Mornings in Paris Knit-a-long (KAL)

The Mornings in Parks KAL starts tomorrow in my Ravelry group.   The KAL is for anyone who wishes to knit the Mornings in Paris shawl, in either size, in any yarn.

Yarn Choice
You may use any yarn of your choice to participate in the KAL. The shawl was designed with Blue Moon Fiber Arts’ Yaksi Fingering, however, so see the note below.
You must use Blue Moon Fiber Arts’ Yaksi Fingering to be eligible to win the grand prize. If you wish to order Yaksi from BMFA, please allow two weeks for delivery from the time that you purchase your yarn from them. BMFA is generously offering 10% off your yarn order of up two 2 skeins of Yaksi Fingering, good from May 26th through June 26th, 2015. This discount is available only to those who have purchased the Mornings in Paris pattern. Please private message me for your coupon code once you have purchased the pattern.

Timeline
The KAL starts on Wednesday, June 10, 2015, and wraps up on Wednesday, July 8, 2015 (end of day).

Prizes
::Prize 1:: All works in progress (with photo) within the timeframe of the KAL will receive one free pattern from my Ravelry store.
::Prize 2 (two winners):: The first FO and the FO with the best photography (my choice) will receive three free patterns from my Ravelry store.
::GRAND PRIZE (one winner):: If you use BMFA’s Yaksi Fingering and post a FO photo by the deadline, you will be eligible to win one skein of Yaksi Fingering, in the color of your choice, provided by me. And, you will win three free patterns from my Ravelry store. I will randomly choose one winner from those who meet the criteria.

Rules

• You can cast on at any time before the KAL officially starts and still be eligible for prizes. I’m starting the KAL on June 10th to give participants the time to find the perfect yarn.
• To be eligible for Prize 1, you must create a project page, linked to the Mornings in Paris pattern, and tag your project morningsinparisKAL. You must post an in progress photo on your project page.
• To be eligible for Prize 2 and the Grand Prize, you must create a project page with a photo of the finished shawl, linked to the Mornings in Paris pattern, and tag your project morningsinparisKAL. You must also post a photo to the Mornings in Paris FO thread by 7/8. The grand prize is limited to US residents.

Prize winners will be announced by Friday, July 10.

I would love to share your photos on my Facebook page and/or blog. If you do not want your photos shared, please send me a private message. Thank you.

Have fun and I hope you can join us!

new pattern: mornings in paris

This pattern is dedicated to my good friend Liz and our knitting group.  I was lucky to meet Liz 6 years ago.  She was knitting a pair of socks at the playground while our kids were playing.  I asked her what she was working on, we figured out that two of our children would be going to preschool together, and that was it.  She's been a great knitting friend and a great friend. 

Once preschool started, we learned that one of the preschool teachers knit.  And her mom knit.  And Liz's friend knit.  And Liz's friend's friend knit.  Soon we had a group that met on Thursdays, either at someone's house or at a coffee shop.  One of those coffee shops was Mornings in Paris.  Pretty soon, I felt like I had expanded my group of friends, the people to whom I felt most close.

Last year, I found out I was moving away.  Liz stopped by my house with a skein of yarn and a bottle of wine.  I was still so surprised that we were moving that I didn't really know what to say.  But I deeply appreciated the gesture.

This winter, after finally settling into our new house and getting through the holiday, I started knitting again.  I picked up the skein of yarn Liz gave me and tried to come up with something that would remind me of her and our knitting group.  I found a stitch pattern called "Eiffel Tower" by Barbara Walker.  I turned the stitch upside down and played with the spacing and size of the repeats.  The Mornings in Paris Shawl was born.

 

 

Pattern Info

The shawl begins with a garter tab and construction is top-down. Increases are worked at the edges and center on the right side. This pattern is charted only.

Sizing
Blocked measurements Small (Large) :: 42 (55)” / 101.5 (139.75) cm across top by 16 (28)” / 40.75 (71) cm deep

Yarn
1 (2) skeins Blue Moon Fiber Arts; 390 yds / 356 m per 3.38 oz / 96 g skein; 60% wool / 20% yak / 20% cultivated silk
Smaller sample in Help Us Rhonda. Larger sample in The New Color of Love.

Needles & Notions
Size 5 US / 3.75 mm 40” / 102 cm circular needles
2 stitch markers, tapestry needle, blocking pins

Gauge
19 sts and 30 rows = 4” / 10 cm in pattern stitch from Charts A and B using Size 5 US / 4.5 mm needles, after blocking
Gauge is not critical for this pattern, but it is important if you want to make the smaller shawl from 1 skein and the larger shawl from 2 skeins.