Update on the giveaway shawls

I hope everyone got the chance to enter into the recent Moebius cowl giveaway. You still have till 11:59pm PST today to enter, so just leave a comment on that blog post, follow my blog, like my Facebook page, or favorite my Etsy shop. So easy, no? :)

For this week's post, I wanted to give you a quick update on the giveaway shawls. I'm almost done with Shawl #1, the Snow Drops and Snap Peas shawl by Kirsten Kapur in the original Quince & Co Chickadee yarn Snap Peas colorway for Anjali. Here are a few progress pictures of the shawl.

I also cast on Shawl #2 last night, the sunset version of the Moody Kerchief also by Kirsten Kapur. I'm knitting this shawl in KnitPicks Palette, using the Sweet Potato, Orange and Serrano colorways to create a sunset-like effect. I hope it works. :) This shawl is for Veronica.

Giveaway - My first mobius cowl

Making a mobius ring in knitting has always seemed mysterious to me. It's one of those design elements I felt was easy to do when it wasn't your intention to do so. In almost every pattern that requires knitting in the round, the designer always adds the warning "join in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches" (or something to that effect). In the mobius cowl, however, this twisting is actually encouraged! Once this twist is made, there is no way of untwisting it without unraveling the whole knitted item.

For my foray into the world of mobius knitting, I chose the Mobius Cowl pattern by Bernat. It's a free pattern on the Bernat website. I didn't have any Bernat Roving, the yarn the pattern was designed with, in my stash. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in the Claret colorway, using US #13 circular needles. My version of this cowl has two twists instead of one, making it more cushy.

The stitch pattern called for in this pattern was the brioche stitch. I therefore got to do two new things while working on this cowl. Brioche is also pretty easy, and using this bulky yarn, the cowl worked up very quickly. 

I'm holding a giveaway to give this cowl away to one of my subscribers. How do you enter you ask? Let me tell you. You can:
1. Leave a comment on this blog post on how you'll wear this cowl (how you'll put together an outfit with this cowl) and subscribe to my blog (pretty please :) ) OR

2. Follow me on twitter (@niseyknits) and leave a comment on there on how you'll wear this cowl or what you'll do with it OR

3. Visit my etsy shop and favorite the shop/an item in the shop OR

4. Join my Facebook fan page and leave a comment on there on how you'll wear this cowl or what you'll do with it.

The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. This giveaway will end next week Wednesday, Sept 28th 2011.

Remember that until the end of September, you can receive 20% off your order by using the code HAPPYBIRTHDAY20! Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Another grey wisp, a thick winter scarf, and a birthday surprise

NOTE: Please make sure to read all the way to the bottom of the post for a birthday surprise!!

One of my work colleagues saw the Little Wisp of Smoke I made for Marienell and asked for one in the same color. I used Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in the smoke colorway, but I cast on fewer stitches than I did in Marienell's version, so this shawl is actually the same size as the one in the original pattern by Cheryl Niamath. I was hoping to take pictures earlier in the day but time got away from me, so I improvised and took pictures in the dining hall where the lighting was better. It came out so light and airy that it was hard to photograph.

While working on this wisp for Jessica, I started a quick scarf project that I could take along to meetings and doctor's appointments etc. I settled on the Scrunchable Scarf pattern by Susan McConne. It's a lovely, simple pattern that works in all different yarn weights. I made the scarf with two skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in the Butterscotch colorway, and the scarf is absolutely gorgeous! It's soft and squishy and long (72 inches)! I think this is the perfect accessory for any winter wardrobe. The scarf is now available in my Etsy Shop. 

EXTRA EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT: This coming Sunday is my birthday, so I would like to do something for all you lovely people who keep up with my blog. You can get 20% off anything you order from my shop during this my birthday month. Use the coupon code HAPPYBIRTHDAY20 at checkout, and the discount will be applied automatically. Enjoy!! 

The Drop It Like It's Hot (DILIH) Wrap

I loved this pattern by Alexandra Tinsley (http://www.dull-roar.com/) the first time she put it up for sale on Ravelry. The patter is called Dilih, for Drop It Like It's Hot, so named for the two dropped stitch sections in the wrap. The beauty of this pattern lies in it's simplicity. Apart from a few stitches knitted through the back loop, it's straight knitting in the round, making a lovely stockinette stitch garment. The wrap can also be worn as a cowl twisted around the neck, or even with a brooch like a conventional scarf. You can also wear it stretched around your shoulders, adding a touch of elegance to any outfit.

I knit my version of this wrap in Malabrigo Chunky, using the Cadmium colorway. This yarn is so soft and sproingy (that is a real word. Ask any knitter!). It doesn't get split easily by the needles, and it just moves so smoothly over your fingers that you are barely aware of how many stitches you are knitting. I loved knitting with this yarn! And the color! That yellow is vivid and saturated. I didn't know you could dye yarn with such depth. And because the yarn is not dyed evenly, there are subtle shades of yellow running through the yarn. It's just gorgeous!

This wrap is currently available for sale in my etsy shop. I have plans to knit two more DILIHs, one in green and the other in pink. What other colors would YOU like to see DILIH in?