Blocking chop

katie’s peaks island

i love this.

i want one for myself.

so warm and squishy and seed stitch.

this pattern by ysolda. made for my mother-in-law. the yarn is 50% alpaca / 50% wool.  i only got the one photo.  raveled here.

ann’s scarf

one holidayish gift down.  this scarf is for ben’s professor who saw him through his masters and his playing certificate.  and got him the his job as adjunct professor.  she has been fabulous and deserves nothing less than kidsilk haze. also, she loves the color red.

this was my first time knitting with kidsilk haze and it was lovely.  i did have to dig out some pointier needles than i started with and thank goodness i did.  i might not have survived otherwise ;)  i do believe i’ll knit this scarf again in my snapdragon light fingering.  it will be a sample and maybe a free pattern with a yarn purchase?  really i’m itching to use this lace pattern in a circular shawl, so we’ll see.  first, christmas gifts must be knit!

i used a size 7 or 8 needle and altered the lace pattern a wee bit.  all i have to say is thank goodness i changed lace patterns to something more baby brain friendly.  that way it didn’t take me 2 more years to finish. raveled here.

some day

dyeing has happened for the first time since a month before the babe was born. it felt really good.

and besides getting fiber club done, i also dyed two colorways for the shop. so an update might be coming some day!

and here’s the reason for this season of less fiber… and some of my most recent knitting. you may recognize it from here. it has been frogged and changed to a lace pattern that is more mama brain friendly.

i would like to get it done (and gifted) some day!

p.s. i ordered the books. but they haven’t shipped yet for those of you waiting. thanks so so much for all of the preorders.

and what’s on the needles now

there are still openings in the falkland fiber club if you’re interested!

tweedy mitered blanket

brainless and fun. raveled here.  i’m not making many decisions on this one, just enjoying the process.  i might have enough of the purple to work the whole blanket, but i might not want to.  i’ve been pondering different tweeds or some handspun squares…  i am, however, going to use up as much of the white as possible.  love!  tweed!

and a scarf for ben’s professora

he’s graduating! and she’s been great. and it’s my first time knitting with kidsilk haze, which is simply a gorgeous yarn. although a bit thin for my taste, it is perfect for this project, and so i am sucking it up and enjoying the beauty while it lasts.  raveled here.

of course, that’s not all that’s on the needles, but that’s the new stuff.  i’m also planning to cast on for the crossbow mittens to match the hat.  mostly i’m waiting in a limbo… handmade arcade is coming up and i need to wait until after it to steal more of my hand dyed yarn and work on some more designs.

p.s. a bit late in telling you here, but here’s this month’s newsletter if you’re interested.

Marian Seaman Scarf

A warm and lovely seaman scarf, made to suit the pickiest sailor. Includes lace, fake cables, and a daring bit of grafting.

Yarn: DK weight yarn – 350-450 yds [320-411.5 m]

Needles: 7 US [4.5 mm]

Gauge: 9 sts/2 in. [5 cm] in garter stitch

Finished dimensions: 9 in.-10 in. [23-25.5 cm] across/47-50 in. [119.5-127 cm] long

when you click on the button below and follow through on the payment, a three page automatic download in pdf format will be delivered to your email address.

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on ravelry here. a closeup of the lace pattern can be seen here.

what february needs…

the problem with having to knit things – for craft fairs, gifts, samples for yarn shows – is that the minute that’s done, you want to cast on for EVERYTHING in the world.

the first thing i did was make myself a noro striped scarf with noro that was in the stash. 2 balls silk garden and 2 kureyon. a simple and lovely project to guide me back into knitting whatever i want :)

size 9 needles. the second i’ve made this winter season. they’re addictive and oh so beautiful even if the yarn is random and you probably wouldn’t have chosen those colors given the choice.  besides, what is winter without a new scarf to wear?  especially the craziness that is february.  my february needed pink and turquoise.  what does your february need?

not very flattering mirror photo taken right before i went to yoga this morning

p.s. my feburary also needed the olympics, pesto-cheese-mushroom rolls, and homemade bread. oh! and we signed up for our CSA for this spring and it starts in april, which is right around the corner.

p.p.s. i also have a bsj and kingscot on my needles… plus the hat for the hat to head series.  ah to knit.

marian seaman scarf

i finally finally finished my christmas knitting this year and am planning to mail the package out this week.  this is for my mom.

she likes scarves that are wide, fit well around her neck and tuck into her coat to keep her extra warm, so i thought a seaman scarf would be perfect for her.  i learned about them from this fabulous book.

i used the beauty of a yarn that is alpaca with a twist, baby twist. size 7 needles. the yarn is so soft and really a great deal. here’s a close-up of the lace pattern.

i made each side of this one from the bottom up and then did the scary thing that is grafting over ribbing. um. scary. so when i write up the pattern, it just may say good luck in that space :)

ben’s striped scarf

what is that they say about the cobbler’s child having no shoes? ben usually gets knit for on accident, although i did make him driving mitts last winter.

and now i’ve made him a scarf!  he’s always wanted a scarf.  can you believe i’ve never made him one?  i can’t.

rachel calls this ben looking intense and european

this was going to be for christmas.  i had bought the yarn and was knitting it on the sly, but we are heading to alaska in about a week – and so the deadline got moved up.  if i’ve seemed a bit off lately, it’s because his mom katie got diagnosed, had surgery, and is now in chemo for cancer in the span of a couple of weeks.  there has been a lot of family knitting going on.  ben’s scarf.  handspun socks for me.  chemo caps for katie.  comfort to be had and comfort to be given.  anyhow, ben loves his scarf.  he even went as far as to wish it wasn’t 70 degrees outside so he could wear it.  all i have to say about that is just wait a week…

p.s. and the winner of the reflection hat patterns are: 16, 20, 29, 22, and 6. congrats!

p.p.s. the guidelines for this scarf is available here on rav and here on brooklyntweed’s blog.

mom’s sampler scarf

mom finished her scarf! she likes them wide and short. we did a 3 stitch garter edge so that  she could choose whatever she wanted to put in the middle.

the repeating on the second side was a bit rocky, but not bad for someone who hasn’t knit in 50 years. now she can wear it when she gets off the plane in montana tomorrow. brrr.