Saturday, May 8, 2010

Little Pretty


Handspun Shrug
Originally uploaded by Project Pictures
I love to spin. But I do seem to end up with a lot of bits of handspun I can't quite figure out how to use. I've been saving several for a while that came out of an experiment in dying. They're all made with the same colors, but different amount of dye and slightly differing techniques. But finally I had an idea that there was just enough for a small project.

I found a project called a "Circular Shrug" that required approximately the yardage I had on hand. I figured I could fill in with some scraps of other colors if I needed.

Handspun Shrug
It's an extremely easy little project and yields lovely results, especially in the handspun. I did make two small modifications. In the original design, the ribbing is knit on the square and sewn together afterwards, and the lace used in the design is much more open. I wasn't particularly thrilled with either option. Instead, I knit my rectangle in the Gull Lace pattern used for the February Lady Sweater starting from a provisional crochet cast on. Then when I had the size I wanted, I freed up the cast-on stitches and knit my ribbing in the round. It saved me from needing to seam anything up and also allowed me to keep my ribbing the same color without worrying about how much I needed to knit.

I have to say, I'm looking forward to making more. Since the basic construction is just a rectangle made to size, it can be knit in any weight and any yarn you like. I'm sure I'll end up with a couple more, eventually!

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