Craft-a-Poem February: (After the) Storm Cloud Shawlette

For this month's (just in the nick of time!) Craft-a-Poem entry, I chose a lovely poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar: The Place Where the Rainbow Ends. And, like last month's project, I knitted a none-too-subtle interpretation: a rainbow shawlette, pictured here pre-blocking:


The Place Where the Rainbow Ends

There's a fabulous story
Full of splendor and glory,
That Arabian legends transcends;
Of the wealth without measure,
The coffers of treasure,
At the place where the rainbow ends.

Oh, many have sought it,
And all would have bought it,
With the blood we so recklessly spend;
But none has uncovered,
The gold, nor discovered
The spot at the rainbow's end.

They have sought it in battle,
And e'en where the rattle
Of dice with man's blasphemy blends;
But howe'er persuasive,
It still proves evasive,
This place where the rainbow ends.

I own for my pleasure,
I yearn not for treasure,
Though gold has a power it lends;
And I have a notion,
To find without motion,
The place where the rainbow ends.

The pot may hold pottage,
The place be a cottage,
That a humble contentment defends,
Only joy fills its coffer,
But spite of the scoffer,
There's the place where the rainbow ends.

Where care shall be quiet,
And love shall run riot,
And I shall find wealth in my friends;
Then truce to the story,
Of riches and glory;
There's the place where the rainbow ends.



Project Details:

Pattern: Storm Cloud Shawlette by Hanna Breetz (not on Ravelry? really? go here)
Yarn: Kauni Wool Effektgarn 8/2, EQ colourway, 280.4 metres/306.6 yards
Needle: 5.0mm/US 8
Modifications: None
Notes: Quick-and-easy pattern with a lovely result. Cast-on to cast-off: 8 days, knit mostly on the bus to and from work. I'll definitely make this again in a more Piggy-friendly colourway. Perhaps in Malabrigo Silky? I'd make it longer next time. This one will be for my nieces' tickle trunk.
Ravelled: yarnpiggy's After the Storm Cloud Shawlette

Now onto March! I haven't chosen my project yet, but I suspect it might be knit with Malabrigo, as Malabrigo March Madness starts tomorrow!

Surprise

Remember that yarn bomb I happened upon last month? I'd promised to let you know if the cozy was still keeping the tree warm the following Wednesday.

And then I took a different route to my appointment, bypassing the tree. Two weeks in a row.

I’d completely forgotten about it, and wasn’t looking for the tree yesterday, when an entirely different appointment took me to the same neighbourhood. So I was about half a block past the tree before I thought to check.

And guess what?


Still there. And in good shape, too, despite some truly craptastic recent weather. (Well, perhaps not by the bulk of North America’s standards lately, as it’s just been rain, not snowmageddon…but still.)

I was surprised enough to grab one of the freebie papers from a nearby box for proof:


Yeah, ok, Piggy’s a bit of a dweeb.

Finished Object Friday: Turn a Square Hat

Talk about your bandwagon knitting. May I present my contribution to the 7,915 Turn a Square Hat projects in the Ravelry database:


Like my lovely new model? I picked her up on Monday at Dressew, Vancouver’s ginormous fabric-notions/tacky costumes-and-a-bit-of-yarn shop, which was having a 50% off everything sale to celebrate its 50th anniversary. She needs a name; suggestions are welcomed.

And no, I didn’t buy any yarn. I remain firmly seated on the yarn diet wagon. Miracles do happen, piglets.

This pattern wasn’t really on my 2011 agenda; it was more of a spur-of-the-moment thing. Sometimes those are the best projects, no? My pal beentsy had recently finished one, and I was intrigued by the double-decrease crown shaping (that’d be the square you’re turning):


It’s awesomesauce, dudes. I think I’m going to use it a lot – with or without the stripes.

As for the stripes…I think I might have goofed with the jogless stripe technique, whereby you knit the first stitch of the second round of the new colour together with the stitch below it (in the old colour). It’s supposed to make the joins ‘virtually invisible’, but…


I’m not entirely satisfied. Is it supposed to look like this – one super-tall stitch of the new colour at the join?


I should point out that I haven’t blocked the hat yet, so that might help. But if I’m missing something obvious, please let me know.

All in all, I love this hat, and it is definitely staying with Piggy – no gifting of this one!

Project Details:

Pattern: Turn a Square by Jared Flood (Rav link)
Yarn: Cascade 220 in unidentified charcoal (label long gone): 59.4 yards; Noro Kureyon, colourway 229: 44 yards
Needles: 3.75mm/US 5 & 4.5mm/US 7
Modifications: None. Well, I maybe knit a smidge more ribbing than called for.
Comments: The man’s a genius. And I am a Noro Whoro.