Stash Down Buffet

I've got my work cut out for me this year:  Two large afghans for the nieces, another blanket, and the Spirit Trail Fiberworks* Stash Down projects.

I'm hoping giving myself these marching orders will cut down on my crafting distractibility. Oh, call it what it is, outright attention deficit disorder.  It's what led to a closet and a half full of yarn, a slew of unfinished projects, and a general sense of chaos.

I've winnowed the huge pile of Spirit Trail Fiberworks down to this:

Which I hope to turn into this:

1.  Finish the (unpictured) unfinished:

Hidden Gusset Mitts
Glasgow Rose Shawl
Caissa Sweater

2.  Start and finish the unstated (clockwise from upper left):

Brigantia (Sweater Club 2014 blue)  Laurie pullover  Worked at a loose gauge, this should be a quick knit, and be a great sweater to wear with jeans.  It is knit without seams, but I may add faux seams after the fact because I like the structure, and I am too lazy to work out how to knit it in pieces.

Verdande (Sweater Club 2014 red) Adventurous cardigan.  A more ambitious project, but the yarn has excellent stitch definition and will do justice to the cables.  This is a very long coat sweater.  Since I may be a little short of yarn, the fact that it is knit from the top down is a plus.

Birte (Inkheart, Saffron, Glencoe, Graphite, Rosewood) Oslo Shawl.  After much procrastination:  color work.  One knitter commented that this was a good beginning colorwork project.

Sunna (Knitting Club yarn crimson and green) Faberge.  I have loved this pattern since the minute I saw it, and have dithered for years about what yarns to use.  This one is knit from the ruffled edging up, which will be fun, and for although I am someone whose wardrobe resemble's that of a yoga-pant- wearing nun's, I do love a bit of beaded bling.

3.  I'll be throwing in a design project or too, yarn to be announced.

Wish me luck.



*The auto-correct wants to substitute "Fireworks" for "Fiberworks" which is appropriate when you look at the intense, luminous colors of the yarn.

Treasured Finish

Grabbed this to wear the other day with a light jacket.  Found out that it is really warm.  Too warm for the day I wore it.  Found out that it is easily squashed down into a bag, without weighing it down. Will be just the thing in a week or two when November rolls around.

Pattern:  Treasures in the Sand Wrap by Susan Carlson. Clear directions, and great styling photos.

Yarn:  Brooklyn Tweed Loft in (from the top): Fossil, Woodsmoke, Sweatshirt, Soot, and Sap (contrast and edging). Those names. Hand me my axe. I always feel like I should be wearing hiking boots when I knit with Brooklyn Tweed yarns. 

Succumbed to Temptation 

(ravelry project page)

I was on a mission to finish off all the things I didn't get to over the summer, but this pattern grabbed me and wouldn't let go.  I had Loft on hand in various neutrals and away I went.  Excellent crocheting project for TV.

Hazy Shades of Winter in Progress

The sun is elusive these days, and we are hunkering down once again for Arctic weather.

That's a concrete toad,
not a lump of dirt.

Good weather for knitting and progress is occurring on several projects.

1.  Biggie Cowl

Cabled center complete. Working on
welted border.

This is going to be huge, and will look great, but I am not thrilled with the actual knitting. The microfiber/acrylic is hard on the hands, especially when doubled, but it's for the Vegan Niece, so no animal fibers allowed;)

2.  Ysolda's Mystery KAL: Follow Your Arrow

No real spoiler here, but
you can see more here.

This is an extremely fun KAL. Five clues, each clue has two options, and you can do single color or multi-color. The knitting includes stockinette, garter stitch, simple lace motifs, and short rows. The group is very supportive and Ysolda has posted some very helpful videos.

I love the yarn that I am using:  Quince & Co. Tern a 70/30 wool/silk blend fingering yarn in the colorways Oyster and Barnacle.


3. Uma Sweater

Doesn't look much different from last Wednesday, except for having two thirds of an arm now.

Think I'm on track to finish the cowl and sweater by the end of January. The KAL extends into February.

To see some other work in progress, visit Tami's Amis.

FO Score: Fantasy 1, Reality 0

Long ago, in a universe far away, there was no ravelry. There was an internet, and for some reason, I found out about and signed up for the Rowan Yarn club. I stayed with it for a few issues of the magazine, and for some reason this project (Bark) captured my imagination. Not because of the blond guy in the skirt. Because of the thick shoulder shawl. 

SHE: Why are you wearing that thing around your waist?
HE: Same reason you are wearing that thing around your shoulders.
SHE: I can't wait to get home and wash my hair.

I acquired the yarn. I held on to the Rowanesque fantasy of somewhere in the countryside (British), somewhere in time (not the 21st century). Oh, let's add in someone thinner, younger, blonder, more Bohemian.

All that super-bulky yarn took up a lot of space, both in the closet and in my mind.

Eventually, this is what happened:

There is almost as much yarn left over
as was used up. Maybe I should crochet a few hats.

One of the most bizarre projects ever. This thing is a quarter circle, crocheted in super-bulky yarn. Trust me, it doesn't look quite the same over yoga pants and a fleece jersey as it does over a plaid shmatte next to a hunk and a tree. Very appropriate for the Polar Vortex, I guess, but I'm hoping one of the style-nieces will take it off my hands:)

For less weird finished items, go visit Tami's Amis.

A Storm of Finishing

Many things have come off the hooks and needles in the last couple of weeks in a holiday frenzy.  Here are some of them:

1.  Vertiginous (San Juan Bautista Shawl KAL)

Interesting construction and a nice birthday gift for my sister.

2.  Erica (Woolly Wormhead Mystery KAL Hat)

This is a wonderful hat; be sure to check out the many finished hats on ravelry to see how cute the version with the peaked brim is.


4.  Beetle Hill (Infinity Scarf)

Gift for my niece, it is a chunky version of the Fisher Hill Cowl I made for myself. I used two yarns held together, a worsted weight plus a sock yarn.

Now go on over to Tami's Amis and see what else has come off the hooks and needles this week.

WIP-A-Lot

Progress on three fronts this week, but no prospect of anything being finished before Friday.

Uma Sweater: top down construction, and almost to the point where the front and back are joined under the arms. Went on short hiatus so I could have the recipient try it on before I got too far along. Yes! I chose the correct size.

Woolly Wormhead Mystery Hat KAL: second of three clues released this week, and almost finished with that clue. The design features twisted stitches that create a beautiful raised pattern.

San Juan Bautista KAL: easy but very interesting construction and shape. Starts narrow and widens out into a dramatic swirl.

This shawl is designed by Elizabeth Green-Musselman and appears in the book Hitch:Patterns Inspired by the Films of Alfred Hitchcock. Her inspiration was the poster for the film Vertigo.
The designs in the book include a number of elegant sweaters as well as sophisticated accessories, and the samples are all worked up in a palette of cream, red and shades of gray.

Knitting this got me to watch Vertigo the other night. I really love "living in the future": I could rent it on my computer and stream it on my TV. Plus, the popcorn we make at home is so much tastier than the stuff in the theater:)

Take a look at what the others have on the go at Tami's Amis.