Blocking Tip

Warning:  not every project is appropriate for this technique.  Think before you block.

That final shawl for 2015 donating was giving me blocking fits.  Actually the issue was drying - or rather not drying on the time schedule I needed.  Yes, the knitting should not have been put off until the last minutes.  Lesson learned.

The drying issue was of my own making.  I picked up the "fold in half" tip from my daughter and lined every thing up.  The top garter edge wanted to be put on a blocking wire for straightness.  The bottom edge - the one with the mitered garter triangles was playing nice and behaving properly.  One wire plus some patting and mushing (technical blocking term) and I turned my back on the thing planning on just an hour of drying time. 

Guess what happens when you put wet wool - even superwash wool - on a towel that wicks away some of the water and then holds it nice and cool and wet?  Wet towel under two layers of damp wool does not dry as fast as you expect. 

NOTE:  Watched wet wool never dries. 

Remember that part about the bottom edge playing nice?  Well, it finally hit my thinking brain cell that I could suspend the wire across the knobs of an upper cabinet and let both sides dry.

Lickety split air drying.  No wonder my mother hung all the laundry out on a clothes line to dry.

Everything old is new again.

Mixing It Up Again

Knit stitches and crochet stitches together in the same piece!  Yippie.  I love mixing up stitches and playing with gauge.

Especially when a contrasting color crocheted slip stitch seam is worked on the public side.  And maybe a little addition to the hem.

This seam work and asymmetrical hem belong to a simple pullover that will function as my weekend wear.

This is Malabrigo Rios.  The superwash wool will make for easy care.  Color scheme is black, coco and teal feather.  

Oh, happy day.

Determined to Finish

Months ago, whilst on summer vacation, these mitered triangles were worked.  The yarn does all the work of changing colors.  I love this style of yarn because it removed the need to weave in a gazillion ends.


Summer was six months ago and still the thing isn't finished.  But I am determined.  

It was a simple thing to pick up stitches across the wide part of the triangle strip.  With simple garter edges and basic yarn over increases on each side a shawl is growing.

If I stay focused, this will be done in 2015.  The fact that the colors are very summery (at least for my way of thinking) I probably will not wear it until next summer.  As in 2016.  Which makes me wonder why I spend time trying to finish it this year.

HMMM.

Bowl-ing With Yarn

This is my kind of bowling!  A yarn bowl.  There are some who might think that this is a pure luxury item.  After all, a plastic bag or an old sock or just the table top work fine.

And given the choice between more yarn or a hand made pottery bowl that just holds yarn one is tempted to purchase more yarn.

But I am here to tell you that putting a ball of yarn in such a beautiful addition to the room's decor elevates a simple project into a work of art!

This is my bowl and I use it often.  Typically my "fill in" project is centered within and rests on the coffee table ready for a few stitches at any time of the day or night.

Yarn bowling.  I knew this whole thing is really exercise in disguise.

No Knitting Today

Way before the alarm did the buzz buzz thing, my feet were on the floor.  Coffee was brewed and email quickly scanned.  The plan was to finish major work on a new pullover.  I was so ahead of my normal time schedule that I returned from my morning two mile walk before I usually even get started on a normal day.

And now there is no knitting for me.

Someone has other plans.  

Crocheting With Friends

How do these things get started?  It is rarely my idea.  At least I don't think so.  There are a group of us who get excited about a pattern or "look" and then one person says the magic words and suddenly we have a small group knit/crochet - a - long.

Most recently, it was crochet.  One pattern, different yarns, different thoughts and we were off and running.  The crochet cowl we decided to make is huge.  Humongous.  Very long and wide.  Thus, you will not be surprised to find out that I shortened the thing.  Not in half like another in our motley group because I still wanted it to work doubled and be easy to pull over my head.  But math (with the help of two other number-type people) was done.

Just looking at the width on the pattern was scary, so I nixed repeating rounds and came up with the perfect size for me. 

The thing about the cowl that is most notable is the edging.  What looks like crochet bobbles is better described as closed clam shells.  It was a new stitch for me and I'm thrilled with the result.  Caution:  it takes a long time to work both edges; watch a movie and get a rhythm going.

About the yarn - also new for me.  This is Cascade Roslyn which is a wool and silk.  And I like it.  A lot.  Great for crochet work and I hear that it knits very well.

So, new math skills to reduce size of cowl, a new stitch for bobble edging and a new yarn to love.  No wonder I'm hooked.

Time Off

There is nothing like taking a break to recharge the old enthusiasm for sticks and hooks. 

