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Two-Skein Shawls, the DFW Fiber Fest, and the October Club Colorway

September 21, 2023
Eggplant + Sunset at Sea on So Silky Sock

Good morning and happy Friday! This week I want to tell you a bit about last week’s DFW Fiber Fest. I also want to share a couple of great patterns along with some colorway combos to go with them. Last but not least, I want to tell you about the painting I’ll be using to inspire the October club colorway. Let’s start with the last one, shall we?

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October Club Colorway

As we continue our journey through art history, we have now arrived at Futurism. This early 20th century art period focused a lot on technology and a look toward the future. While it shares some similarities with Cubism, the themes are different. Futurism began in Italy, so I chose a painting by one of its founders.

The painting is entitled Dynamism of a Human Body, and it was created by Umberto Boccioni. I chose this particular one because of the awesome fall colors, but with each of his “dynamism” paintings, the goal was to show movement through time in a single image. It’s quite fascinating, and it’s going to be a lot of fun to create art batts and yarn using this painting as inspiration. Just keep in mind that the deadline to become a club member or make adjustments to your membership is the 1st of the month.

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Two Gorgeous Shawl Patterns + The Yarn to Go with Them

This week, I wanted to point out two beautiful shawl patterns for knitting. The first pattern is one I have used. It’s Casapinka’s Albuquerque Sunset, and it has a stitch combination I loved and haven’t seen anywhere else. Here is the shawl I made with Casapinka’s pattern:

The other pattern is one I have not yet used, but it’s on my short list. It’s a pattern called the Silver River Shawl by Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade, and it makes good use of short rows.

Each of the two patterns calls for two skeins of sock-weight yarn–one semi-solid and one variegated. I thought I would create some colorway combination ideas to go with these two patterns. I did fudge a little with some of them by using a tonal colorway instead of a semi-solid.

I have the colorway combos sorted below by yarn base so you can easily find the perfect combination for you.Once I got started, it was hard to stop. The possibilities are practically endless!

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Diamond Silk Sock Combos

Let’s start with a couple combinations I created on Diamond Silk Sock. This 100% silk yarn base is perfect for luxurious shawls!

Northern Lights and Sapphire Dreams on Diamond Silk Sock
Beowulf and Farewell to Anger on Diamond Silk Sock

Sock Perfection Colorway Combos

Now let’s move onto combinations using Sock Perfection. Many of these have a distinctly autumn vibe.

The Winedark Sea + Beowulf on Sock Perfection
The Winedark Sea + Impressions of Autumn
Eggplant + Beowulf on Sock Perfection
Eggplant + Afremov's Farewell to Anger on Sock Perfection
Eggplant + Afremov’s Farewell to Anger on Sock Perfection
Impressions of Autumn + Chocolate on Sock Perfection
Impressions of Autumn + Chocolate on Sock Perfection
Impressions of Autumn + Sunset at Sea on Sock Perfection
Galadriel's Gift + Blue Sky on Sock Perfection
Galadriel’s Gift + Blue Sky on Sock Perfection
Visit to Lyme + Dreams of the Sea on Sock Perfection

Sparkly Merino Sock Colorway Combos

Now let’s take a look at some colorway combinations on Sparkly Merino Sock.

Sunflower + Purple Iris on Sparkly Merino Sock
The Hands of the King + Sage on Sparkly Merino Sock
The Hands of the King + Sage on Sparkly Merino Sock
Little Black Dress + Beautiful Universe on Sparkly Merino Sock
Little Black Dress + Beautiful Universe on Sparkly Merino Sock
Eggplant + Sunset at Sea on Sparkly Merino Sock
Eggplant + Sunset at Sea on Sparkly Merino Sock
Enchanted Forest + Chocolate on Sparkly Merino Sock
Annunciation Blue + Visit to Lyme on Sparkly Merino Sock
Annunciation Blue + Visit to Lyme on Sparkly Merino Sock
Enchanted Forest + Annunciation Blue on Sparkly Merino Sock
Enchanted Forest + Annunciation Blue on Sparkly Merino Sock
Burgundy Rose + Paris on Sparkly Merino Sock
Burgundy Rose + Paris on Sparkly Merino Sock

This last combination would be very similar to the colorways I used in Casapinka’s Albuquerque Sunset shawl.

Stained Glass Sock Colorway Combos

Next up are some combinations on Stained Glass Sock. I love the way the black ply in this yarn base adds such elegance!

The Hands of the King + Monet's Water Lilies on Stained Glass Sock
The Hands of the King + Monet’s Water Lilies on Stained Glass Sock
Sage + Visit to Lyme on Stained Glass Sock
Sage + Visit to Lyme on Stained Glass Sock
Monarch + Quino Checkerspot on Stained Glass Sock
Monarch + Quino Checkerspot on Stained Glass Sock
Monarch + Colorado Hairstreak on Stained Glass Sock
Monarch + Colorado Hairstreak on Stained Glass Sock

I just realized that this combination would be fabulous for a Halloween shawl!

Eggplant + Sapphire Dreams on Stained Glass Sock
Eggplant + Sapphire Dreams on Stained Glass Sock
Eggplant + Autumn Leaves on Stained Glass Sock
Eggplant + Autumn Leaves on Stained Glass Sock
Burgundy Rose + Sunset at Sea on Stained Glass Sock
Burgundy Rose + Sunset at Sea on Stained Glass Sock
Northern Lights + Burgundy Rose on Stained Glass Sock
Northern Lights + Burgundy Rose on Stained Glass Sock

So Silky Sock Colorway Combos

The last base is So Silky Sock. Here are some colorway combinations on this lovely, soft, and strong yarn base with wonderful drape:

Eggplant + Sunset at Sea on So Silky Sock
Eggplant + Sunset at Sea on So Silky Sock
Eggplant + Beautiful Universe on So Silky Sock
Eggplant + Beautiful Universe on So Silky Sock
Monet's Water Lilies + Dreams of the Sea on So Silky Sock
Monet’s Water Lilies + Dreams of the Sea on So Silky Sock
Dreams of the Sea + Galadriel's Gift on So Silky Sock
Dreams of the Sea + Galadriel’s Gift on So Silky Sock

I know that was a lot of colorway combinations, but would you believe I actually narrowed down the selections? These are a lot of fun to put together–and even more fun to knit!

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DFW Fiber Fest

I was at the DFW Fiber Fest last weekend, and it was pretty amazing. I kept a visiting chair in my booth, and it was great to visit with old fiber friends and make new ones too. Here are some photos from setup day:

The bottom one shows my husband and two of our sons who came to help. I couldn’t have done it without them!

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Show and Tell Next Week

Next week, I would like to do a Show and Tell newsletter, so if you have WIPs or FOs (works in progress or finished objects) to share, please email me a photo or two. Please include the yarn colorway and base as well as any pattern info.

I love getting to play a part in your creative process, and it’s always a joy to see what you make and share it with others who will understand how many hours of love and labor go into each project. Any fiber art counts, so feel free to share your felted items, handspun yarn, and woven goods as well as knit and crochet projects. I can’t wait to see them!

I will leave you with a meme I thought of during the festival:

Have a great week!