SparkleShan

Last week I did not post a Work in Progress because I was still only working on my Boxy Sweater that I posted the week prior, so I thought that would be boring to post about again since I haven't really made any new progress on it. This week I continue to work on my Boxy Sweater and I am actually at the point now where I separated for sleeves, the end is in sight! I also decided to work on a shawl that I started months ago that was written by my dear friend Brittany Wilson, the Rise and Fall Shawl. You can get the pattern on Ravelry! This shawl calls for two colors of fingering weight yarn and I am using hand dyed yarn from Brittany (BohoknitterchicSpins) and hand dyed yarn from Sunrise Fiber Co. You can find both shops on www.Etsy.com I still have a ways to go on the shawl, but I really love the colors on the yarn and I want to wear this soon.

I set my self a budget for New York Sheep and Wool, because I already have over a 100 skeins of yarn and I really don't NEED anymore. But of course I had to snag a few select goodies. The two yarns on the left are sock yarns from Into the Whirled and the yarn on the right is a sock yarn from Dragonfly Fibers (my daughter picked this yarn out for socks for herself).  The little bag and the felted soap are my daughters (I can't remember the vendors).

If you are an avid knitter you have probably heard of New York Sheep and Wool ( http://newyorksheepandwool.com ) , also know as Rhinebeck. It is a two day fiber festival that takes place in Rhinebeck, New York. There are tons of fiber related vendors, selling yarn, spinning fiber, spinning wheels, etc. I have been knitting for almost 9 years and this was the first year I finally got to go this past Sunday. One of my local yarn stores (Madison Wool in Connecticut) organized a chartered bus trip to take us there. So glad I didn't have to drive! I actually got Emma to come with me and keep me company as I browsed around. We had fun petting yarn and watching the sheep dog demonstrations. They also had the cutest Frisbee dogs putting on shows. If I go again I will drive myself because I don't really need to spend 6 hours there and I would bring more money to buy more goodies.

This week I decided I wanted to work on my Boxy Sweater, that I literally started 3 years ago. It has been hibernating on and off in those 3 years (more off then on). It is knit with fingering weight and it is over sized, lots of stockinette stitch so it gets pretty boring. But I am buckling down and working on it because I really want to wear it this winter. It has been far to long in the making.

It's surprising the past few weeks I have been knitting exclusively on one project and not jumping around between projects. Don't get me wrong I still have about 6 to 7 projects on the needles, they have just been hibernating. After my mom saw that I knit socks she decided she wanted a pair. So I cast on a pair for her yesterday. I'm using the same pattern I used for the first socks (Go Your Own Way Socks), but these are a little bigger then mine, as she has bigger feet then me. I am using some vintage KnittInk Hand Dyed yarn that I got from the lovely dyer (who also happens to be a friend), in 2011. These skein is so lovely I am glad I finally decided to use it. And the color name is awesome, Thunder Cats in a Blender! I was hoping to have these socks done in time for Saturday night so I could give them to my mom as a birthday gift, but its not going to happen as I am not even done with half of the first sock yet. Here is my progress so far.

I finished my first pair of socks that I blogged about last week! I am so excited to add more knit socks to my small collection. They fit great and I am pretty pleased with how they came out. The only thing was that I did get small ladders from using the DPNs. Eventually I will trying knitting socks on two circular needles, as I have been told that helps to eliminate the ladders. But these are just for me and I can live with them. My feet are really tiny so it took me only about 8 days to knit the pair. I have already began plotting and planning more socks. Luckily Ravelry.com has a ton of patterns to choose from and I have about 50 skeins of sock yarn. Here are my first ever pair of knitted socks. Yay!

I have finished a few knitting projects since March that I will now share with you. I finally got my hands on a skein of Madeline tosh holi festival in DK Weight and I knit the Latu Hat with it. This colorway is so much fun and I have been trying to find it for a while. I took a trip to Knit New Haven (which is an hour drive from me) on the hunt for another yarn and they happened to have this one too, so of course it had to come home with me. I also finished my second Ishbel Shawl. This was only the second shawl I ever knit 5 years ago and it took me about a month and a half to finish. This time it only took me about two weeks to finish it. My cousin had twin girls in March and I had to knit them something using this awesome hand dyed Unicorn Poop Yarn from Sunrise Fiber Co. So I knit two Tiny Trees Baby Vests. I knit another pattern for the second time, the Hitchhiker Shawl using some awesomely bright hand dyed yarn from Atomic Blue. Last time I knit thi

It's my first work in progress Wednesday since March and this is a good one. While I have about 6 projects on the needles currently, this week I have been working exclusively on one project. I am knitting my first ever pair of socks!! I have been knitting for almost 9 years now and I have been scared up until now to try socks. I have two pairs of hand knit socks that my friends have knit for me, but I want more. So I figured now was the time to learn, with the encouragement of my good knitting friend Sara, I cast on my first sock this past weekend and I finished the first one in three days! It was so much easier then I thought it would be! I stated out with a simple stockinette sock pattern that I found on the Knit Picks website ( Go Your Own Way Socks by Stacey Winklepleck). I am knitting the socks using Knitters Pride double pointed needles. I did get a slight ladder in the sock, so I think next time I knit a different pair of socks I will attempt to knit them on two circular n

Again time and life have gotten away from me, and my poor little blog has gone neglected. In the last 5 months I have started a new job, started college classes and moved to a new house in a new town. So I guess I have some what of an excuse for not posting. I am hoping to finish out this year with a few more blog posts. I will be bringing back the Work in Progress Wednesday posts for my knitting and other craft projects that I am always working on and hopefully some new content too.