One last chemo cap for donating was quickly finished and then a big and funky boredom set in.  There was a friend based CAL on the hook.  And the time-out-no-longer-a-rectangle beaded scarf was safely tucked into a bag.  And I was b.o.r.e.d. with knitting and crocheting.

As it happened, she who crochets and has blocking skill, called to say she was at the grocery store and wondered. . . .

"Need any thing?"
"Nope."
"WANT any thing?"
"Food coloring."

I'm calling this colorway Mowing Grass.






PS. I cast on two projects.  
The funk is over.  
Happy, happy, joy, joy. 
 

Shawl Blocking Tip

This tip comes to you and me from she who crochets - aka Daughter #1. 

She finished crocheting a new shawl to wear to the recent opening of the Branches Gallery which is the latest venture of The Knitting Tree, LA.  Every one who attended was bedecked in fiber of all forms.  It was glorious.

But I digress.

Check out the two stitch markers.  The shawl has three spines and she who crochets had marked each spine which makes it easy to work the increases without all that counting and worrying.

Her tip is leave the markers in place while blocking.  She wet blocked this wool/cashmere swath and then went to work folding it in half (the center spine marker) and matching up the points of the wings.  The next step was to match the shoulder/arm spines and pin in place - that is the photo.  It was so easy to get those points to be in alignment and make sure that the whole thing was equally blocked.  Folding in half really helps; the markers guarantees precision; and then it takes almost no stress to pin or wire up the remaining edges.

What a great tip! 

In There Somewhere

Knitters and crocheters are so generous!  Look at that pile of gifts.  Amazing. 

A six foot table filled with warm scarves, with the occasional hat tossed in for good measure.  You will notice that each one plays around with the red colorway.

Why red?  So glad you asked.

The Riverside Knitting Guild added the Red Scarf Project to a growing list of charitable endeavors.  Now don't go thinking that anything else was short changed.  Oh, NO.  This was in addition to Precious Pals, hats for premature babies, lap robes for vets, toys for the animal shelter and more.

Somewhere in that huge pile is my contribution. 

You can read about the Red Scarf Project over here.  Scroll down for info and links.  It is not too early to raid your stash and find suitable yarn for 2016. 

TaDa!

There comes that point when every artist needs alone time.  Can you say "retreat?"  I'm not talking about going to a retreat with other artsy types and joining forces to enjoy the chosen medium.  I'm talking about going away - A.L.O.N.E.

It might be hiding the the bathroom or a solo picnic or a long walk or whatever works for you, the individual.

Those socks kept staring at me.  Waiting on me.  Mocking me. 

Well, not any more!  I retreated all the way to the courtyard.  Streaming video, an umbrella for shade and the breeze keeping me cool so that I could knit.  And I knit. 

And the socks, now named Stanley, are done.  Nice squishy ribbed all the way like tube socks and friggin' wonderful. 

The specifics:
Indigodragonfly yarn.  Try it.  It is fabulous.

Colorway "It's all fun and games until someone. . . " special from Yarnover Truck.   They always have something exciting.

Pattern - what pattern.  There ain't no pattern.  Make a toe that fits you and then rib until you can't take it any more or your yarn ball, which for the most part was happy pulling from inside and outside so as to work 2@time, finally collapses on itself and flips over into a wad of knotted mess and the only way to save your sanity is to tease out enough yarn to bind off and call it a day.

Postscript.  It took less than two hours to untangle the remains of the yarn.  

Extra Postscript.  My blood pressure has returned to normal.

When The Timeline Is Too Long

This "extra" pair of tube socks is not needed until mid-December. 

And they are not knitting themselves.

Been putzin' on them for months.

And still not done.

Shoulda cast on with only one week to knit.

Harmony - the waiting is over

Pattern:  Madrigal by Susan Dingle. 

Modifications were made:

No collar
Added beads
Changed a few color locations & patterns
Cuffs are just 5 rounds of ribbing

My yarn selections (with much input from my friends at The Knitting Tree, LA):

Lana Grossa Lace Lux in Aubergine

Lang Yarns Asia in color 25

Baah! La Jolla in Amore

Knitwhits Freia Handpaint Freia Ombre Sport in Cochinilla

For me, having the darker colors at the bottom make sense.  I like the way it grounds a piece.   Take a look (click on image to enlarge) at the back to see how that impacts the use of the ombre.  Starting with the darkest shade of the Freia at the first use on the bottom (bottom left just after the lace), the shades were then allowed to be what came off the ball as it was incorporated into various sections across the back - working both "sides" from the same ball so that the color flowed into the purple/pink toward the shoulder area. 

