I’ve got 2 patterns that went up today.
Cloisters Wrap….
Cloisters recalls the architecture of the buildings that housed monastic communities of women. Delicate traceries of lace recall the ornate grills that separated the cloister from the public in visiting parlours, while peaked arches mimic graceful spires and alcoves.
This wrap is worked from one short edge to the other with no grafting and joining in the middle. The border patterns are designed to be similar enough to match, but not exactly the same.
More info and purchase options in the shop and on Ravelry.
AND…. Tart Lime
Ribbing flows smoothly into twisted stitch cables, for a subtley shifting texture that creates a squishy and comfortable sock.
The stitch motif eases out of the ribbing at the cuff and decreases back into the ribbing on the top of the foot, mimicking the peaks and valleys of the stitch pattern.
More info and purchase options in the shop and on Ravelry.
My lovely friend Anne is having a birthday today! Go give her some love!
You’d better be wearing your tiara today!
Love you Anne! Glad you’ve made it another time around the sun.
M
I also finished this one way back, and had been wearing it, but hadn’t blocked it yet. So I took the time to block it on Friday and got some photos. I love it even more now that it’s blocked.
Pattern: Phyllo Yoked Pullover by Norah Gaughan from Knitting Nature. Raveled
Yarn: 6 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in color 48
Needles: 3.75 mm (US 5) and 3.25 (US 3) for collar and bind off.
Modifications: None at all. Although I did block it out to be a bit longer than I think it was supposed to be to accomodate for Silky Wool’s tendency to grow wider.
Verdict: I love it, it’s comfy, easy to wear, and a very fun pattern to knit. It was simple when I needed it simple and more complicated when I needed more interest. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Norah is a genius.
I think that’s all the knits I CAN show you for now. I’ll have some more that I can show next week.
M
I knit a super quick shawl in between big projects, as a sort of palate cleanser for knitting. It took all of a day and a half, and I finished it on June 8th, so the photos have been almost 2 months coming.
I wanted to knit something that would be quick, simple and a little bit special, so a large yarn-ed shawl in handspun really fit the bill.
Pattern: Made it up, quick and dirty.
Yarn: Handspun from Spinderella’s Thrums and the trim in Cascade Ecological Wool held double (leftover from Manon).
Needles: 7.0 mm (which is like a 10.75 in US?)
Verdict: It’s super cozy and I love it. The splash of color on the edges really makes it, I think. And it allowed me to use up all but a couple feet of the handspun yarn. I just knit rows until I ran out of yarn and then bound off with the Eco Wool.
So would you all be interested in the pattern? It’s very similar to other simple shawls out there, so I’m not sure there’s really a place in the market for it, but I thought I’d ask you all what you thought.
M
Over the last week I made 6 batches of jam. 2 batches each of Strawberry, Strawberry Mango, and a new experiment this year… Strawberry Honeydew.
I’m still kind of on the fence about whether the honeydew is good in the jam. It has a very fresh and green taste, but I still am not sure the flavors blend as well.
The Strawberry Mango is really awesome though. It’s one of C’s favorites.
I got the strawberries at a farmer’s market for $10. Sixteen one-pound clamshells for $10! Some were going off, so I picked through them, washed them all and cut them up. Worked out JUST fine, and that’s a lot of jam for not a lot of money.
I used liquid pectin this time too. Wanted to give it a shot, and it’s what I had on hand. The jam has a very soft set, meaning its rather goopy and not very solid. Not sure if that has to do with the liquid pectin, or the very ripe fruit.
M
Ekho approves of the Neighborhood Fiber Company silk I’m working with. He curled up around my knitting when I wasn’t looking.
I’m a ball of contradictions lately. It’s nice to be working on a big lace project again, but I’m also longing for some simple, mindless knitting too. And not just in my knitting. I want to be outside doing all the awesome things that come with summer, but I also am feeling really tied to my air conditioned house since today’s temp hit the 100’s in some places. I want to be out and social, but I’m also feeling very comfortable as a hermit in my work-from-home mindset. I’m sure it will pass, but secret knitting doesn’t really help with the connected feeling. I’d love to show you all what I’m working on (it’s really great), but I’ve got to keep it under my hat for now. I can tell you it will be coming out Winter-ish.
I’m not sure what I’m going to knit next, but it will probably be something simple with not a lot going on, just to cleanse my knitting palate.
M
Secret knitting and a week of being away from home makes for very boring blogging. I’ve been taking my 365 self portraits regularly though, and tending my garden. We treated the garden with fish emulsion (and I did some green waste puree on my own), and then I left for 5 days. When I came back everything was bushy and green! The tomatoes are growing really well, and have a bunch of flowers starting. All the wee seedlings that had been struggling just to live are now growing at a normal rate and my cucumbers should be sending off twining shoots any day. Hopefully I can still get a good harvest this year.
I also scored 16 pounds of strawberries for $10 on Saturday (they were getting a little old, which is fine for jam). I made 3 batches yesterday, and have 3 more worth of fruit to do today.
The second pair of socks is done and they’re both out for tech editing. I’m working on a new piece in some luscious silk from Neighborhood Fiber Company. It’s turning out really beautifully!
M
I got pictures yesterday of the Pinstripe Sock I worked up in Isager yarns for Knit-Purl to take to Sock Summit as a kit. The pattern will also be available later as a download and for wholesale purchase. If you’re going to Sock Summit, check out Knit-Purl’s booth. They’ll have it in a bunch of other colors in the kits too, some bolder than this. I like subtle 🙂
The Isager yarn was a lot of fun to work with. Most of the sock is worked with one strand of Viscolin (50% linen/50% rayon) and one strand of Alpaca 1 (100% alpaca). Working them both together gives a soft, strong, and sturdy fabric. The pinstripes are worked by knitting the pinstripe column with just the linen and then slipping it on every other round. It makes the pinstripes subtle and classy.
M
So the word is in. The Community Garden is plodding along and not looking very good because our soil is lacking in Nitrogen. The people in charge are going to provide us with fish emulsion, green waste compost, and straw mulch to help. But I can’t help wondering if it’s too late to really get a good harvest out of it. I’ve got a few tomatoes on the vines, and they’re still growing despite the lack of foliage on everything else, but the soil amendment party isn’t until next week. I think I’d rather go find myself some fish emulsion today and get it started now. It wouldn’t hurt to have more, right?
Despite having been planted on May 16th, my swiss chard is still teeny leaflings poking out through the soil, no more than 1/2″ high. *sigh*
Feeling a bit disappointed about it. The picture at the top of this post is of the mint growing in a pot on my porch. It’s anything but disappointing! It’s growing like crazy and seems to be thriving in the sunny spot on my porch. I’ve also got some potted sage there that is happy.
M
I decided to join the 365 project and take a picture everyday, and then I went completely NUTS and went for the whole “Self Portrait” angle as well. Nuts because I usually despise pictures of myself.
Things are going along pretty busily for me. I’ve got a bunch of designs I’m working on, including 2 different pairs of socks for Knit-Purl. One for their Sock Club, and one for them to take as kits up to Sock Summit. Both with eventually be available through my site as well.
And I’ll be showing you the sock summit one probably tomorrow. Can’t let the opportunity to take a modeled picture of the sock and use it as a 365 self portrait pass me by 🙂
