Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Best Medicine

Just when everyone was finally healthy, it seems another winter virus has invaded our household.  One son is sick in bed, and the rest of us are scurrying to drink various concoctions and teas.  Yesterday I had a vague inkling I was coming down with something, but I chose to ignore it.  Today I'm determined to soldier on as best I can, albeit it at a more measured paced.

I haven't confined myself to the couch just yet because that will inevitably lead to endless napping.  The dye pots are on, but I've adjusted the schedule a bit.


To boost my spirits, I'm working on a new sock.  If you look closely near the needles, you'll see horizontal bands of texture emerging.  Things are starting to get interesting.  At this point, knitting and tea are probably my best medicine.

Monday, January 28, 2019

Using Leftovers

First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who came out for Farm Fiber Day yesterday.  It's always hard to tell what will happen when an event makes schedule changes, so it was encouraging to see so many familiar faces.  If you missed this one, there's another Farm Fiber Day on the calendar for March 3.

I have so many new project ideas it's hard to decide which one to tackle first.


The leftovers from my Pātiki Cowl were rolling around on my desk. Rather than sort out the details of a new project, I cast on another cowl.  I'll contemplate another project while I knit around and around.

Friday, January 25, 2019

Pātiki Cowl

I'm usually not very monogamous with my knitting projects, but every once in a while, I get hooked on one that I can't put down.


Pātiki Cowl.  The colorwork pattern in this design is addictive.  I don't know how many times I said, "Just one more round, just one more round."  Apparently I didn't get enough of this pattern because I've already put together another color combination that I'm anxious to cast on.

I used Lucia DK, Vermont and Sprinkles.  To make things easy, I've put together some bundles.  They'll be available this Sunday at Farm Fiber Day.

This week's color inspiration . . . 


Soft grays.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Color Choices

First a schedule alert.  This Sunday is Farm Fiber Day at the Wayland Winter Farmers' Market.  This event has shifted from Saturday to Sunday . . . less crowded, easier parking, longer hours.  It promises to be a fun day.  Follow the link for more information.

Color choices make a difference.  The other day I was working on a quick little project when I stopped and paused.


There was too much color overlap between the two skeins, and the lines weren't as distinct as I had envisioned.  I was tempted to rip everything out and start over, but it was late at night so I held off to assess the situation in the morning.  Not surprisingly the situation didn't look any different in the light of day.

For the sake of comparison, I started over with a different solid color and worked from the other end of the Sprinkles skein.


That's what I was looking for.  Clear, sharp, contrasting lines.  In case you're wondering, this is Pātiki Cowl.  Now that I've settled on the colors, I can't put this project down.

Monday, January 21, 2019

Snapshots from Slater Mill

Knitting Weekend at Slater Mill is always a favorite, and this time around was no exception.  We had a wonderful turnout in spite of a healthy dose of winter weather, and it was lovely to spend time with such enthusiastic, passionate knitters.

I'm fascinated with the mechanical operations of old mills.  Here's what caught my attention this weekend.





Today we're in the grips of an arctic blast.


It's a good excuse to curl up with my knitting and another cup of coffee.

Friday, January 18, 2019

Harlow

One more sample to round out my week.


Harlow.

This two-color design uses brioche to create a cozy, squishy hat.  I recommend this pattern if you're new to brioche.  The instructions are very well written and include helpful video links. 

The yarn is Lillian in Cool Waters and Dusk.


As a bonus the hat is completely reversible.  One of the beauties of brioche.  I'll have this sample on hand over the weekend at Slater Mill.

Weather Note.  A winter storm is headed our way, but Knitting Weekend is on!  Saturday looks good during the day, so the weather shouldn't be a factor.  Forget the long lines at the grocery store and head to Slater Mill instead.

I love the beach in winter, and that's where I found this week's color inspiration.


Peace, quiet, solitude.

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

The Girl from the Grocery Store

The threat of yarn chicken is over.


The Girl from the Grocery Store is off the needles.


The yarn is Lillian in Wineberry and March Sky.


If you'll remember, my ball of Wineberry was getting smaller and smaller, and I still had quite a few rows to go.


I don't know what I was worried about because I had plenty to spare.

This design features garter stitch, lace and stripes.  The size and shape make it easy to wear.  This shawl will be traveling to Rhode Island for Knitting Weekend.  If you're going to Slater Mill, stop by and take a look.

Monday, January 14, 2019

Sock Shortage

This morning I was rummaging through my socks and came to the realization that I don't have as many handknit socks as I thought I had. During the fall I had to retire several pairs due to wear and tear, and now I have a noticeable sock shortage.


I need to make sure socks are in my regular knitting rotation, so I took a little time to browse while I was working a few rounds.  In case you're wondering, I have Harlow on the needles.  I'd like something other than a plain vanilla sock.  What's your favorite sock pattern?

Friday, January 11, 2019

Wait and See

The race is on.  The other day I came up with a plan to avoid a game of yarn chicken.  Today I'm working on a project where yarn chicken seems inevitable.


I have 22 rows to get out of this rapidly disappearing ball, and the rows are getting longer and longer.  With this pattern there's no easy strategy to deal with a yarn shortage, so I've adopted a wait and see attitude.  If I'm short, I'll figure it out on the other end.

This week's color inspiration . . . 


Winter lights.

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Reckless Abandon

It's the new year, and I've given myself permission to cast on new projects with reckless abandon.  In the long run, that's probably not one of my better ideas, but for now I'm enjoying the open-ended freedom.


This little project has been nagging me for a while, so I finally got it on the needles.  Now I'm wondering why I waited so long because I'm mesmerized by this color play.

Monday, January 7, 2019

Yarn Strategy

I have a quick pair of mitts on the go, but there's a slight problem. According to my calculations, I don't have quite enough yarn.  I could plow right ahead and brace myself for a game of yarn chicken at the end, but instead I decided to do a little planning and avoid the game I almost always lose.


I looked at my odds and ends and found a delightful contrasting color. 
I added a couple stripes to tie everything together.  Right now I'm feeing confident about my strategy, but I won't claim success until I cross the finish line with two complete mitts.

Friday, January 4, 2019

Kobuk

I have a fresh hat off the needles.  I was debating whether or not to add a pompom when my fashion-conscious daughter chimed in that of course I had to use one.  I felt compelled to take her advice.


I started with this one . . . not too bad.  Since I have a few pompoms on hand, I did a quick swap.


I love these brown tones.  This one gets my vote.  The pattern is Kobuk.  The yarn is Lucia DK Biscuit held with Shimmer Pearl.


This design features twisted stitches and little bobbles for texture.


The mohair in the Shimmer gives an overall halo.  All the variety makes for a fun project.

A quick reminder that Knitting Weekend is right around the corner.  As of today there are still a few class openings.  Follow the link for more information.

This week's color inspiration . . .


Confetti remnants.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

A Short Week

Since we have an abbreviated work week, my expectations for productivity aren't very high.  That made it easy to start my day with a new project.


This is the Yarn Knot installment that shipped last month, and I have it earmarked for a hat.  I use the German twisted cast on for hats because it creates a nice elastic edge.  Check it out if you need to add a new cast on to your tool box.