It makes me happy.  You do what makes you happy.  That way we are all happy with our individual creations.

 About the buttons.  These are glass.  The moment that I saw them, I knew they were the perfect and necessary addition to what has become Harmony.  Can you say serendipity?

Because the buttons are different shapes & sizes, one buttonhole is larger than the other. . .

Call the knitting police, cuz I am quite certain that isn't part of the rules.

Harmony is a statement piece for sure.  The pattern requires time.  Time for selecting just the right yarn and color combination.  Time for deciding which is color A, B, C and D.  Time for giving up on A, B, C, D and just going with your heart.  Time for finding the right buttons to flow into your knitting.  Time to give up on the thing and pull out the crochet hook and slip stitch all the pieces together.  Time for gloating.

Thank you, gentle reader, for allowing me to gloat.

Above photos Credit:  She Who Crochets.

And Now We Wait

Earlier in the month I teased you with what was on the needles.   Well, it is now off the needles.  That's right - the knitting is done.  And the soaking is over. 

And now we wait for the drying.

I figure it might be dry by tomorrow, if I remember to flip it over.

This is Madrigal and you can learn about it over here.  Madrigal is an oversized cross between a cardigan and a poncho.  Lots of fun stitch patterns are scattered throughout the knitting.  It was an interesting few weeks - but frankly, I'm glad it is over.

Yes, I added beads because bling is good.

Yes, I still need to add the buttons.

Yes, there are a zillion ends to snip.  For the most part I remembered to weave in whilst knitting.   But sometimes I forgot. 

No, I did not follow the pattern exactly.  The collar is omitted and basic single crochet finishes the neck.

So.  I wrote this whole post and still the thing isn't dry.  A whole fifteen minutes!  It's gonna be a long wait. 

Such is life.

Every Year - Again

It has been a while since I begged reminded you to think outside of your close circle of family and friends and do for others.

Yes, it is the season when the Stewart household ramps up crocheting and knitting for donating to others.  She who crochets has set aside a bag that she wants filled with items.   Already she crocheted two soft machine washable hats suitable for those undergoing chemo or for young adult programs. 

And that was just this weekend.  Her hook was flying! 

I am working on my second project of the donating season.  This is a crochet mesh poncho-ish shoulder wrap called Asymmetrical Neckwarmer and is available free here.

The mesh part is being blocked before I stitch it together.  The pattern has post work around the neck part - thus the "warmer" in the name.  Whether or not to add a bulky neck for wearing in Los Angeles is the big question.  I'll let the Spirit of Crochet guide me later today.

So, what's in your donation bag????

The Test Ends

 It is all over but the ends.  A few snips of the snips and two additional tails to secure firmly and then you will hear me shout.

Voila!

This was a fun test knit.  The Freia Ombre Sport does most of the work.  I love the way it moves.  Click on the link for an OOH and AAH private moment.

Mostly, I weave in ends as the knitting progresses and leave the tail dangling throughout the blocking process.  When I rechecked the dry shawl, I noticed two spots that can use a little attention and those are secure, just not as pretty as I like.  Five minutes - and the first three are for finding the needle and scissors - and all will be well.

The Freia is enhanced with Malabrigo Rios Coco

The pink pop is Tosh Merino Light in the Posy colorway.


Are you intrigued?

The pattern, which has been renamed Dewpoint,  will be available in kit form (limited availability) at The Knitting Tree, LA booth at Yarnosphere and then available from  Christopher Bahls via Ravelry. 

For the Dewpoint kits, Chris supervised the selection of several different color combinations.  Neutrals, hot hot color, deep or bright.  It doesn't really matter.  Dewpoint is fabulous.

And yes, there is plenty of time to add it to your holiday gift knitting!

Knittus Interruptus

 This is really what is on the needles right now.  A friend - and very fast knitter - is also making it.  We want to show how the same pattern is interpreted by different yarn artists.  We are even using one yarn that is the same.  So far, she is way ahead of me.   That's OK because it is not a competition.  I've named my project Sister-in-yarn.  Because we are.

In order to work on this, (Yes, I am a tease.  More info to come when success is achieved.) I had to put aside the sample that must be ready for showing in two weeks.  And in order to do the sample the winter tube socks were interrupted.

