I finally finished the 1864 Godey's Knitted Winter Shawl. Although it's a very simple pattern, I had a hard time staying motivated to finish it. It was very boring to work on. The shawl is completely knitted in garter stitch.I took a beginner's class at Hank's Yarn and Fiber store a few weeks ago on how to dye wool. It was a very interesting class. I can't wait to dye more wool and take some more advanced classes on dyeing. I've started collecting all my supplies. Last night I mixed up the stock of the Jacquard Acid Dye in Cherry Red, Brilliant Blue and Sun Yellow.
The roving is a 100% merino superwash and dyed 4 oz of it. The merino feels like silk. It's definitely much softer than the corriedale wool I'm used to working with. I've spun what I've dyed so far. At this point, I could turn it into 2-ply yarn for socks or dye the remaining 4 oz and ply them all together. I'm leaning towards dyeing the remaining roving. I just hate the idea of hiding this in my shoes.
The Danish Tie Shawl is progressing. It's also knitted completely in garter stitch with yarn overs every other row and has definitely reached the middle of the project boring stage. I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of August.