This week I cast on for a Craft-a-long being hosted in Colorsong's Ravelry group.  I am using Fleece Artist Trail Socks in the color Passion flower to knit an Ishbel Shawl by Ysolda Teague.  I knit this pattern 3 or 4 years ago and I love it and have been wanting to knit it again. I bought this yarn for a shawl (I didn't have a particular one in mind) from Colorsong yarns, so I thought it would be perfect to use for this along and pattern.     I finished working on the Magine Shawl by Ambah O'Brien and it is now blocking. I couldn't wait until it was dry to get a picture.  I really love how colorful this shawl is, thanks to the awesome Knit Circus gradient yarns.     Knitting all these shawls is really inspiring me to come up with some shawl designs. So I am working on a swatch sample for a design I have in my head for a three colored shawl. I knit the sample using some Sunrise Fiber Co mini skeins that I bought 4 years ago to use for another project. 

Here is another free knitting pattern that I designed to show off that sparkly sock yarn we all love so much.  It was my second Shawl design ever and I am sharing it for free with you here :)  I would love for you to knit my shawl and share it on Ravelry by linking to the pattern page.  Thank you and happy knitting. Aurora Sparkle Shawl By Shannon O’Neil MATERIALS Needles: 1 US #7/4.5 mm 24” circular needles Notions: - Tapestry needle - 1 stitch marker Yarn: Craftypuppylover handdyed Fingering Weight Yarn. 438 yards, 3.5oz GAUGE   23sts/35 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch before blocking. Gaugeis not super important so don’t worry if yourgauge is a little off this                                   PATTERN Set-up: CO 3 STS Row 1 (RS):   *k1,m1, rep. from * to last st, k1. (5 sts) Rows 2 (WS):   K1, P across until 1 st left, k1. Rep. Rows 1 & 2 oncemore. (9 sts) Row 5: (k1, m1) twice,k2, m1, pm, k1, m1, k2, (m1, k1) twice.   (15 sts) R0w 6: K

It's a new way to wear knitting. On a necklace!! I hand knit these necklaces and they are now listed in my Etsy store www.sparkleshanknits.etsy.com

I wrote this cowl pattern a few years ago. It is one of first knitting patterns I ever designed.  Enjoy and feel free to link to the pattern page on Ravelry if you decide to knit this pattern! Reverse Seed Stitch Cowl By Shannon O’Neil MATERIALS Needles: US #7/4.5 mm 24” circular needles Notions: - Tapestry needle - 1 stitch marker Yarn: Fleece Artist Blue FacedLeicester DK Weight Yarn. 250 yards GAUGE 7 sts / 9 rows = 4" instockinette stitch before blocking. PATTERN Set-up: CO 131 STS using thelong-tail cast on. Join in the round beingcareful to not twist the sts. PM Knit for 4 rounds Round 1:   *p1,k1*, rep. from * to last st, p1. Round 2:   * k1, knit next st in the row below*, rep.until 1 st left, k1. Round 3: *k1, p1*, rep.until 1 st left, k1. Round 4: *knit next st inthe row below, k1* rep. until 1 st left, k1. Repeat these four roundsuntil piece measures 6 inches, knit 4 rounds and Bind off sts loosely with yourfavorite stretchy bind off method. Finishing:   Weave in t

I wanted to share with you all a preview of some of the times currently listed in my etsy store (www.sparkleshanknits.etsy.com). As always I also except custom order requests for message new for details.        

Lately I have come down with a knitters disease called startitis.  It's when you keep starting new knitting projects when you haven't finished the ones that you already have on the needles.  I currently have 8 or 9 projects on the needles.  This week I am trying to be good and work on 2-3 projects at a time and finish them before I start anything new...again. So work in progress Wednesday is when you show off what you have been working on this week.  This week.  I finished a bulky cowl test knit for designer Brittany Wilson.  I am also finished a simple garter stitch shawl, Asterism, for my daughter using Knit Picks Glossing Fingering Weight yarn in a blueish color that looks like the Tardis blue.  She's a big Doctor Who fan and wanted me to knit her something in that color. I am also working on the Magine Shawl designed by Ambah O'Brien, using a gradient yarn by Knit Circus Yarns. I am hoping to finish this shawl by next week so that I can continue working on the many

I recently published a new knitting pattern on Ravelry, the Berry Cowl. If you knit this cowl please create a project page for it on Ravelry  so that I can see all your wonderful Cowls knit up. Berry Cowl by Shannon O'Neil MATERIALS Needles: 1 US #7 / 4.5mm 16" circular Notions: -1 stitch marker -Tapestry Needle Yarn: Fleece Artist Peter Rabbit [70% angora, 20% nylon, 10% wool; 273 yds/250m per 50g skein]; 1 skein GAUGE 22 sts = 4" in stockinette stitch SIZE One Size                                 The pattern and photographs contained in this document are the property of Shannon O’Neil . This pattern is available for personal use only. No unauthorized reproduction, in whole or in part, or distribution of this pattern or content is allowed, Copyright © 2016 Shannon O’Neil

A few months ago I decided to open a new Etsy shop.  Some of you may know that I used to sell handspun yarn on Etsy a few years back.  Due to life I closed the shop a few years back and haven't really been spinning yarn much.  Well I am still ever crafting and knitting.  I decided to open shop again because I really like sharing my creations with other people.  It's really satisfying to know that someone enjoys the things that I make with my hands and with my heart :) My new Etsy shop is called SparkleShan Knits. I am selling hand made baby, child and adult headbands, hand made jewelry and hand knit accessories.  I am also taking custom order requests.  I am trying to add items to my shop frequently so keep checking back for new hand made items.  If you would like to request a custom order you can message me directly on Etsy or email me at sparkleshanknits@gmail.com