Percolating . . .

It's Monday, and I don't have anything new on the needles.  I spent a fair amount of time over the weekend browsing on Ravelry.  I have plenty of ideas - just haven't made any decisions yet.

While the possibilities percolate, I picked up a project that is almost finished.

This Love Note (Ravelry link) was hanging out near my desk all weekend.  Originally I had planned to finish it before Rhinebeck.  In the midst of Rhinebeck prep, I ran into some technology and equipment malfunctions that sucked up any extra time I had for knitting.  Now I've set Fiber Festival of New England as the deadline.  As long as I don't have any more breakdowns, this is totally realistic.

One more thought for today.  The Hope & Sunshine Fundraiser is running right now to raise money for breast cancer research.  Most of us have been touched by breast cancer in one way or another.  Follow the link for more information.  Donate and enter to win one of the fantastic fiber prizes.

Finding Momentum

I finished a couple projects recently and have shown great restraint by not casting on several new ones.  That's allowed me to focus my knitting time on the two main projects currently in rotation.  Yes, just two.  I know.  It's a novel idea.

I've made decent progress on the larger project.

This Love Note (Ravelry link) was my exclusive weekend project.  Since I don't have that many projects on the go right now, I've been knitting a few rounds here and there during the week.

I've made this sweater several times already, and I'll admit pattern familiarity makes for a quick knit.  I've split for the sleeves and am well on my way to the bottom ribbing. Maybe I'll wait a little longer to cast on something new.  Momentum is building to get this sweater off the needles. 

Fall Colors

Everyone I talk with is anxiously waiting for fall and cooler weather.  From my mechanic to the printer to the vet assistant . . . they're all done with summer.

It seems the weather forecast isn't quite on board with that shift, but my knitting has definitely crossed over. Note the colors.

This sample is finished and on its way to hang out in a shop.  I can probably share more details later.

And this Love Note (Ravelry link) is off to a good start. I've lost track of how many times I've made this pattern. I'm smitten with this rich autumn color.

Even though we don't have fall weather just yet, my knitting has definitely turned the seasonal corner. 

Love Note . . . Again

I gave myself a little extra knitting time this weekend and finished a couple things.  It's always such a good feeling to see empty needles.

This was a quick finish.  I didn't have much left on this Love Note (Ravelry link), but I did run out of yarn with just four rounds left at the bottom of the second sleeve.  I didn't want to break into a new skein for four rounds and a bind off, but I found a leftover bit kicking around.  All good.

I've made this sweater at least two other times, but this is the first one without the lace yoke.  Plain stockinette throughout.

Other mods . . . I made the body a little longer than the pattern suggests, and I added short rows to the back neck.  The yarn is Lillian held with Shimmer, both in Persimmon.

Since my usual Monday schedule is a little off with the holiday, I have some "extra time" on my hands.  I'll definitely be casting on something new later today.

The Third Time

I find if I knit a pattern more than once, the second time through is usually faster.  And if it's the third time, I almost know the pattern by heart.

This is my mohair blob, a.k.a. Love Note.  Yes, this is my third time with this pattern.  I'm making a couple changes, but it's still moving along at a pretty good clip.  Yesterday I separated the body and sleeves so at least now the rounds are shorter.  

Knitting with mohair isn't really mindless, but there's a certain comfort in knowing the ins and outs of a pattern.  If nothing else, it gives me time to ponder new projects.

April has been an interminably long month for me - I thought it would never end.  Maybe it's the general sameness of every day that's finally caught up with me.  I'm welcoming a new month and am excited to turn the calendar page tomorrow.

This week's color inspiration comes from a May Day celebration several years ago.

Around and around the maypole.

A Way Forward

I'm still mired in the events of the last few days, and that's where I should be.  This morning my brother sent a text and asked how I'm doing.  I'm not sure if he was referring to the pandemic or the response to racism that's been spreading across the country and the world.  The two events will forever be linked in history.

That text message got me thinking.  To be honest, most days I don't know how I'm doing.  What I do know is that I'm trying to figure out a way forward.  I hope you are too.

Off the needles.

My second Love Note.

The first one was a booth sample.  This one is mine.  You might see me wear this sweater if I'm ever on the road again at a fiber event.

I started this sweater because I needed a new project, and I couldn't decide on anything else.  It had been on my list for a while, and the timing was right.  It was the early days of our stay at home order, and I was struggling with anything resembling a routine.  This relaxing project with a little bit of lace kept me engaged.  It's been "almost finished" for quite a while now, so it feels good that it's officially done.

The yarn is Lillian and Shimmer, both in Pond Scum.

