Showing posts with label Springtime Bandit KAL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Springtime Bandit KAL. Show all posts

Springtime Bandit KAL- The end is nigh!

by : MarinadeDesigns
Hello everyone and welcome to the final Springtime Bandit KAL blog post! For those of you who are just now joining us, never fear! I’ll still be posting on the Ravelry group and I'll be available for help and questions for the next month or so. I hope you’ve found the blog posts helpful! If you are just getting started, be sure to check out the blog post tutorial on the Provisional Cast-on used for this pattern. A number of people have found it helpful.
In the meantime, I have a few more WIP’s and an FO to share! Courtney from The Fibre Company is participating in the KAL with us, and she is using a new color of the Fibre Co’s Terra yarn for her shawl. The color is called Belladonna and don’t worry, well be ordering this new color soon! :) Isn’t it gorgeous? I just love it and can’t wait to see it in person!

Courtney's Bandit in "Belladonna"
Also, Forensicgirl on Ravelry, who used to work for us here at Jimmy Beans when she was finishing up her schooling, knitted this gorgeous version in the Fibre Company Terra- Black Walnut. It is shown here being blocked, and it is awesome! Nice work Sara!
Sara's Bandit in "Black Walnut"

Sharon, my JBW Partner in Crime (aka. my co-team lead in Customer Service) is knitting this in a simply amazing color of Malabrigo Twist called Liquidambar. It is truly stunning and this picture doesn't even do it justice. This is Sharon's 2nd Bandit Shawl--she knit one out of Berroco Remix yarn earlier this spring. One could easily knit 2 of these. They move along quite quickly and the pattern is super well-written. Isn't Sharon's 2nd Bandit gorgeous?


Sharon's "Liquidambar" Bandit


Lastly, I am ALMOST finished with mine. I so wanted to be done in time to have it at least blocking for you this week, but time got away from me this last weekend... darn it! Here is the most recent photo I have of it. It is definitely going to be as large as I intended:
Kristen's "Mint" Bandit
A close up of the beginning
of the final chart.

I promise to post FO pics on Ravelry next week. And hopefully I’ll be able to post it on the blog too! In the meantime, if you are participating, feel free to stop by the Ravelry thread and post a WIP or FO photo, or send me an e-mail with your FO and I can do another post later on! Looking forward to seeing those lovely shawls!
I hope all of you are having a great week! Don’t hesitate to e-mail me with questions or issues with the pattern. I am happy to help! My e-mail is: kristen(at)jimmybeanswool(dot)com.
Thanks to all of you who participated or are still participating in the KAL, and as always, happy knitting!
Kristen
PS- Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!


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Springtime Bandit KAL check-in! Progress, finally!

by : MarinadeDesigns
Almost ready for the edge section!
Howdy folks! I am knitting along like a fiend! How’s everyone else’s progress? I admittedly had a bit of a hiccup last week with my shawl. In my absentmindedness (aka. watching “Scrubs” re-runs and laughing too hard), I accidentally forgot the middle stitch yarn-overs in rows 1 and 3 and finished a whole body section without noticing! Imagine the extent of my lamentation when I had to rip back 10 rows. :( I spent most of the drive to San Mateo for the Interweave Knitting Lab ripping out those rows stitch by stitch. How’s that for a lesson in patience?
Close up!
Finally by Friday evening I was back on track and have now almost finished my 6th section of the body repeats. I should finish that last section tonight and begin on the edge chart section tomorrow. I’d really love to finish the shawl over the weekend so that I can block it and post pics for you all next week.
In case you were wondering or confused, the pattern only calls for 4 body section repeats, I am making my shawl a bit larger and have decided to do 6. I bought 2 extra skeins of the Fibre Company Terra (in the Mint colorway) just to be safe. I am pretty tall and I wanted a larger size that was more shawl-like. After looking at the Ravelry page for the Bandit, I saw that many folks had successfully added extra sections for a larger shawl and decided that I would do the same!
RAELNE's Bandit
In the meantime, one of our very speedy participants already finished and blocked her Springtime Bandit! RAELNE from the Ravelry group knit her bandit in Malabrigo Worsted Merino in the Tuareg color. (Raveled here). Isn’t it lovely?


