Welcome to Wool on Sundays :)
Back in November (Fits like a Glove) I extolled the virtues of West Yorkshire Spinners. For many reasons using wool grown and spun in the UK fits with my personal vision of ethical consumption and, at the time, I said: “I was very happy with how the wool knitted up and I shall certainly be buying from them again in the future”. As it turned out I was so happy with my yellow gloves that I decided to make a cardigan with the left over yarn.
Of course, that meant I didn’t have enough of the yarn so I purchased some more and to get up to the Free Postage price I thought I’d try out some of their Signature 4ply. I like not having to pay postage because it both avoids paying double the retail price for a single ball of wool and, at the same time, makes me feel that I get a ball of wool free. Irrational, I know, but in my mind it feels like win, win!
Anyway, when it arrived, rather than carrying on with the cardigan, I decided to try the 4ply and that is what my two February ta-das are made from.
For the first, I used West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply – Juniper (157)
I used Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Pi theory but I started at the outside and knitted inwards because I was much more enthusiastic about having the rows getting shorter and shorter as I progressed. I began with a lace border from a Burda book of knitting stitches that I’ve had forever and alternated bands of stocking stitch with bands of garter stitch, including a simple eyelet lace pattern on three of the stocking stitch bands.
All the while, I doubted that it would in fact turn out be a semi circle but, magically, it did. Unfortunately, I took the photo below last after I had scrunched it up but you can get an idea of what it looks like.
The diameter is 58 inches and it is very soft and warm. I’m tempted to wear it out but I think I’ll wash and block it and set it aside as a gift.
And my second ta-da has been gifted already! I used West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply – Goldfinch (840) from the delightful Country Birds Collection. Enthused by the blue shawl, I thought I might try another one starting at the centre. I divided the yarn to try to keep the stripes or at least the colour balance even over the longer rows but it became such a palver that after a couple of froggings I gave up…
…and made socks instead.
Until now, I have shied away from self striping yarns but these striped up so evenly that I see more socks like this in my future!
I hope you, too, had a happy yarnful February. The linky will stay open for one week and Wool on Sundays will be back on Sunday 2nd April :)
If you have any wool/yarn posts to share, I’d love you to link up. The rules, as usual, are: 1). Posts must include some content – makes or musings or photos – related to knitting, crochet, felting, spinning or yarn. 2). Projects sewn from felt or wool fabric or stitchery using wool are also welcome but please don’t link posts that are exclusively about sewing, quilting and fabrics. 3). Posts don’t have to be from the past week but please put a link to WOOL ON SUNDAYS or grab the button from my sidebar and include it in or at the bottom of any posts you link up. 4). MOST IMPORTANT visit anyone else who links.
Janine @ Rainbow Hare
Please click on the button below to link up or view linked posts.
RAINBOW HARE 
Kim Sharman
You lost me at “pie theory”…….but my oh my what a stunning shawl. So very clever of you to work it all out like that. Such a gorgeous pattern and the colour is sublime. Pity you didn’t keep this lovely as it is striking with your pretty yellow cardie and your gorgeous frock. Love that frock. Cool socks too. How very clever of that wool to knit up in even stripes. =) You certainly knit up pretties quicker than quick, Janine. Perhaps, just perhaps I might have some woolliness to link up next month…fingers crossed!
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Sandra :)
No wool here – I’ve been couch-bound with a terrible cold, so no sewing even! I think I can see a light at the end of the tunnel finally, so hopefully by tomorrow I can get back to my machine :)
I would never have thought that striped yarn would work into a project that evenly – I assume self-striping means that the yarn itself is variegated in a stripey manner and comes off the skein in stripes, rather than you changing colours? Those socks are AWESOMEsauce! [that’s like being awesome, but with a bonus order of extra awesome :)] The shawl – oh my – that’s a beautiful beautiful project – someone will be very lucky to receive that wonderful gift, wow!
I love getting free shipping – I’m generally happy to jump through whatever hoops they present me with, in order to avoid postage $ or to get reduced postage prices :D There’s a quilt store in Toronto that I like to order from – they have a really low shipping rate for orders under $20, so I’ve been known to order 2 3/4m of (sale) fabric to get the cheaper shipping :D I also save up my thread purchases and order from a place in the States that has free Canadian shipping for orders over $75US – who doesn’t need thread in many colours? LOL!
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Catherine Pritchard
What a scrumptious shawl! You are so talented Janine. Very envious of the recipient.
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SomedaySewing
Wow, everything looks great, but those socks blew me away! Fantastic!
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Sharmayne
Just found your site so I’ll be linking up for the next Sunday. I’m having trouble trying to find where all the others are that linked in to be able to go and visit
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Maria
Lovely, lovely projects Janine; they are stunning! And gorgeous yarns there too. When I was in the UK in 2014 I went back to that little yarn shop Ramshambles in York and stocked up on some WYS yarns after reading about them.
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soma @ whimsandfancies.com
I shy away from self striping yarn too, but I am warming up to the idea of using them for socks. Yours look lovely! The shawl is amazingly beautiful! You make such wonderful gifts, Janine!
-Soma
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