For the Weekend

It's a long weekend, and summer is drawing to a close.  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for fall.

I have a new project under construction.

This should keep me entertained.  What are you working on this weekend?

The color inspiration for this week . . . 

Beautiful blues.

Beating the Heat

We are still under an excessive heat warning, and the oppressive temps are interfering with my dyeing.  I start my day early and cut it short to avoid the hottest part of the day. 

In an effort to still be productive, I've been spending extra time on Ravelry.

It's never too hot to plan new projects.

And Then There Was One

The Crown Wools MKAL is drawing to a close, and I hate to see the adventure end.  I don't have a good track record with completing MKALs.  The clues keep coming and the project falls by the wayside as I get distracted with other projects and more pressing deadlines.  Not this time.

I started with this assortment.

I've worked my way through all these colorful little balls.

And this is the last one standing.

Over the weekend my daughter looked at my lap full of colorful knitting and asked what I'm making.  She had seen the yarn bundle when I started and knew about all the colors.  I started to hold it up and then I put it down.  "Wait until it's blocked.  It's going to be amazing."

Upended

All it took was one phone call to upend my plans for the day.  It's been one of those weeks, so I shouldn't have been too surprised.

I spent the morning formulating a new plan and working on a sock. This is the first of the 2 Color Socks.  Stripes combined with 
lace . . . very entertaining.  Now that I've had a chance to regroup, I can get back to work.

This week my color inspiration is a collection of shipping containers.

Like a crazy quilt.

Silver Lining

My day went sideways from the very beginning, but I found a silver lining.  It started with a visit to my mechanic and a 2-hour wait to diagnose a problem.  Fine with me.  I was prepared.

I'm finishing The Crown Wools clues from last week before the new clues come out tomorrow.  Thanks to my wait, there's a good chance I'll be caught up.

False Start

When I left you on Friday, I had ripped out my cowl.  I was tempted to cross that project off my list and move on to something else.  My project list is long, and I'm easily tempted, but later that day I gave the cowl another try.

This is the Beekeeper Cowl in a different color and at a slightly tighter gauge.  I'm thrilled with the results.  

Just remember, a false start doesn't have to signal the end of a project. Instead it can be an opportunity.  Tweak the details and make it a project you'll thoroughly enjoy.

Another reminder that this Saturday I'll be at Yarns in the Farms, 
10:00-4:00.

I'll have yarn, mini gradient bundles and new samples.  Stop by if you're in the area.

Back to the Drawing Board

It happens.  Sometimes the yarn and pattern I've chosen don't make a good match.  I was working on a cowl last night and had mixed feelings about the project.  Rather than make any rash decisions, I decided to sleep on it.

This morning when I was walking the dog, I had time to assess the situation.  I don't like the way this project is working up, so I'm not going to stay on the same path.  I thought it might be a gauge issue.  I changed needles and worked a little more.  That was better but still not great.  The stitch pattern wasn't showing up as much as I'd like.

Maybe the problem is the color of the yarn or maybe it's the pattern in general, but there was only one solution.

Time for a do-over.  Now I need to decide if I should pick a different color of yarn for this pattern or find a new pattern for this yarn.  Solve one problem and create a new one.

This week's color inspiration . . . a rainy evening along the Charles River.

Dusk and fog.