Okay, so I've been a bit quiet on the old Year of Projects front for the last couple of weeks, mostly due to reading interfering with my crafting time. But now I'm done with the new George R. R. Martin book, I've reclaimed my spare hours for yarn crafts.
That said, I have successfully once again distracted myself from the WIPs on my list, as I decided (somewhat foolishly) to design a huge intarsia blanket based on the Game of Thrones. So I haven't made as much progress on the WIPs as I'd have liked this week, as I've mostly been drawing out charts and swatching for the blanket. More on that when I've actually got things to share!
The project I have picked back up is my Jane Austen shawl. And I realise I've actually made a fair amount of progress on it since I last shared a picture, so here you go:
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| For once, colours are quite accurately depicted. It is far more pink than I originally anticipated! But that's fine, I like pink. |
I'm on row 18 out of 32 now, so over half way through the main body of the shawl. I'm not sure how I'm doing in terms of yarn use, as I haven't weighed my yarn cake in a while. I expect I will need to break out the second skein at some point, but I'll have lots of left overs. Maybe I can make some sort of hair fascinator thing to match? I will be wearing it to a wedding, after all...
Speaking of my yarn cake.. I'm sure this is a common problem with laceweight yarn. When I first wound it, it was beautifully solid and structured.
Now, it's falling apart!
I've already had issues with the other end sneaking through the middle and tangling up on the working end. At the moment (as you can see) I'm relying on my knees to hold it in place while I work, but this isn't ideal. Any ideas on how to stabilise my yarn cake while I work with it?
Hopefully by next week I will have an FO to share, as my Victorian Scarf is only a few repeats away from finished. The trouble is, we've got another LRP event fast approaching, so a lot of my time this week will be devoted to finishing off kit making and packing. Hmmm, I wonder how portable that scarf will be, now I have no book to read I could knit on the train again...
When this happens to me, I re-wind my yarn cake using the outside strand.
ReplyDeleteWhat this means is now your center strand becomes the new outside strand, and you are now pulling from the outside of the cake, which prevents the inside from re-collapsing.
I've seen some people use the mesh tube that you find around tropical fruit in the supermarket to stop it bruising. If you put it around the outside of the cake it holds it and stops it from tangling. I've never been quick enough to grab one for myself, or I go shopping and forget to look for one!
ReplyDeleteThis is why I pull from the outside...that and the proverbial "yarn barf" that will invariably occur if I pull from the inside of a ball.
ReplyDeleteI know there are items that people put their yarn cakes onto that make pulling from the outside easier (it spins). I have one...but it's made locally. If you want one, I will be more than willing to go buy it and send it your way :)
I've had plenty of yarn barf with this cake as well! Fortunately nothing too horrendous.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind offer, but I'm sure I can get Jamie to jury-rig something if needed!
I have tried the inside pull, but always land up with the twisting of the two ends and getting really frustrated, so I now always go from the outside. It looks stunning, I love the colours.
ReplyDeleteI really like the color for this Jane Austen shawl, Tink!
ReplyDeleteI've had that happen to me esp. w/the finer or novelty yarns in the past. W/worsted or DK I usually rewind the last of the ball into a pull0center ball.
Yarn barf is the worst--and I despise when it happens--especially when the two ends start to get tangled up with each other. I like the idea of the tropical fruit supermarket mesh! I have never see that before, but I will be scoping out the grocery store tomorrow. I really like the your shawl--the color is very yummy!
ReplyDelete*smiles*
I can't be bothered with centre pull myself but I always think the yarn looks so nice caked like that. Very pretty shades of purple!
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful!! My yarn cakes do that all the time, too....no matter what the weight.
ReplyDeleteI dont have any info on the yarn implosion but I love how your shawl is coming along and cant wait to see it finished.
ReplyDeleteYou need to make a ball sack- http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Littlebitsheepish/ball-sack
ReplyDeleteAdded bonus, you get to say ball sack a lot and then laugh childishly :D
I've seen people put a toilet roll tube in the centre to keep the cake from collapsing in on itself, then using it from the outside. Love how your shawl is looking :)
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of having a fascinator to go with the shawl!
ReplyDeleteI love the colors on your yarn and am looking forward to seeing some of this Game of Thrones project...
ReplyDeleteLooking fabulous!!!!! I adore the colour(s) of that yarn and it goes so nicely with your blog background too :)
ReplyDeleteHaving finished AGoT last week, I've just downloaded the 2nd book but I haven't started reading it yet because I want to start something which requires attention to a chart/pattern and I'm sure I won't actually do it if I get engrossed! xxxx
Do you have a paper towel holder that stands upright? It looks like a rod and a plate basically. Just pop the cake down so the dowel goes through the middle and take the tail, twisting it underneath... it should hold it in place. Loving the colors and I can't wait to see the finished beauty.
ReplyDelete