The Red Folder

Time is still blurry in this pandemic world, and it's hard to believe we're ready to turn the page on another month.  August is a vacation month for many.  For me it means fall is right around the corner, and I'd better get organized.

This morning I pulled out my red planning folder and a blank sheet of paper.  I'm always making notes with possibilities . . . patterns, color combos, random ideas.  Then I tuck them away in the red folder.

Now it's time to sort through the lists.  Samples, colors, kits, yarn        bases . . . what do I want to include for fall.  I'll be making decisions this weekend.  What's on your weekend agenda?

This week's color inspiration comes from our annual blueberry picking.  We picked in the rain this year, and we had the place to ourselves.  I have to say it was kind of nice.

The blues.

Sunday in Cambridge

My calendar is pretty bare, and in-person events are few and far between right now.  I have one event before fall, and it's happening this Sunday.

If you're in the Boston area and looking for something to do, Inman Eats + Crafts is happening on Sunday afternoon, 12:00 - 4:00.  This event is outdoors, and it's a fun way to support a wide range of local businesses.  Stop by and check it out.

That's it for now.  I'll give another schedule update heading into September.

Trial and Error

I know it doesn't look like much, but this represents my weekend knitting progress.

I had a rough idea, and by rough I mean I had a bundle I was trying to mesh with a loosely-written pattern.  It took two needles sizes, two different stitch counts and a lot of ripping out to get to this point.  

I think the current stitch count / needle combo is going to work.  I hope I didn't just jinx it by typing that.  It doesn't matter . . . I'm a long way from giving up.  If I have to rip back again, I will.  Stay tuned.

Finally Friday

What a long week!  It's Friday afternoon, and I'm ready to wrap up the dyeing part of my work week.

The weather has dried out a little bit and so has the yarn.  Now I have piles and piles of minis ready to go.  I'll be assembling bundles over the weekend.

This week's color inspiration . . .

Colorful houses.

In Case You Missed It . . .

I'm checking in with a quick reminder that Fiberworld is happening this week.  This is a virtual event, and I know you're maybe tired of Zoom.  Just click through and take a peek at the website.

Interesting classes and presentations, a marketplace and more . . . all from the comfort of your home.

I'll be live in my booth on the following days:

Thursday, July 22, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Eastern

Saturday, July 24, 10:00 am - noon Eastern

You can gain access to the booth through the Fiberworld website.

To celebrate this event, we have free shipping running now through the weekend.  No code needed.  You don't have to participate in Fiberworld to take advantage of this offer.

No More Room

I've been dyeing a lot of yarn . . . all day, every day for weeks.  Usually the dyeing process hums along without a hitch, but this morning I realized the system was backed up.  We've had so much rain this summer, and the damp, humid weather has slowed the drying part of the operation to a crawl.  I've run out of room to hang more wet skeins.

For today I've rearranged the dyeing schedule, and I have my fingers crossed that some of the almost dry skeins are ready to come off the racks in the next day or so.

In the meantime, I can do this.

Playing with color options . . . not a bad way to spend a rainy day.

Almost Finished

It's been a while since I finished anything, but today I got one project off the needles.

Livie (Ravelry link) is done . . . except for weaving in the ends and blocking.

Now I can justify playing with these.

New mini bundles coming this fall.

This week's color inspiration . . . 

Vivid magenta.

Short and Sweet

The other day I circled back to a shawl project already under construction.

This is Kymani.  I started the short row section, and I'm mesmerized.  Garter stitch back and forth.  Rows getting shorter and shorter.  Clever shaping.  It's magic.

Snark-O-Meter

It's that time of year.  Get ready for the annual Casapinka MKAL!

The first clue will drop on August 14.  Six clues over six weeks.

The project requires four skeins of fingering weight yarn.  We've put together a few new bundles in addition to the large selection already available.  Hop over to the website to see all the Lillian Bundle options.  Don't forget you can also select your own four colors of Lillian.  So many choices . . . picking colors is half the fun. 

On a Rainy Afternoon . . .

The news today is all about the weather as Tropical Storm Elsa moved in.  It's been raining hard . . . huge puddles, street flooding, strong winds.  This weather is good for knitting, and that's what I'll be doing after I finish my dyeing quota for the day.

My mo troppo (Ravelry link) update.

The stripes are finished, and I'm ready to start the next section.  Fun entertainment for a rainy afternoon.

This week's color inspiration has a little bit of everything.

A colorful jumble.

Upside Down

There's nothing like a power outage to turn my day upside down.  Like any good knitter, I picked up my needles when the power went out.

This is Boho Texture Triangle.  If you're looking for a project with variety, take a peek at this pattern.

Almost everything on today's to-do list required electricity.  Now that the power is back, I'm scrambling to get things done.  I'm off to twist a pile of skeins.

Testing, Testing . . .

The holiday weekend continues today, and I know I'll be struggling all week with the daily calendar.  I've been bouncing back and forth between projects this weekend and testing a couple new bases.

Swatching is the easy part.  Picking one base (or neither one) will be the hard part.  I had a slight preference before I started knitting.  Now I'm not so sure.  They both have pros and cons.  To be continued . . . 

On the Calendar

Happy holiday weekend!  All week it's felt like everyone was in vacation mode, so I'm just checking in with a quick schedule update.

Fiberworld is being held again later this month.  This virtual event features an impressive lineup of instructors and classes.  There's also a market and other activities.  Follow the link for more information.

This week's color inspiration . . .

Evening summer sky.