The Yarn Over KAL starts today! Will you join us? We've got some great prizes, including pretty yarns and an eye pillow from my Etsy shop (the winner gets to choose which design they'd like). It continues through May 29, so there's plenty of time to knit something large or small. You can cast on anytime between now and then.
For this KAL, I'm working on two different projects. One is a new design, an asymmetrical lace shawl that I'm knitting in Louet Gems fingering:
It's coming along nicely and, fingers crossed, the pattern should be available before the KAL ends. The other project is a new sample of my Streusel scarf, which I just cast on this morning. The Periwinkle Sheep merino/silk that I first designed Streusel with has been discontinued, so this time around I'm using a brand-new yarn. It's a fingering weight merino/yak/nylon blend from Periwinkle Sheep that's wonderfully soft and seems perfectly suited for lace—it blocks out beautifully and has a lovely drape. This new yarn isn't in her Etsy shop yet, but Karin has announced on Facebook that some of it will be available at her open house next weekend.
I'm excited to be going back to an older pattern and knitting it again. I love that Streusel is completely reversible—there's no right or wrong side to worry about when you're wearing it. And the gentle shaping really appeals to me. The increases and decreases are spaced so that it grows in width (and then narrows again after the center point) very gradually. The end result is a light scarf rather than a bulky shawl—just right for spring and summer.
Streusel and my other lace patterns—not just scarves and shawls but socks, sweaters, hats, and mitts, too—are on sale through midnight tonight in my Ravelry pattern store. Save 20% on individual patterns with the coupon code YARNOVER (you can use the code as many times as you like).
Now . . . on to the giveaway promised in the title of this post! This is an old-fashioned blog giveaway where all you have to do is leave a comment on this post (no liking or sharing or tagging on other social media required). Just answer the question: When you knit lace (or any kind of stitch pattern), which do you prefer to work from—charts or line-by-line written instructions? What makes you like one option better than the other?
Two winners will each receive a hand-embroidered lavender-chamomile sachet and a couple of cute owl stitch markers from Lavender Hill Knits. Lavender is a natural moth repellant—I keep sachets all over the house, in every closet, drawer, basket, or bin that contains wool. I've added a vintage lace ribbon so you can hang the sachet in a closet or anywhere you'd like a fresh herbal scent.
Leave your comment by Friday, April 29. I'll announce the winners next weekend. Please include your Ravelry username or email in your comment so I can get in touch with you if you are a winner.
Good luck and happy knitting!
