Clapotis Redux

Finally! My Clapotis is off the needles. I'm afraid to mention how many times I tried to get this yarn and pattern to play nice. The first go round I tried twice~~once on 8s and once on 10s~~blech! Then I decided that the yarn and pattern just didn't get along, so I tried Lace Leaf shawl~~no go. Next on the list was the Obstacles stole~~again, I just didn't like it, let alone love it. I really, really wanted to love what I made with the yarn because it was so gorgeous! Then after going through the Ravelry Clapotis database of photos, I decided to give it one last try. This time I went with 7s, and it was magic!
Details:
Pattern: Clapotis by Kate Gilbert

Yarn: Brooks Farm Fourplay in Ginger 6 (3.5 skeins)

Needle: Addi Turbo 7

Start Date: January, 2008

Finish Date: Late March, 2008

Size: HUGE! Must be a good 7.5 feet long and at least 22 inches deep. I love it! I can throw one side over my shoulder, and it stays, while the other side hangs down well past my hips. It's great to wrap up in, for which I am so grateful~~especially as it is damp and chilly this evening.

Mods: You know me well enough by now.......I did at least one extra repeat of increase rows, as well as some extra straight rows, but unfortunately, I pitched my working copy of the pattern because it was in pretty bad shape by the time I was finished.

Thoughts: Love. It. It's long enough, it's deep enough, it's warm and snuggly. The perfect wrap. I've had lots of compliments from my friends......and from their daughters. Both groups seem to like to touch it. Can't say as I blame them.

The Teen was trying to get some decent photos of me wrapped in my new favorite FO, but the weather is grumpy today. We've had lots of rain for the month of April, so this may be as good as you're gonna get.Sorry, I can't resist giving you a bunch of photos of the color~~it' s different everywhere you look and just keeps me mesmerized.

College Dude's Gloves

Back in January I made the mistake of asking CD if he were warm enough at school. He's in the midwest, while we reside on the not so cold SE coast of Virginia (sort of--inland 40 miles or so, but still, balmy compared to where he is.) He said that he was okay, except his hands were always cold. We sent ski gloves with him, but he doesn't like them because they are cumbersome~~can't blame him really, they are huge and his fingers barely make them bend. I suggested he head off to WallyWorld to get a pair of fleece gloves. His reply, 'You mean you're not going to make me a pair of wool ones,' said in that guilt inducing voice that only a child away at college can employ. Of course, oh child of mine, I will whip thee up some gloves to keep thy fingers toasty. Within the hour I had made a quick sweep of the interwebs and Ravelry and came up with these (I'm pretty sure MaryAnne helped me track down some patterns. Thanks!) and cast them on using some leftover yarn from his hat of earlier in the month. They knit up very quickly and went in the care package that included the hat I also finished in January. Could it be that all that hat and glove knitting in December/January led to my carpal tunnel flare~~maybe!

Details:
Pattern: Cable Glove Pattern (made w/out the cable) by Kelly at Hedgehog Knits

Yarn: Plymouth Galway leftover from his hat (1 ball)

Needles: Size 3 and 5 Addi Turbos

Start/finish date: last Friday in January

Mods: Always! No cable. Did take some tinkering to get the fingers the right length. Fortunately, Mr. Fix-it and CD are very similar in build, so I just used his as the model.

Updated: Rectangular Shawl Patterns

I've gotten a number of stole links over the past 6 months or so, and I finally took a minute to update the list of Rectangular Shawl Patterns. There are four free patterns and fourteen for purchase. Again, I can't keep track of all the stole patterns available online, so if you run across any stole patterns, please send them my way either through comments or by email. I want this list to be links that will take a knitter directly to a pattern file to download or a place to purchase the pattern directly--preferably by email download, but that isn't a deal breaker. So no links to patterns in books or magazines please. Also, if you run across a link that is dead, please let me know that too. I'll do my best to update, if I can track down a working link.

Thanks to all who sent links--I tried to give you a shout out.

On a personal note~~there has been a bit of a knitting drought going on here. At least an FO drought. Since I last posted I think I've finished just a couple of projects~~one being my Clapotis, which I simply adore. I hope to have photos up soon~~need to wrestle my camera away from The Teen, who is taking a photography class.

My hands are much better, thanks to all who sent comments asking. I wear the brace most nights and have been knitting, just not as much. I'll update soon, I promise, I see the light at the end of the tunnel of school almost being finished. Just a few more weeks!