Knittng Stitch Books and Spring thoughts

Looking and finding  the next project is taking me a lot of time. I can't make up my mind and it makes me nervous! I wanted to start Sylvi but I am not going to use it until probably next winter, so that's why I'm ifi about it. Maybe I start something light like Amiga for air conditioning cold.
In the mean while I wanted to show you and recommend this wonderful knitting stitch book that I found and bought on Etsy for $7 !!!! It is in perfect shape and it has wonderful patterns! I think is one of my favorite books ever, it has new and interesting new stitches! Many of the ones that you see on new designs on Ravelry. I am already starting to make some swatches to try the patterns that I like the most, just for practice.
Do you own books like this one? Which one is your favorite place to get knitting stitches from?
I also wanted to show you my baby alpaca yarn that my husband bought for me when we went to the farm.
I do think that I am going to save this yarn for a especial project, like for a baby or something, but first I need the baby! hahahaha so I might use it one of these days! The yarn is so soft and the natural color is beautiful, so pure! It has to be for a baby!

100% baby alpaca

Here you can see the names of the Alpacas where this yarn came from.

The fact that spring is almost here, makes me smile, I love this time a year! My batteries get recharged and I feel good! Lot of positive energy, opening my house windows is my favorite! and of course the sunny longer days!!! Now when I get home I still have time to go for a walk and is not going to be dark! Even my dogs are happier because they get to be outside longer! hahahaha

Happy week for everybody and spring hugs for you!

Sabrina

My Echo Flower Shawlette!

 Lace knitting, has been always a knitting technique that I've tried to avoid since I started to knit. I've done like three or four lace projects, but nothing to complicated. The thought of making a shawl, made me dizzy.How could I ever knit a shawl? with its infinite rows and thousands of yarn overs, not distraction allow between stitches and very long and complicated charts!!! Well as I said on last post, I came out of my comfort zone and I started to knit my dream shawl, the big and beautiful "Echo Flower Shawl".
When I started this project I didn't know that lace knitting was so different from normal knitting! ha,ha! New patterns on the chart, new way to cast on, new ways to do the yarn overs. Very interesting I have to say.
Before I started the project I needed to figure out  the way to cast on the first stitches, the pattern called for a crochet cast on; I looked it up and I found this website with a very clear tutorial for crochet cast on and an explanation about how the Echo Shawl is shape (which for knitters like me, new in the shawl world was very helpful) I'm not a fun of  that technique so I found a very similar way to cast on that really worked for me, it's call garter stitch cast on and Stephen West has a great tutorial for this technique.
Also, before hand I wanted to find an easier way to make the Nupps, because I didn't wanted to deal with the purl 9 together headache (I had the experience in the past when knitting the lily of the Valley scarf, not matter how careful I was I will always lost a stitch when purling all the 9 together!So, this time I wanted to be prepared). I found this wonderful video for the Nupps. You have not idea how much easier it is using this technique! You are going to be watching TV when purling!
Also there is one more link that I wanted to share just in case that you don't know how to knit this row, here is a great helpful video for the knit 3 into9. 
After all that research I started to cast on!!!
I choose to knit my shawl with a very pretty yarn Cascade Yarn Heritage solid colors, in a fingering weight, pink color.
They way you have to read the pattern is tricky if you are not used to knit shawls.
The first chart is divided in three parts, side, middle, side. Starting on right side of the pattern, You have to knit the side only one time, then repeat ONLY the middle part, until 12 stitches before the middle Stitch. Then continue knitting the second part of the chart, knit the side only one time,  then repeat ONLY the middle part, until 12 stitches before the end. (Remember to always keep the 3 stitches for the edge at the begging of each side, this stitches are NOT in any of the charts).
Keeping track of the number of stitches is crucial for the pattern to work in the next knitting row. It's very easy to miss a stitch! and if this happens to you liked it happened to me you will be very mad!! hahaha.
I hope this post can help you!
                                          This is how my pattern look after all the annotations

Today at 11:30pm I finally  finished this wonderful shawl!!! Such happiness I'm feeling right now! I can't believe my needles are free after almost 3 weeks of hard work!
Now is time to go to sleep.
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This is how it looked before blocking

At the end of the tunnel there is light!

Now is going to take a bubble bath to get relax!

and now is when magic happens....

The waiting game!

Almost there!

Finally... My shawlette is completed. I'm in love with it! So much work but so worth it!

My Echo Flower Shawlette

This is how it looks now

The back of my shawlette

Happy Face!

Right size

What did I learned with this pattern:

1. Garter cast on
2. Crochet cast on
3. To understand my own knitting
4. Reading complicated and long charts
5.  Easier Nupps
6. 3 into 9, 2 into 9
7. Blocking lace
8. Tension holding  fingering yarn
9. To understand my own knitting
   
10. Patience is the key to knit lace shawls. 

Have a great Sunday and I;m going to enjoy this beautiful day wearing my beautiful shawlette!
Hugs for you
Sabrina

What do I knit next?

  Springtime is in the air! I can see it, smell it and feel it! This is a beautiful flower from the Amaryllis plant. My dearest friends gifted to me at the beginning of February for a very special occasion. And this week was the blooming week, it looks so beautiful,  with vibrant colors and extremely big flowers, 4 of them at the same time!!!

Sitting on my desk at home for color inspiration.

 Knitting
After finishing what I call my masterpiece shawl I felt so happy and proud of myself. It was funny when my husband came to go to bed and there I was sitting on the middle of the bed contemplating my masterpiece, he laughed and sat with me to enjoy the moment!! Hahahaha. You are an advanced knitter now! He said.

Well, since the shawl is blocking right now, my hands are free, and I don’t know what to knit next! There are so many cute projects that I have on my mind, but I can’t decide!

 I don’t know if I want to make Sylvi or something faster like a vest for summer time to use with my leggings? I also want to knit a cardigan in fingering yarn, so I can use it in spring season. What should I do? So many projects only two hands!!

Help me; what colors do you think would look good on me for springtime? I have to buy the yarn, but I can’t decide on the right color yet! Please help!!!

This is what I’m looking at :

What are you knitting right now?
I really would like to try the Madelinetosh yarn, it seems so nice and soft. Have you tried it yet?

Have a great weekend and today I want to send you a pre-spring happy hug!

Sabrina

Happy International Women's Day!!!!!

Today is the International Women's Day!!! Happy day  to the most important women in my life, the fighter, the dreamer my idol my dear Mother; and of course Happy Day to all the amazing women in my life, to all my readers to you that come to see me time to time, have a wonderful day and remember "We woman are important, and We need to get respected and respect ourselves. Love yourself and think of your body as a sanctuary.
Hoy es el día Internacional de la Mujer y por eso quiero decirle Feliz Día a la mujer más importante de mi vida, a la que lucha con uñas y dientes para seguir día a día, a mi unica idola, Mi querida Madre. Y por supuesto también quiero decirles Feliz Día a todas las mujeres que están en mi vida, a todas mis lectoras y a vos que venis de vez en cuando, pero venis. Hagamonos respetar, y también respetemonos a nosotras mismas.

Abrazos
Sabrina