In the midst of interrupting necessary knitting for fun knitting I found this Happy Fuzzy yarn in color Verdigris that will be the base for my new copper beads.  I only went bead shopping to seek out the perfect embellishment for the Sister-in-yarn above.  As often happens, the first thing that flashed before my eyes was not the object of the shopping but instead a tube of copper beads was sparkling and winking at me.  I grabbed. 

On a side note, copper beads are heavier than "regular" beads used for knitting so I'm quite worried about using them on the lace Verdigris yarn.    Copper.  Verdigris.  Some days I crack me up.

Anyway, I was going to put aside the Sister-in-yarn to work on the lace and a design was & is swirling in dreamland.

But then this happened.

A friend has designed a new shawl and someone begged and begged and begged to be the pattern tester.  And she got the draft pattern via email. 

Knittus Interruptus Iterum.

If Only The Weather Would Cooperate

She is named Day By Day because she will be my workhorse daily wear sweater that replaces my much beloved and over worn Mr. Green Jeans. 

Paulie is the basis for her and is available free at this link.  Day By Day is knit with Woolfolk Sno (perfection in a skein) and highlighted with a random sock yarn from the stash.  Check out the current Woolfolk offerings over at this shop.

Here is  Day By Day, knit up by moi.

 I know, I know.  Poor photo.  But it shows what one goes through to make sure that a top down is gonna fit the wearer.  I am currently between sizes as the pattern is written.  So I cast on for the smaller size using a needle one size larger than recommended.  To my warped thinking, too few stitches made too large should equal something in the middle.  I did have to add a bit of no increasing plain rows to make the arm hole fit the way I like.  But all in all it was successful.


The neck of Paulie is knit  when adding the button band.  Because the neck (that being the different color in this photo) is shaped using short rows and the old wrap & turn is - well - old, I used German Short rows which are, to my fingers, much quicker and simpler.

The i-cord bind off really finishes the sweater nicely.
 Here I am, proving that the neck, worked per the pattern, is really fantastic.  I love how it fits up a bit and blocks the blowing wind from giving me a chill.  Check out the pattern and you will notice that the collar is intended to fold back like a shawl collar.

I prefer it this way.  'Nuf said.

Because I did not work stripes, I added a bit of crochet chain to finish off the sleeves, which for me are full length. 

Because I wanted full length sleeves. 

Because one day it will actually be chilly enough to wear a wool sweater in Los Angeles.

If only the weather would cooperate. . . . . .

And Barbara Is Her Name

The pineapple shawl wants to be called Barbara.

It was actually a blast to make.  And I already told you about the exhaustion that resulted from blocking it.  So all in all - this is a winner.

The elongated triangle construction makes wearing it kinda non-traditional.  The pointy end easily weaves into the open work so that it "closes" into a wrap and the pineapples really show up.  Or it can be work like a traditional scrunched up scarf/shawlette thing.  What ever floats your boat.

Hint:  Use the chart!  Reading the words is not the best approach.  I enlarged the chart so that it was easier to see.  Use the chart!


All of that crawling on the floor to block the thing and get the picot points in order was worth it.  Oh sure, it will get a bit wonky after a few wearings but it looks great for now and I am pleased.

Thank You Zsuzsanna Makai

Zsuzsanna Makai and the Ananas Shawl.  Loved making the project.  Thank you so much.

Side note:  Yes, the Freia yarn bleeds a bit when wet washed.  Do not panic.  I've used the stuff enough to know what happens.  And I prefer to rinse out the excess than to have it transfer to my clothing.  Cool water and no-rinse wool wash of your choosing is all that is needed.

 Look at all the little pineapples!  This pattern blocked perfectly and really opened up the stitches.  Because I added a full repeat mine was longer than the 60" of the pattern. 

And that forced me to block the thing on the floor and then I had to crawl around on hands and knees making sure that the point stayed put on the extra towel while I ran the blocking wire through the picots on the wide edge and then I had to pull the width into shape so the little pineapples opened up and the plain rows were actually straighter than in this photo and then re-pin the point and make sure the picots were evenly spaced on the wire and pinned into the mat and then I was tired and I took  a nap.

Yarn Stash To The Rescue

The new Interweave Crochet just might be the best thing of the whole season.  As soon as it arrived at the store, I bought a personal copy.   Check out the cover pattern - pineapples on a huge triangle shawl.

Please know that I do not enjoy the crochet pineapple.  My mother and her sister could whip out those "old" doilies [in thread crochet!] without looking at a pattern and faster than I could crochet a Barbie skirt.  Hey - I was only 8 or 10.  What do you expect?

