NOFO

Progress, but no FO's this Friday. 

Honey Fig at Twilight

Projects feel as long-term as this fig tree. Months away from fruit.

Siren Song

Must not succumb until at least one WIP becomes an FO.

• 

  Lorelei Cowl & Cuffs by Sivia Harding

Hard not to when the pattern is as beautiful as this and the yarn was already on hand. Not just any yarn, but the very yarn, and the very color way used in the sample.

Must my hands over my eyes and ears and tell Lorelei, "I can't see you, I can't hear you."

WIP, Weep

Why, yes, that is the item I was working on a few days ago.
Sort of.

Actually finished the scarf. Kept telling myself it looked fine.

It didn't. Too floppy. Ugly edging. This yarn is too good for so-so knitting.

Stifled a sob, found the woven in end, attached it the yarn ball winder, and back to the drawing board.

Still going to be a scarf. Still using the same stitch. This time I am knitting it side to side. 188 stitches per row is a lot, but there will be so many fewer rows;)

Yes, I know I should have made a better swatch the first time around.

If you want to see happier WIP's visit Tami's Amis WIP Wednesdays..

Cool Tool 2

Why by cutesy short needles for narrow scarves?

DPN's plus flexible stitch markers, tiny o-rings, or elastic bands.  Good stitch holders, too.

Longmire

Weatherwise the kickoff weekend to the summer was pretty dismal: cold, dark, rainy. 

Knittingwise, it couldn't be better. The name of this yarn is Paradisus. That pretty much sums up the experience of knitting as I binge-watched Season 1 of Longmire.

Knit that man a scarf!

Beautiful scenery, good acting, interesting stories, cashmere, gorgeous texture stitch that can be knit by feel. Oh, and the scarf is to be a gift, so I don't feel like a selfish slug.

A scarf even Sheriff Walt could love.
Spirit Trail Fiberworks Paradisus.
2013 Knitting Club, Denali colorway.

"F" is for

Friday and for finished.

One of the two cushions is done.

Used Stitch Diva's 3-color Tunisian technique laid out in her Stashbuster Blanket pattern.

12" x 16" Complete with"decorator chop" styling;)

After I worked the top, I edged it with a couple of rows of slip stitch in the dark gray yarn, and then used that yarn to whip stitch the top to the gray felt back. Not the best yarn to use for sewing (loosely plied, breaks easily), but I think it looks good if you don't look too closely at my uneven whip stitches.

One down, one to go.

For more beautiful FO's:Tami's Amis

So Many Yarns

So Little Time. The knitter's bumper sticker.

The Knitter's Obstacle Course

Couldn't even tell you without looking what's in most of these bags and baskets. 

The carton is full of sock yarn leftovers to be sent to a fellow raveler who knits hats for preemies.

WIP Wednesday

WIP Wednesdays. Check out Tami's Amis blog for inspiration.

No shortage of WIP's around here. Took this one on vacation with me, but didn't knit a row. Picked it up again and progress is occurring. About halfway through now. About time--started this one in October.

Longshadows
 

I knit the scarf version of this design, which I eventually gave as a gift, but the yarn (Spirit Trail Fiberworks Nona) is so luscious that I wanted the larger wrap.

This time I am knitting from one end to the other instead of knitting from both ends to the middle and grafting. I don't want any finishing to stand in the way of getting this on my back. The pattern blocks out to a graceful line of leaves.

I love knitspot patterns. They are all very clearly written, beautifully charted, and the stitch patterns are always quite rhythmic and pleasurable to knit.  

Squoosh

Aptly named yarn base: Paradisus

Colorway:  Denali

May 2013 Knitting Club

Shaking

with excitement? Maybe that explains the slightly out of focus shot:

The Craft Cocktail of Yarn: Rowan Fine Art, sock yarn with merino(48%), kid mohair(20%), polyamide (25%), mulberry silk (10%).

Shade 302. Tawny.

The mohair was the clincher. 

Too many WIP's already, but will that stop me from casting on a pair of socks? Of course not, because they will be for me.

Cinderella

Slipper.

Coach.

Two things that caught my eye this week.

