Broken Waves Shawl

When I went on a knitting retreat back in October, I bought some beautifully squishy yarn. Due to other projects, and certain unforeseen circumstances, it took me a really long time to cast it on for the pattern I had bought to go with it. But now it is finished, and blocked, and the first day of appropriate weather I'm wrapping myself in this and strutting around.

Disclaimer: this color was nearly impossible to photograph accurately.

The pattern is called 'Broken Waves.' I bought a paper pattern, but it's available on Ravelry as well. It's a looooooong triangular shawl, predominantly stitched in garter stitch, with a cabled and ribbed border.

This is probably the closest approximation of the true color.

The shawl is knit as a long triangle (almost like half of a diamond), and then stitches picked up along the edge. Then these picked up stitches are knit, one at a time, as you go back and forth across the border. The cabling is supposed to stop at the point, but I have issues, and I knew that the lack of symmetry would bother me. So I just kept going with it.

The yarn is an absolutely luxurious sport weight merino. The shop had the exact yardage I needed, and even though this color is no stranger to my shawl collection I couldn't resist. Especially when I saw the name of it--

Who can resist a little Alice in Wonderland, especially when you're eternally twelve years old? I'd like to say this shawl was a total pleasure to knit, but it wasn't, until I made a minor change. I say a minor change, but I ended up knitting the body of this shawl twice. As the pattern was written, increases were done on the very edge of the shawl. When it came time to pick up the stitches it made for a very messy edge. And I just couldn't have that. So I started over, but did the increase as a kfb, and did it one stitch in from the edge. This made everything much neater. I also omitted the yarn overs because I didn't like how that looked, either. BUT, once I got going with those changes, this was fun to knit. 

Now back to stitching my sweater. Because while it's steaming outside, one doesn't wait until sweater weather arrives to knit a sweater, amiright?

Hydrangea Wreath

I made this wreath a while ago, and every time I walk by it I think "Yep, must share that" but I always forget. But today I break that streak.

Last year I bought a kit for a shawl, but didn't really love it, so I used the one set of yarn for this blanket, and then used the remainder to make this wreath, as when I looked at the colors I could think of one thing and one thing only. Hydrangeas.

I found a pattern online (I think it was this one, but it was a while ago so I'm not entirely sure), and just stitched and stitched and stitched until I ran out of yarn (which is Scheepjes Catona, by the way), and was left with a giant pile of hydrangea petals.

I found a styrofoam wreath and wrapped it the yarn that wasn't flower colored. It wasn't that much fun, let's be honest here.

Once the wreath was wrapped, I placed the flowers (and did it again, and again, and then again, because I just couldn't decide) and then finally pinned them down. Then I realized the pins were mighty short, so I added hot glue for extra security.

I ran out of steam, and just did not feel like making leaves for green, so I bought this floral...thing...and then cut that apart and glued pieces here and there.

Not my favorite thing ever, but it's definitely reminiscent of hydrangeas, which is what I was going for, so it's a win, right? I mean...they can't all be gnome wreaths, can they?