You don't actually get to SEE the poncho/sweater/thing. Because it's still in pieces at the moment. BUT I am going to give you a sneak peak....

I'm calling this cable pattern Chained Circles. Or maybe Circles in Chains? Too 'Fifty Shades'? ha! I think Chained Circles may be better... 

I came up with this out of my brain. However, I CANNOT believe that no one else has done this fun little cable before. So I looked, and looked, and looked online and I cannot find it anywhere. Did I really invent something new?? Naw... doubtful. More likely I just can't find it. SOOOO... 

Homework assignment #1 -- Does anyone know of this cable being used somewhere else? If so, I'd love to call it the right thing! ;) 

OK... now on to the next perplexing dilemma. What to call a poncho with sleeves? It's almost a REALLY drop shouldered sweater. But more poncho-y. My concern is calling it a poncho. This thing is hip, modern and OH SO fun! And unfortunately people have pre-conceived notions of a 'poncho'. Eeeek. Not good. So I'm kinda leaning toward calling it a sweater instead. But I really feel like we need a new word for this awesomeness. Well... you'll see. So that brings us to...

Homework assignment #2 -- Anyone have any ideas of what to call a 1/2 poncho 1/2 sweater?? That sounds cool, amazing and totally something everyone would want? :)

Whoever gives me the best answer (in my opinion) for each of the assignments will win a free pattern! Whoohooo! Unfortunately I have limited time for this as the pattern will be ready soon. So put your suggestions in the comments below by Friday, March 13th! 

Let's finish with a couple more shots of the blocked and drying pieces of the... sweatero? ponter? dang... I've got nothing! HELP!

Part Two of the last post, where we looked at the Billow yarn and gave a little review of that. Now here is the tank that I made with that yarn. Super chunky, super easy, and SUPER QUICK. What more can you ask for??

I used THREE strands of the billow yarn held together and worked this on US size 35 needles. So this is not a pattern for the faint of heart! :) However, it did take me approx. 6 hours to make the entire thing. So yeah... that's good math for me! 

The tank itself does have a good bit of weight to it due to it's chunky nature. Hey, don't judge! But once on, it's really very easy to wear and moves with you very nicely. The fabric itself is VERY elastic. So I don't have a gauge listed. It's impossible to get an accurate measurement. I guesstimated sizing. Honestly, if you get CLOSE to the right size it will look great on you. It's just that drapey. If you are concerned about what size to make... go for the smaller size. Each size spans 6" and that is not even as far as it could stretch if you needed it to. 

I'm wearing a size Large in the photos. And as much as it pains me to type this on the internet.... eeek.... I am 5'8" and about 140 lbs. I typically wear a size 8/10. And the top I am wearing could fit a much larger person. I am on the smaller side of the sizing for the Large. I hope that helps and I didn't reveal all that for no reason.... sigh....

I am posting the pattern now. And it is available at all of my shops:

anaiddesigns.com
Ravelry
Etsy

I hope you enjoy it! It's a great pattern for the Spring!

It's Here! The pattern is finished and posted... finally! You can check it out at any of my storefronts:

www.anaiddesigns.com HERE
on Ravelry HERE
on Etsy HERE

This is a super basic triangle shawl pattern. But the yarns... oh the yarns! I used the Dream in Color Classy with Cashmere for the first time in this pattern. And I am a HUGE fan already. It feels amazing, it works up beautifully, great stitch definition, and is just a joy to wear next to the skin! Win, win, win, win! I will definitely be designing with this gorgeous yarn again in the near future. 

Well, I say near future but in reality I have so much stashed yarn to work through it will probably be a year! Which is really a great problem to have, right?! 

Back to the shawl pattern, I do hope you will give it a try. I believe it to be a pattern that you will come back to again and again over the years. It's just so nice to work up and perfect for in-the-evening knitting. A no-brainer! Which is exactly what I love in the evenings. Around 3 pm my brain shuts off for things such as math, counting, deciphering patterns, etc. I need something that I can just pick up and GO! 

Let me know what you think about the pattern! Here are some more photos for you....

There's something about this color combo that makes me think of Apple picking. So why not name it the Apple Picking Shawl? Makes sense to me! And it's the perfect fall weight! 

I am in love with this combo of yarns. The Dream Classy with Cashmere is so lofty and squishy soft while the Knit Picks Palette is thin and smooth. They play off of each other beautifully and lend a perfect weight to the shawl. Not too heavy but still soft and snuggly! 

I choose to work up just a basic triangular shawl with alternating stripes of garter stitch and stockinette stitch. And with the alternating yarns as well. Well. I love it. It's very simple but just so wearable! Add a couple of tassels at the ends for a little 'ta-da' finish and this is a piece that I know I will grab-on-the-go over and over this fall. 

And I've got to say.... the Dream Classy with Cashmere is one of my new favorites. Trying new yarns doesn't always work out so well. You know what I mean. I find that there really are precious few (so far) that I keep going back to. I am thrilled to be expanding my resources! And you will definitely get to hear about the rest of the Dream line in the future. Can't wait to try them all! 

Have you worked with any of the Dream yarns? What are your thoughts? Leave your experiences in the comments section! I'd love to hear from you! 

Keep an eye out for the Apple Picking Shawl pattern! I'll be writing it and taking photos asap. I will let you know as soon as it is ready to publish!