Only knitting and crochet projects to talk about this week. We’ve been enjoying our beautiful weather in the afternoons and working on putting in fencing for a garden/sitting area off our back deck. We have a LOT of deer here and with so little green, they tend to eat everything – including “non-deer-friendly” plants, so we’re hoping to actually keep some things alive by installing a 32 x 32 foot area that will encompass the two fruit trees I planted a few years ago but give us space for some seating and some other beds as well. My DH is doing most of the heavy work but he does need a hand setting posts in concrete, so that’s been a focus around here instead of other things. It’ll be well worth it to sit in a shady spot and watch the hummingbirds and bees visit some pretty flowers!
So… knitting. I made a bit of progress on my Roses of Avon shawl. I finished charts 1 and 2, and I’m almost to the halfway point on the first repeat of chart 3. I had been feeling kind of pressured to focus on this because I thought Jocelyn’s next show was Memorial Day, but turns out it’s Labor Day, so I can be a little less stressed about getting this done. I love the yarn – it’s a perfect blend for shawls with alpaca/merino/silk in a fingering weight and a nice twist. Drapey but solid, all at the same time.
I’m about halfway through the Beanstalk Cowl test knit. I’m really enjoying this one and I can’t wait to see it finished and blocked as I think the lace will really shine. The color is maybe a bit darker than I would have picked otherwise, but I was committed to finding a yarn in stash that would work, and I can live with it. I’d like to see if I can get this pretty close to finished this week.
I got the Misurina Tee divided for the yoke and sleeves, and I started working on the purl-texture body. It should be a pretty quick knit from here on out since I don’t need to look at the charts anymore.
Finally, I got the center squares joined up for the Beach Walk Blanket squares. It took me a while to wrap my brain around the join-as-you-go technique, but I did eventually get it. I’ve worked a few more of the individual granny squares that will form the next square outside this center one, but I’m just slowly chipping away at those.
That’s it for me this week YOP’ers. Hope you have a good one!
Knit One, Spin Too 
Wow. The Misurina Tee looks terrific. The cables are beautiful. Agree the test knit cowl will be even more beautiful after blocking to open up the pattern. Glad the timing allows you to enjoy knitting the shawal.
Thank you! It’s definitely a fun one to knit. 🙂 Yes… very happy to have a bit more time to work on the shawl. It’s really chart-heavy so it’s not a fast knit at all!
My goodness all your projects look amazing (and complicated). I hope you can deer proof your garden. Pesky deers even eating the deer proof plants – annoying I am sure but I sure do like seeing them in my yard – I like the feeling that I am not really living in a big city.
Oh my goodness, you have such beautiful projects going. That tee is gorgeous. The colors are perfect together .
Thank you! I love that high contrast too 🙂
When we had horses, we had two male elk that over-wintered on the trail next to the buffet (aka, the hay barn – which we had to fence off to keep them out of it). It was fun to see them every morning hanging out at the back edge of the pasture with our ponies…. but I definitely didn’t want those big guys in the yard.
That Misurina Tee really is stunning in those colours. The cowl looks good already. I hope all the construction helps keep a deer free area for your plants. I wish we had hummingbirds here, I love watching them when I visit the US.
Thank you! I love hummingbirds too – we’ve got a couple of different ones but right now, I think it’s just the older males who are slowly making their way back. I haven’t seen any of the ladies, although they do tend to be quieter and less territorial.
All of your projects are gorgeous. I hope you can fend the deer off and watch the hummingbirds!
Thank you so much – I do too! 🙂
Looking good! I love the way the shawl’s working up, it’s really pretty. Your other projects look great, too! I personally like the dark yarn used in the cowl. And the granny squares look good, but now I’m finding myself wanting to crochet another blanket… Must resist. Too many projects on the go at the moment…
I will be of zero help to prevent you from starting another blanket. I decided I would struggle to get a sock-weight one done for the baby present, so I started another one using DK – which makes 3 blankets on the go. So definitely don’t look over here. 😉
LOL! I currently have 2 blankets on the go, and none of them are crochet, so this sounds reasonable… 😉
Oooh, also, I just realized that I have some heavier-weight yarn scraps (DK or “heavy” fingering) which don’t work as well for my sock yarn blankets. Maybe I should do a crochet scrap blanket in the heavier weight. Hmmm. 😉