This week's color inspiration . . . 

Shifting shades from green to yellow.

On the Island

An update from sleeve island.

I landed on the island with the intention of making it a short stay.  After all we're in the midst of a pandemic, and my regular routine has been turned upside down.  With plenty of free time on my hands, I planned to quickly take care of business and leave the island in record time.

That probably would have worked, but I stopped along the way to play a little game.

Love Note.  I'm holding one strand of Lillian with one strand of Shimmer, colorway Pond Scum.  This is my first sleeve . . . almost long enough but not quite where I want it.  I stopped and put the stitches on hold so I could work the second sleeve.  Note that this sleeve is still attached to the balls of yarn.

Here's the second sleeve worked to the same point as the first sleeve.

This is where the game begins.

The mohair skeins have more yardage, so I have plenty of that to finish the sleeves.  It's the Lillian that I'm playing with.  I'd like to finish both sleeves with this ball of yarn.

Both sleeves still need a couple more rounds followed by a little bit of ribbing.  And then there's the bind off.  The question is whether or not I'll settle for sleeves that are a smidge shorter than I had originally planned just so I can get both of them out of this ball.

I was knitting away last night.  I've been weighing the yarn as I go but haven't put this ball on the scale since then.  That information might be very helpful or add to my indecision.

So this morning I wound another skein.

Just in case.

If you're looking for daily purpose during this pandemic, have you taken a look at your coffee grinder?

Over the weekend, I disassembled our coffee grinder in a completely unplanned moment of frenzied cleaning activity.  I don't know what came over me, but in a matter of minutes I had the thing in pieces. After cleaning it thoroughly inside and out, I put everything back together.  Now it runs like a top and practically gleams.  

Keep your eyes open.  Just when you think you've exhausted your list of daily purpose activities, you're bound to find something else that needs attention.

Some Good News

On this dreary, soggy Monday with gale force winds howling, I've been catching up on Some Good News.  This YouTube channel is hosted by John Krazinksi, aka Jim from The Office.  John highlights short segments of positive news.  It's a welcome relief and a breath of fresh air.  Check it out when you need a distraction.  It'll restore your faith in humanity.

In knitting news, I'm making progress on my Love Note after sorting out a couple snags in the lace section.

So far, so good.

Lace and Focus

Focused knitting can be challenging right now, but I didn't consider that when I cast on my newest project.

Love Note.  Yes, I've made this before, but this time around it's for me.  
I finished the lace section last night, and I must admit I had to rip back a couple times.  Not the whole lace section . . . just a round here and there.  As so often happens with lace, I got off track but didn't discover it until the following round.  Unfortunately the mistakes weren't ones that I could fix on the go, so each mistake meant I had to rip out a couple hundred stitches.  Add to that the mohair factor, and yes, it was time consuming.  But worth it.

Now that I'm on the other side of the lace, I'm anticipating smooth sailing.  My mind wanders a lot these days.  I should know better than to set myself up for mistake-free knitting, but for the moment I'm holding on to that hope.

Today's pandemic survival tip comes from the kitchen.  I deeply miss my busy work life.  Once upon a time (before a full schedule of yarn production and travel), I did a lot of cooking and baking.  

During this compulsory downtime, I'm making an effort to explore new recipes and make some family favorites.  I'm not whipping up something new every day.  Realistic goals get me through the day, and most of the recipes are fairly simple and don't require hours in the kitchen.  We're keeping our grocery store runs to a minimum, so it's a good opportunity to be creative with whatever is on hand.

Tomorrow (Saturday) I'm hosting another Knitting Hangout, 2:00 - 4:00 Eastern.  It's not just knitting chatter - all crafts are welcome.  To get in on the fun, send an email:  info@dirtywaterdyeworks.com.  I'll send the link.  If you've participated in the past, you'll automatically get the link.

I made bagels this morning.  These are a family favorite.  This week's color inspiration . . . 

Fresh baked goodness.

Lace and Travel

I'm gearing up for a road trip this week, and of course travel knitting is first and foremost on my mind.  I finished a couple projects recently, so I don't have that many things on the needles to choose from.

I really want to concentrate on this project, but lace doesn't usually lend itself to easy, effortless travel knitting.

This is Love Note.  I'm over halfway through the lace section.  If I finish knitting the lace before I hit the road, I'll definitely take this project along for the ride.  It's straight stockinette after the lace - perfect for knitting on the go.

If you're heading to Vermont Sheep & Wool this weekend, be sure to stop by our booth in the Vendor Pavilion.  It's going to be a fun fall weekend in Vermont!