I’ve gotten out of my solid-color-pullover slump, but now I’ve fallen down the cardigan-with-patterned-yoke rabbit hole. I got a copy of Norah Gaughan’s Knitting Nature, and it has a pattern for a sweater coat with a colorwork yoke done in a fractal pattern. Here’s the image from the book:

I’m making a bunch of adjustments, though. I’m just going to make a standard-length cardigan, instead of a full-length coat, and I’m converting the pattern to knitting in the round so that I don’t have to do purled colorwork on the yoke. I’m also substituting yarn, since the original yarn (Reynolds Odyssey) is a little too spendy for me.

The body is Wool of the Andes Kettle Dye in Timber, and then I’m going to do the yoke background in Auburn with the fractal pattern in Oak. One warning: I …

Remember my Comfy hat that was made for any and all bad hair days? I took it camping two weeks ago and when I unpacked, I threw a bunch of wet towels and icky post-camping clothes in the laundry hamper. A few days later I discovered that my Blackberry Comfy hat was thrown in with all the smelly wet towels. My two choices were to throw it away or wash it in hot water and hope it’s truly washable.
Well check this out:

It’s perfect. It didn’t shrink or stretch or fade or pill or fuzz or (insert other negative verb here). It’s perfect, and now it smells like my yummy cruelty free “Method” detergent. I washed it in hot, and threw it in the hot dryer with a bunch of beach towels,
Moral of the story–wash away my friends, Comfy can take it. …

Knit it a sweater of course!

Actually, this zuke from Tina’s garden weighs more than 10 lbs. but that’s as high as our office scale can count. Kerin made that little sweater out of Essential and Felici.

It was originally her first swatch when she was designing the Happy Stripes Yoked Baby Pullover Pattern from the July catalog, but it seems to suit our summer squash as well. Paired with the tassel, I think it looks quite dashing.

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Around here this seems to be the week that students of all ages are heading back to school, much to the relief of some of the moms I know. 🙂

The students at Platte Cove School in Elka Park, New York started classes this week, and I hope the transition from summer to school was slightly less painful when they got to their classrooms and discovered we sent a new pair of knitting needles for each student involved in their charity knitting project. These students spend their quiet time knitting sweaters, hats, and blankets for Project Linus and PET International while their teachers read out loud to them. The knitters range in age from 7-14 and even first and second graders are getting in on the action, knitting squares that are later stitched together to form blankets.

Thanks to Carmen …

I finally finished editing the videos I made while Bob and I were in Ireland. The only technical glitch I hit was that one section was recorded on a landing of our hotel. That segment is quieter than the rest so you may have to turn up the sound.
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I am an avid backpacker, hiker, kayaker, mt. biker, etc. I’ve done several multi-day trips, so I’m very good at packing very light. I’ve gone so far as to break the handle off my toothbrush. I’ve often gone several days without changing my socks because I didn’t want the weight of carrying extra pair, and I would certainly never bring a paperback to read–way too heavy.
Last week I went kayak camping in the San Juan Islands outside of Seattle, WA for four days. It was awesome. The weather was perfect, we kayaked about 60 miles, carrying all our food, water, lodging and entertainment with us. I’m working on Christmas gifts, so brought my knitting along and I finished the project.

I was so excited when I realized that I could easily bring my knitting with me. It was SO …

I’ve been traveling so much this summer that I’ve had time to knit a lot of lace. It’s funny how I knit, knit, knit, block, and then the shawl sits for so long before I photograph it. If I was a better photographer, I might get that done sooner.

I love the Myrtle Lace Shawl! It’s long enough that the rectangle wraps around well and doesn’t slide off too frequently. One of my main criteria for wearable shawls is that they stay on my shoulders with little to no adjusting during the day – I need my hands for other things.
I also love knitting with Shadow – for so many reasons. Here’s my staff pick review.
Pattern: Myrtle Leaf Shawl from Victorian Lace Today
Yarn: Shadow Merino Lace Yarn in Campfire, a discontinued color from my stash
Needles: US 3 Harmony Wood 24″ fixed circular
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