We've Moved

The Fiddlesticks Knit Along blog has moved to:
http://www.ashidome.com/fiddlesticks/.

Please update your bookmarks and come join us!

(If you are already a Knit Along member, you will receive an email tonight with information on how to log in and post. In the meantime, go check the site out and let me know if there are any missing items or breaks!)

Liz

Trouble with BlogSpot

Hi Everyone,

As you may have noticed, Blogger has been acting up A LOT recently. I was unable to access it all day yesterday and today I have had major problems trying to publish. I am now unable to delete "test" posts that I have put up. I've spent the better part of my day trying to figure out what the problem is so that I can solve it, to no avail. I have decided to move the blog onto my web server since this will be a much more stable platform for us to use.

Rest assured that none of the previous posts or comments will be lost since I can easily copy them from this blog. I can even use the same design for the blog, so there should be very little disruption once things move over.

The most important things to take note of will be the address changes. When the blog does move, I will email each of you with the details you need for accessing the blog and posting.

Sorry for all the drama. In retrospect, this is what I should have done in the first place, but didn't. Please bear with me during this transitional period.

Your Knit Along Hostess,
Liz

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Lace Knitting Tips - Russian Join

Unless you have a fantastically huge skein, you will probably have to join balls of yarn to your knitting. That means that later on you will have to weave in those ends to hide them.

You can eliminate this additional work if you use the Russian Join technique. And, unlike spit splicing, the yarn does not have to be 100% wool.

Instructions for the Russian Join can be found here and here.

If your yarn does happen to be 100% wool, you can further seal the yarn by doing a modification of the "spit splice". Once the Russian Join is complete, lick both your palms, put the joined yarn in one palm, and rub it until the fibers mesh together.

Hope this tip proves helpful in getting rid of pesky yarn ends!

I got my pattern!

I got my pattern for the Garden Shawl this week, but have no yarn yet. I'll give Mr. Postman a few more days. If I don't see a box this week, I might have to just go buy more yarn. No. I'll resist. I'll be patient and start whenever the yarn decides to arrive. I'll just play with the pattern with some other yarn... yes, that's it... play with other yarn...

Small Swatches

I swatched for the Flirty Ruffles Shawl!!! It was such fun to actually have to concentrate on a tough project, it's been a while. You can click here for a pre-blocked picture, or here for a post-blocking picture of it. Please note the mistake I made in the middle of the swatch. Yes, that is a misplaced eyelet. Feel free to heckle me. I can take it.

I am a tight knitter so my swatch is about an inch smaller than what it was supposed to be, but I still like how it looks. I probably like how it looks more with this needle size than if I were to go up a size. I'm also fairly short so I am thinking that I might not need to match my gauge to make sure I get a wide enough shawl, any width would probably do the trick. I might swatch on a size up just to see what I can get out of it, but I am thinking it would probably be okay to go ahead and make the shawl at the smaller gauge anyway.

Does anyone have any warnings on this? This is my first shawl and I'm just wondering if gauge really matters for this type of thing. Thanks in advance!

Did I Hear My Name?

Howdy y'all!

Really Snowball, just because I inundate you with copious amounts of links to sock yarn sellers - that makes me an enabler? Hee! She's right, I'm completely guilty as charged!

This time my frugal yarn shopping may have backfired on me a bit. I ordered my "kit" for the Flirty Ruffles Shawl from The Knitter. Unfortunately Judy emailed me that she doesn't expect the pattern in until this week, and the yarn is not coming in until next week. Oh well, that gives me a little chance to get caught up on my over zealous to-do list.

I look forward to seeing all the beautiful shawls emerging. Thanks Liz for hosting a great knitalong!

You can find me hanging out at I Hide Yarn

Pictures of progress

Thanks for not lambasting me ladies! And per Liz's request I put pictures of my progress on my blog as I haven't figured out how to post pictures on Blogger! :)

I'm at limpidity.org/liz You'll have to add the www of course, but again Blogger is not coming easily to me. Sorry!

Starting Early

Just a clarification: Although the "official" start date for the Knit Along is November 1st, there is absolutely no reason that folks can't start early if they want / need to / are itching to play with their yarn.

I chose November 1st because several people expressed the need to have some time before beginning. I, personally, wanted to finish Lara and my baby aran. But if you're able to, by all means, get started!

There are no rules to this knit along. Just relax and have fun and let us know how it's going.