Argosy - The Knitting Begins

Well I've finally started knitting something with all the yarn I spun during the Tour De Fleece. It took me awhile to finally start knitting because I couldn't decide what to do. I have enough yarn for a good sized wrap, but not for a sweater. The pattern had to be simple too. The yarn has so much going on with all the colors and different fibers that I didn't want it overshadowing any pattern I selected.

I decided on the Argosy Shawl pattern by VyVyan Neel. The pattern is knit on the bias and the original was knitted in Noro Kureyon. So I know that I like how the pattern looks with multicolor stripes of yarn and I think that my handspun will produce a similar type of effect.Plus the body of the shawl is plain stockinette stitch so it will be easy to knit and won't compete with the colors and textures of the yarns. I'm hoping the end result will be a nice drapey and colorful wrap.

The pattern is working up quickly and I like how it is turning out so far. It is find of fun to have all these different coordinating skeins to use on one project. It is fun to see how different each skein is actually knitting up. I'm currently into the second of twelve different skeins. I did try to decide on an order for the different skeins so that the colors are distributed throughout the shawl as evenly as possible.

I just wish that I had a little more time everyday to knit. My office is currently experimenting with flexible schedules and I've opted to try working four 10 hour days (6:00am-4:30pm) with Friday off. My carpool knitting has been curtailed a little for the winter season. It is now dark when I leave the house for work and after putting in 10 hours, I like the down time that the ride home offers. I get up about 4:30 so I'm going to bed a little bit earlier too which cuts into evening knitting time just a bit. but I love having Fridays off, so I'm just going to have to learn to adapt to my new hours. I'm hoping that after the trial period ends that the office will make the flex-time policy permanent.

I have a pair of socks going too - but with out my carpool knitting time they haven't been getting much attention. Maybe I can pull those out this weekend and get them going again.

And thanks to everyone for all the great names that are coming in for my name the puppy contest. We are loving the suggestions and will have a hard time choosing a name. I'll keep the post open for new suggestion until Wednesday, October 1, 2008. That is a week from tomorrow.