Also, another of our little beans, Sharon, is knitting a gorgeous Springtime Bandit in Malabrigo Twist. This is actually her 2nd Bandit. She knit one earlier this spring in Berroco Remix. Here she is modeling that version. Isn't it gorgeous! I'm so glad she decided to join in on the KAL!
Sharon's Remix Bandit
Lastly, I had the chance at the Knitting Lab to meet the awesome ladies from Kellbourne Woolens/ The Fibre Co.- Kate Gagnon Osborn and Courtney Kelley! They were so nice to stop by our booth after they had been teaching classes literally ALL DAY and must have been so exhausted. Thank you ladies for stopping by, I was so nice to meet you! :)
Courtney mentioned that she is participating in the KAL too. She’s knitting her Bandit in a new Terra colorway called “Belladonna.” I can’t wait to see it. I only wish I had remembered to get a photo of us to post here. I was pretty tired by that point too. Oh well. :) Don’t forget to check out the Ravelry thread for the KAL and to see others’ progress!
I hope you all are well and I’ll see you next week! I can’t wait to see more FO’s!
Happy knitting,
Kristen


P.S. Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!!

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Springtime Bandit KAL- How to Conquer the Tricky Provisional Cast-on

by : MarinadeDesigns
Happy Wednesday and welcome to week 2 of the Springtime Bandit KAL!  We’ve had a few people on Ravelry discussing the ins and outs of the cast on since it’s a bit of a unique technique.  It’s a provisional cast on and that can be a bit tricky if you haven’t done it before.  I’ve put together a picture tutorial here that I hope will help!
First, you need to chain 4 crochet with some waste yarn.  I like to make sure that this it a big contrast from the actual yarn I’m going to knit with so that I can see it really well.  Also, I like mine to be a bit thicker than the gauge I’m knitting with (bigger loops to work with). :)

After you chain 4, take your knitting needle and your shawl yarn and pick up 2 sts in the back loops of the chain (these aren’t the front loops that form a “v” when you look at them, they're the little bumps on the backside).

Knit 6 rows in garter stitch with the 2 sts you cast on.  I know it seems weird, but it is creating the top ribbing on the edge of the shawl.  You’ll see what I mean when you get there. :)

Now, pick up 3 sts in the little ridges along one side.  This part is really important. There should be 3 little bumps that are easy to knit into.  Also, be very careful that you don’t twist the piece.  This is super easy to do so just double check as you go to make sure that it doesn’t twist on you...that sneaky little bugger. :)

Finally, remove the waste yarn.  You should be able to undo the end of the chain and just pull. It will come out easily.  If it doesn’t, you might have tried the wrong end.  Just do the other one.

Put those last 2 sts on the other end of your needle, and knit them.  You now have 7 sts on the needle and you are ready to start the set up chart!

One quick thing about the chart:  Remember that you start out reading it from right to left and the last stitch on the left is actually the middle stitch.  You must repeat it from the center stitch from left to right.  So basically each chart row you yo-yo.  Your even rows are all the same and are outlined pretty clearly in the pattern.

I hope this helps!  Please let me know if you have any questions!  Also, it’s not too late to join the KAL!  Feel free to join us at any time! Check in on the Ravelry group as well for more support, or e-mail me at: Kristen(at)jimmybeanswool(dot)com.
Also, Amber, Shevawn and I are heading to the Interweave Knitting Lab this weekend!  I hope to see some of you there!  Please feel free to stop by booths 15 & 16 and show off your KAL WIP!  :)
Happy knitting!
Kristen
Beans for Brains 2012 Scholarship Program! Don't just apply- Donate!
JBW and 9 other sponsors will be matching YOUR donations dollar for dollar during the month of November (each sponsor will be matching up to $1,000 each, for a total of $10,000) to the Beans for Brains Scholarship fund. We will be accepting donations here and in our retail store with the targeted goal of raising $10,000 from all of YOU for a total of $20,000 in awards!! Together, we can help Craft a Higher Education! Track your donations on our Beans for Brains Facebook page!! 


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