Inspiration for color and shape.

Books

What (Else) Would Madame Defarge Knit? Have you knit any good reads lately? 

Print copies now available. This time around, color photos of the designs. Comes with a pdf download containing links to tutorials and supplemental information. You can easily print the instructions if you are like me and never met a pattern you didn't want to scribble on.

Take a look at what's inside

My essay Intrepid Lady Detectives and cowl pattern, The Lady is a Ninja, inspired by Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, are among the 28 new designs and essays.

TO ORDER 

Kind of Blue?

Taken

Mood Indigo?
Taken

Hippolyta? 
Hippo Who? 

Moebius Unblocked

Sometimes the names for a design comes first, sometimes it comes later. Sometimes the one I think of first--someone else already used it. 

Want this to be named for a song. Want it to be about midnight. But don't want some of the connotations. Most of them are dire.

Lady Midnight? 
Leonard Cohen = depressing

Midnight from the Inside Out?
Perfect for a moebius, but, dude, The Black Crowes? Psychedelic or just plain psycho?

Burning of the Midnight Lamp?
Love Jimi Hendrix, but no one wants a flammable wrap.

In the Middle of the Night?
Billy Joel. Need I say more?

Couple of other ideas brewing. Need to finish up the pattern, though. Come to think of it, need to go grab it from the soak and block it.

Progress

Not necessarily on knitting and crocheting. That progress is occurring but not of the most exciting. 

But, ah, the progress of spring. 

Maybe a bit too much progress as we move rapidly from winter to summer. A bit early for the summery thunderstorm that blew through this evening.

So happy that these rhododendrons, which I didn't plant, are the palest pink and not Easter egg purple. So happy to see some rain.

Inspiration

If anything can drive me to colorwork (which I have pretty much avoided) it is the designseeds blog.

When I see these images I often feel a kinesthetic impulse to reach for the needles and knit. Sweaters? Socks? Mittens? You name it. Go see for yourself.

As much of a mood-lifter as cute overload (most of the time.)

Five

Five more socklette bits for Sock Heels workshop.

Remnants from projects of the past: Dream in Color Smooshy, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair, and something else.

Sock Train

Cast on: Ellington by Cookie A

Yarn:  Spirit Trail Fiberworks "Lina," February 2013 Knitting Club Colorway, 75% SW Corriedale, 25% Nylon, 115gm, 400yds

Ear Worm: Take the A Train

One Down

Five to go.

Socklettes, that is. Section of ribbing followed by a heel flap, or not.  

Homework for Heather Ordovers's Sock Heel Class next Saturday in Cambridge, MA.

At last! Some use for left over sock yarn.

For the first time in my life, I might actually have my homework done a few days in advance.

Second TIme

is a charm. I hope.

Knit this design once before. After being one of my least favorite items to knit and assemble, the sweater turned out to be one of my most favorite items to wear. But had to embrace the wabi-sabi elements (mis-knit stitches, lumpy seams, mysterious yarn-overs). Artisanal, indeed. 

The pattern was a bit fiddly, but fine. The yarn (Habu Cotton Gima), though, had a mind of its own,and the seaming was a challenge, to say the least. Let's just say that white glue was involved in the finishing process.

First 30 rows of Gisela.

Seems to be going more smoothly this time. Wooden straight needles.  Scrutinizing every few rows for dropped or knit together stitches. Marked up pattern miraculously available from the last time for row counts. Knitting body in one piece, and sleeves in the round, to avoid some of the seaming.

Whip It

Yes.  Whip it good? Maybe.

Couldn't resist playing with the camera app.
Phoenix Egg filter.

What's so hard about sewing seams? Done it a lot.  Like it, even. But the downside of the weirdo yarns is that they don't always behave very nicely.

The very things that make them interesting make them difficult to seam and this one was black too boot.

Mattress stitch? Forget about it.

This became a Knit-Cro-Sew project.

Crocheted the shoulder seams.  Crocheted the top edge of the sleeve then whip stitched it to the side. Whip stitched the sleeve and side seams.

Really should wash it and let it hang to dry, but it's wearable and the weather is getting warmer.