Well, anyway, I put away my disdain for the pineapple stitch pattern and put my hand into the stash.  I knew exactly where the three balls were waiting.  MY COLORS in Freia were just hanging around and hoping for the perfect pattern and this was it.

A very fast hook.  Very fast.  And check out the color shift.  Green became shaded and morphed into blue.

Love it.  Must work faster and faster and faster.

Tiny BIG Impact

Beads.  Sparkles.  Glitter.  Shimmer.  Shine.

Call it what you want - this old gal loves bling.  I will buy yarn with shimmer thread twisted into it.  I will buy yarn with beads and dangles and stuff already attached.  And I am not bothered by slipping on bling stitch by stitch with a tiny steel hook.

Yes, I did buy  Swarovski Crystals for my knitting.  These lovely additions are a huge impact even when used sparingly.

This, my friends, is an alpaca cowl with a line of crystal - such a huge result from tiny little bits! The yarn is lace weight and all from Ebony Rose who once upon a time lived in Anza Valley.  Although small and light weight, this cowl is overly warm for Los Angeles.  It might need to go on a trip to the cold so that it can perform admirably and attract attention for the rose colored crystals gracing the Ebony Rose yarn.

PS.  Yes, I also gifted myself the Swarovski stitch markers.

Sno Knitting In An Air Conditioned World

There is not a whole lot of interesting anything to report on the new cardi for me.  The most exciting thing that happened was the separating of sleeves.

Now I am faced with a long, long length of stockinette followed by a whopping 1.5 inch of garter.  Then the same thing for the sleeves.

In all probability, there won't be anything to say, photograph or report on this one until the embellishment phase begins (yes, I have a plan!).  So you might as well enjoy this photo.

Sno Days!

Whippie!  The Sno days are here. 

Now, don't go thinking that I have totally lost it.  Yes, this is Los Angeles.  Yes, it is the First of September.  Yes, the sun is shining and it is warm.

But - and this is important - the good folks at Woolfolk are shipping new colors and a new line called Sno.  I have waited and waited since the new twist of colors was announced. For weeks (or so it seemed) I bugged the rest of the staff and I worried and I even pre-claimed the new green/black colorway.  As soon as it arrived at The Knitting Tree, LA, I pounced. 

Now it is mine - and I am casting on for my Sno cardigan. 

Due to needing to finish a shop sample and a big family event there was actually only one (1) project on my needles when I approached the swift this morning.

Needless to say, the Sno is drifting to the needles and the cardigan stitches are piling up fast.  Stitch markers are in place and this old gal is happy playing with Sno. 

The Perfect Occasion

You know that moment when you have the perfect outfit for the perfect occasion and all that is needed is to reach in the closet and Voila!?  That was my yesterday.

Thanks to a free pattern from Knitting Fever and the perfect summer yarn from Noro, I was ready and feeling happy.

TaDa!  Let the temperature rise and the sun keep shining.  I love this bit of mesh crochet.  The Noro Kibou is a cotton, wool, silk blend - just perfect for August.  And probably September, too, given the long range weather prediction.

 I even had sunglasses with frames to match the look.

Feelin' good!

Update: Time Out Project

Recently, I confessed a failure on the needles.  Utter Failure. 

Once upon a time (during the early days of the relationship) every stitch was humming along.  All was lace filled thrills and smooth going.

And then the whole wad became hidden in a project bag and given corrective action:  48 hours of banishment.

It turned out that forty-eight hours was too long.  I dreamed (literally - even waking up and turning on a light to make sure the solution still made sense whilst awake)  and started a new day energized at the brilliance of the solution that would solve the problem.

One hour.  For one solid hour I wore the "big & powerful" glasses and worked stitch by stitch manipulating the yarn just so.  It was slow going.  Perseverance and determination were required.  Tunes were played.  Caffeine was consumed. 

The answer to the problem, in the end, was so obvious.

The whole wad - bag & all - is now banished to the back of the closet.  It was either send that mess off to think about what it had done or I was the one who would be needing yarn therapy.

And that's all I'm gonna say about it.

Except for this.  I ended up in yarn therapy.  Two skeins later, my delight with all thing yarn has returned.  OH, happy day.

Toasty Warm

The local news today is filled with coverage of the late summer heat.  Thoughts of summer are swirling in my mind and hot weather is impacting my knitting.  A linen/silk blend is in time out because it was not playing nice.  While it learns a lesson,  100% silk hit the needles.

Summer of another kind is also impacting my work.  In the dead of winter here in the northern hemisphere, I'll be vacationing far south in the southern hemisphere - at the bottom of the earth where summer is not as hot as it is here in Los Angeles.

