I’m so glad that I finally get to talk about one of my favorite collections to date – Worsted Basics! I love working with worsted yarn and it’s a delight to be able to find a whole collection of projects in the same weight in one place. The projects are fantastic which made it easy to take some gorgeous photos of them on location at a house in the lovely Forest Park area. I love those deep, dark woods and we were able to take advantage of lovely scenery between rain showers by ducking into the cute house for a few projects.

The Worsted Boyfriend Cardi is hands down my favorite piece. I keep calling (Wool of the Andes) Opal Heather my “Martha Color” because it reminds me of the lovely blues Martha Stewart is always throwing around. This cardigan sends me into day dreams filled with tea, books and lazy mornings.

This shot of the Basic Raglan Jacket is one of my favorites from the session. We had been chatting all morning and this moment just happened when the model was completely at ease and at home in this sweater, I’m always thrilled when we’re able to capture these little moments during a shoot.

The Ribbed Watchcap is the first piece I knit myself from this collection. It’s so basic and wearable that I wound up knitting a half-dozen of them over the holidays and gifted them out to family all over the country. It really is the perfect ribbed hat pattern and seems to suite everyone who puts one on. Unfortunately I was deep in a haze of last minute gift knitting so I didn’t get many photos of the finished hats, I guess that means that I’ll have to hunker down and make a few more!

Yet another adorable photo. She’s so cute, isn’t she? I loved how this hood is shaped, I’m so picky about the size and fit for hoods that I tend to notice one I like right away. This hooded sweater is actually a variation within the Basic Raglan Jacket pattern from earlier. I love it when a single pattern results in two totally distinct looks.

Like Goldilocks, I’ve wandered the pattern world looking for the mitten pattern that will fit juuuuussttt right. The shaping has to be moderate at the finger tips (not a huge fan of the pointy tip) and the thumb has to feel comfortable and natural. It’s surprisingly hard to find all in one place, but the Basic Mittens are just what I’ve been looking for. I can totally envision doing some cute duplicate stitching or stripes to jazz them up a bit, they make a great blank canvas for all sorts of embellishments.

This scarf is so cozy, the model loved it. The ribbing in the Reversible Cabled Scarf gives the fabric a wonderfully springy texture and makes the cabled sections a subtle accent instead of making them the main feature of the piece.

I’m also extremely picky about vests. I like the idea that I could wear one to keep warm and toasty out hiking or to work the next day. Versatility with a touch of elegance is the name of the game these days and the Basic Button Vest hits the mark.

But, what’s actually next up on my needles?

The Worsted Socks are an absolute must-have in my wardrobe. I LOVE WORSTED WEIGHT SOCKS. They’re so cozy, fit in my boots and they double as house slippers in my chilly 100 year-old house each morning. Now that we have Wool of the Andes Superwash I’ll be churning these socks out over the next few months between projects. Hats and socks FOREVER!

What has caught your eye in this collection? Are you as excited/thrilled as I am that we have an entire collection of worsted garments?! Tell me all about it in the comments!