Serenity Cowl

I need balance with my knitting projects, and it helps to have a variety on the needles.  I need something that's effortless and doesn't require a lot of thinking . . . good for social knitting and easy on the go.  And then I need a project that makes me work.  It might require some math and a chart or two, but at the very least I have to pay attention and count so I don't screw things up.

This one fits the effortless category.

Serenity Cowl.

Once you have this project up and running, you don't need the pattern. It's very intuitive, and the design is flexible enough that you can make adjustments to fit your needs.

The yarn is Flecks in Winter Blue.  This blend is coming soon to the website.

I want to make a quick plug for an auction running on Instagram. There are all sorts of fiber related items up for bid and proceeds will go to organizations dealing with the ongoing crisis in Australia.  Follow the link and take a look.

I captured this week's color inspiration last weekend at the greenhouse.

All the pinks.  

Listen to the Nagging

Yesterday I wound this yarn for a new project.

After I looked at the pattern, I decided to make a couple small modifications.

Halfway through the construction of the Latvian braid, I started to rethink the modifications.  I had added a purl round right below the braid, and the effect wasn't quite to my liking.

I knew this slight change was going to nag me and that it wouldn't go away.

Since I'm a well-seasoned knitter, I ripped back right away and got rid of the extra purl round.  It was inevitable.  Better to do it right away.  No sense in knitting another twenty rounds and then ripping.  Now I'm satisfied.

Pro tip:  It's better to rip out at the first sign of trouble.  It'll save you knitting time in the long run.

Boston Streets

Today the hat parade continues here on the blog.

Boston Streets.

This pattern is a basic ribbed hat, but it has a couple interesting design elements.  The brim is extra thick and includes a section with cables and texture.

The yarn is Lucia DK in the Acorn colorway.  Ribbing creates a very elastic, cozy fabric, and this hat will easily fit heads of all sizes.  The folded brim adds a layer.  If you're looking for a hat with extra warmth, this might be the one for you.

Experiments

Over the past few weeks I've been experimenting with new yarn bases and different colors.

It's always fun to play.

These colors and more be available on Sunday at Farm Fiber Day.  If you're planning to attend, stop by and take a look.  I've had many questions about listing them on the website.  We're working on it.

I love city murals and often take a few minutes to pause and appreciate them.  This week's color inspiration caught my eye recently.

Colorful angles.

Like a Recipe

Boston-area knitters, just a quick reminder that this Sunday is Farm Fiber Day, 10:00 - 3:00, hosted by the Wayland Winter Farmers' Market at Russell's Garden Center.

This event is a good time for everyone, and I'm really looking forward to it.  Come out and join in the fun.  This bustling market is fast and furious, so plan to get there early. 

I have a couple projects that are ready to come off the needles.

Serenity Cowl is one of them.  Sometimes I treat a pattern more like a recipe and tweak it here and there.  A little more of this, a little less of that.  I made some modifications when I started this project.  Now that I've reached the end, I need to decide how to finish it off.

Morning Light

It's a Monday holiday.  It doesn't really change my day except I have a little more flexibility with my time than I normally do on a Monday.

What did I do with that time?

I knit a few extra rounds with my morning coffee.  This is Boston Streets, and I've just started the cable section.  After slogging through a couple cable rounds last night, I found it's easier to work on this section in the morning light.  Plenty of coffee helps too.

Twistmas

I'm having a bit of a fling with hat knitting, and this is the most recent one to come off the needles.

Twistmas.

This design features twisted stitches that make a cozy, cushy fabric. The pattern calls for fingering weight doubled held with a strand of mohair.

I used our new Flecks in the Fog colorway held with Shimmer March Sky.  (Sorry, Flecks isn't listed on the website just yet, but it'll be available next weekend at Farm Fiber Day.)  If mohair isn't your thing, you could probably substitute a worsted weight yarn.  All in all a pretty quick knit that makes a warm, comfy hat.

I drive around in the winter evenings just so I can take in the lights. Every once in while, I stop to capture them.  This week's color inspiration . . . 

Back Bay lights.

Priority Rotation

Sometimes a deadline will creep up on me . . . even when I've allowed plenty of time.

My son made a knitting request early last month.  The next day I wound the yarn, cast on and knit a few rounds.  This will be perfect, I thought.  I'll have it done in time for his birthday in January.  And then I shifted my attention to other more pressing projects.

Yesterday I realized the month is moving along at a pretty quick clip, and my deadline isn't that far off any more.  With so many projects in the mix, I have a system where I concentrate on those that have an impending deadline.  I need to put this project in the priority rotation.

Just a reminder for Boston-area knitters that there's a Dirty Water DyeWorks trunk show going on at JP Knit & Stitch.

  
Hand dyed yarn, bundles and plenty of samples . . . stop by for ideas and inspiration.  The trunk show runs through this Sunday.

Make It a Large

I'm settling in with a large cup of coffee after a non-stop weekend at Slater Mill.  What a great crowd full of ideas, creativity, passion and inspiration.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by.

This new yarn made an appearance over the weekend, and it'll be on the website soon.  In the meantime I'm off to plot a couple new samples with this base.  But first, more coffee.

Still Packing

It's Friday afternoon before a show, and I'm still packing.  In all fairness I'm not leaving until early tomorrow morning, so I've convinced myself there's still plenty of time.  There isn't.

It doesn't help that I'm preoccupied with a new project.

I want to cast on this weekend, but there's a good chance that won't happen.  At the very least I can do a little swatching.

If you're heading to Slater Mill for Knitting Weekend, stop by and say hi.  My booth is on the first floor.

This week's color inspiration . . .

Shades of gold.

The Little Things

I enjoy being on the road with a well-stocked booth, but there's a lot of work behind the scenes to make it all happen.  Show prep continues here today with twisting, labels and samples.  I've already resolved a lighting issue for the booth, but there are a few more decisions to make and details to sort out.  It's a process.

In the midst of this swirl of activity, I have to pause and appreciate the random nature of some color combinations.

This collection of Shimmer is next in line for twisting.  I love the way these colors play together . . . so much potential.  Some days it's the little things.

Not One but Two

My schedule is always tight on Mondays.  True to form, today is slipping away from me at an alarming rate.  While I still have a little control over the situation, I thought I'd pop in with a quick project update.

After my Friday post where I mentioned one mistake, I looked a little more closely and discovered a second one.  I ripped back a couple rounds, straightened everything out and carried on over the weekend.

I'm happy to report that it's been smooth sailing since then.  I finished the outer layer of The Snuggle is Real, and I'm cruising along on the lining.  Plain old stockinette works up quickly.  I can't wait to tie everything together when I get to the bottom.

I Spoke Too Soon

First things first.  To get the new year off on the right foot, I updated the events list in the right sidebar.  

This is going to be a busy month.  On January 11 and 12, you'll find me at Slater Mill for Knitting Weekend.  This venue is one of my favorites. It's not very often I get to vend in a museum, and the whole weekend is loads of fun.  Be sure to check it out if you're in the area.  Take a look at the list for other events this month.

I was going to boast that my 2020 knitting is off to a good start.

And it is except as I sat down to write this post, I noticed a wee error in the picture.  Lo and behold I'm working this round with the wrong color. I'll have to back up several stitches and get back on track.  In the grand scheme of things, it's not a huge problem.  For those who are curious, this is The Snuggle is Real.

This week's color inspiration . . .

Well-worn blue mixed with shades of brown.