelling project.  No need to count rows or read a chart, but just watch the scenery in my summer roadtrip adventure as it unfolded before me!  

Knitting short rows made the project seem quick.  I had intended on making a lacey border with the light green, but decided on the modern look of the border as written.  This is my 3rd asymetrical shawl (Stripe Study, Color Affection).  I have yet to knit a triangular one, and perhaps never will!  

Stripe Study Shawl

Last summer I fell in love with Veera Valimaki's Stripe Study Shawl.  Not normally a big fan of asymmetry, this surprisingly became the first of 3 asymmetrical shawls I knitted this past year (Mom's Color Affection).  My past self would likely roll her eyes at the fact I'm wearing shawls, however the colours and asymmetry gives them a modern look; not your grandmother's shawl.  (Not that there's anything wrong with that!)

I fell in love with the stripes in this design at first sight.  The project progressed quickly with short rows and garter stitches.  I just couldn't put it down until a bit more was completed.

This 1st ever shawl for me was knitted with leftover sock wool which I had used to make socks, gloves, and a scarf.  All yarns are from Montreal's Tanis Fiber Arts.  I mainly use sock wool now because it makes it so much easier to mix & match leftovers.  I ran out of the dark blue "Stormy" & had to order online since it's no longer sold locally.  The newer version was a bit darker and actually gives the shawl more depth.

New skill:  short rows (wrap & turn)

I never did block this project.  I just wore it so much that it stretched out beautifully on its own!  More deets on my Ravelry project page.

Yoga and Knitting, is there anything else?

Mid-March and the beginning of Spring Break.  It's been a tough winter since Christmas.  My January Yoga Challenge resolution seems long gone.  I made it home on a Sunday morning after day 20 of my Bikram Challenge, back in mid-January, and was promptly taken down by pneumonia.  2 months later and visits to the hot room are still too infrequent.  I am taking it easy because my breathing is still laboured.  My flexibility is suffering so I can't wait until I can practice more often.

I'm thankful for knitting to keep me occupied while I was really sick.  One lesson learned from battling breast cancer is to have goals each day, no matter how small.  Battling pneumonia, I was too sick to read but the repetitive motion of knitting, along with watching PVRed Tour de France 2011 episodes kept me going for a few weeks.

With knitting Christmas presents behind me I was finally able to tackle a project for myself.  Last summer I stocked-up on a few skeins of "Meadow" from Tanis Fiber Arts before it was discontinued.   A bit of back & forth knitting and "voilà", a new Azzu Shawl for me.  I love it!  It's soft, squishy, and warm.

I was able to take part in the Tanis Fiber Arts Knit-along in January.  I had not signed-up at the beginning of January because I didn't think I would be able to finish a project in a month.  Funny how things happen sometimes.  My yoga goal went down the tubes but I now have a new shawl instead.  My first knit-along, it was really fun to watch all the projects evolve and I discovered many new beautiful patterns.  Wool + pattern + needles = Joy!