So I made this.  It is an ear warmer headband made from Madelinetosh Tosh Merino held double.  The pattern is great and it is available free.  Snow Trails Ear Warmers  is easily adjustable to fit any adult head and with thought on the size of the ear cover parts, it would work for older kids and teens.  You might also be interested to know that this is a quick knit.  It worked up in just one afternoon!

There is still one skein and a tad left from making this.  I'm thinking of either another hat or a fluffy cowl.  This yarn would look smashing worked with a herringbone stitch.

Yep, I will be toasty warm even when "summer" is freezing cold.

Success, Failure and Hope

What a weekend!  There was almost no down time.  What with a meeting, a program of really interesting small project ideas, shopping, cleaning, cooking and supporting our local Food Truck event, I am worn out.

There was success on the yarn front.  I made a bright green bulky weight snug fitting hat for me because this winter, the man & I have a huge  trip and such things are needed.

After the last big trip, we discovered that our travel washcloths (yes, I do bring hand knit or crochet washcloths when I travel) are getting a little worn.  That brown boring thing in the photo is the beginning of a new travel cloth.  This time I'm trying Hempathy.  It will be interesting to see how it holds up.

And then there is the project bag.  It is hiding an utter failure.  I'm so distraught over the wrongness that I refuse to show what went wrong.  It is one of those things where with each stitch I knew it was not working out.  It practically screamed, "This ain't gonna work."

Finally, when the thing was half put together, I was forced to accept the inevitable.  TIME OUT!  In that bag is a wad of knitted stuff and more yarn.  And I'm not looking at it. . . . until I find my nerve to do what needs doing and just fix the thing.  I know what to do.  I don't want to do it.

So I cast on for more warm head gear to distract myself.  But there is hope.  I've set myself a goal of opening the bag and taking a calming breath within the next forty-eight hours.

Prayers are welcome.

Fun Things That Happened Recently

 Fun Thing #1.  I was asked to design a hat for an upcoming e-collection.  The requirements are simple:  worsted weight & for the head.  There is a restriction on the name of each hat - but let's keep that surprise for another day.

Malabrigo Rios is my yarn of choice.  The pattern has a strong nod to history and the Los Angeles car culture.  And just for fun, it combines a narrow TSS (Tunisian Simple Stitch) band with stockinette knitting.  The narrow width of the band means that no special hook is required.  However, an embellishment of bling is strongly suggested.

 From what I understand, there will be five or six hats in the collection.  Watch for this to be release by The Knitting Tree, LA.

 Fun Thing #2. 
It is sample making season!  Well, it always seems to be sample making season in the yarn shop world.  But I returned from extended vacation to a whole heap of work that needs doing. 

This is the back and front panels for Rialto Ribbed Top from Quaternity Knits.  The yarn is Interlacements Irish Linen which just happens to be perfect for southern California - or any hot prone climate - due to its blend of linen, cotton and rayon. 

The top parts go in the "other" direction so it will be fun to watch the yarn do its thing.  Quaternity Knits patterns always have a lovely twist that keeps the making fun and interesting.  Check it out.

Fun Thing #3.  The Los Angeles Quilt Show and Fiber Festival just ended.  It included lots of fun vendors offering quilt and fiber supplies.  (Bet you didn't expect that!)  My Plumage was on display.   The pattern is Crochet Sweater which is free from Knitting Fever.  This fun openwork is only two balls of Noro Kibou. 

This sweater has also been to Vogue Live that was in Pasadena  and to TKGA/CGOA down in San Diego.  The weird thing is that this is one thing I made just for me - and I have yet to wear it out in public.  But I should get it back this week and have it for the remainder of this slow moving summer.

The End Is NOT In Sight

Summer has settled down for a long drawn out stay.  Heat and humidity make it hard to think of long sleeved wool sweaters.  So most things on the hooks and needles are light and breathable fibers.

Like this one.  Right now, I call it I-Summer.  The colors will make me think that cooler temps are on the way even though the dog days hang around.

The pattern is free and you can find a link here.  The pattern is from Lion Brand.  What I like is that it is adaptable to what the knitter wants to do.  I only did one lace pattern and color blocks & stripes for the rest. 


Right now, the neck opening is looking rather sloppy and the option to pick up and knit a few rows of ribbing is in my brain.  That should give a finished look more to my liking than the purl rounds of the pattern.

But we will all have to wait and see how the yarn holds out.  Cutting it close with the orange.