quiet colors

Spring is in full swing, but I'm still loving the soft and quiet colors

One of these days, I'm going to knit a sweater out of Par Avion (shown above). I'd love to knit the Classic Cardigan by Sandi Prosser from Vogue Spring/Summer 2015, but it calls for a DK weight, and I'd like to knit it out of fingering. Maybe a little math in my future:)

Of course, there are a few colors I think would look great in a sweater:

Wind that Shakes the Barley

Blithe Spirit

But before I get ahead of myself, I'd better finish up the sweater on my needles.

may days

I got the first whiff of honeysuckle today. Near the entrance to the park, there was some blooming...smelling sweet and just like summer.

We'll have tons of it blooming in the woods behind (and in front) of our house in the next week or so, and the entire neighborhood will smell heavenly! Of course, that usually means the heat and humidity are not far behind, but what are you gonna do?

I'm doing some projects around the house, as well as working on some new cross stitch designs. I hate to admit it, but the warmer weather is making me want to put my current knitting project aside. It's a sweater, and having it on my lap isn't exactly cool. Maybe I'll switch to a sock or some sadly neglected blanket squares:

I've got 40 or so squares done, but I think I need 100 or more for a lap size blanket. I tend to work on them in spurts, instead of trying to do one or two a week. Maybe that would be a better approach. I'll have to give that some thought.

There's also the quilt project, which is coming right along. Lots and lots of "pancakes" for a cathedral windows quilt:

I had hoped to have this done by now, but as you see...not done. It's at the top of the list of things to finish, so hopefully, I'll press on (ha!) and get it completed by the end of this month.

Perfect projects for warm spring days!

myst shawl

I finished my Myst Shawl back in early March and then promptly forgot about it until we headed off to PLY Away and DFW Fiber Fest.

I've worn it a few times now, especially since we had all that cold weather last week (brrr!), and it really is very lovely.

I'm always a sucker for a beautiful triangle shawl, and this one is certainly that!

Details:
Pattern - Myst Shawl by Melody Hoffman of Mandarines
Yarn - my own Sojourn Sock Yarn
Colorway - Blueberry Trifle
Needles - US4 (3.5 mm)
Yardage - I used 2 skeins (920 yards) and I used all but 20 or 30 yards of each skein, so I would say my final yardage was about 870.

weekending

Sewing away on a new bed quilt....

Stitching away on a cross stitch project....

Knitting away on a shawl and a sweater....

And enjoying a weekend of sunshine! Something we haven't seen in way too long!

crafty plans

January...how I love it! A fresh start, a whole new year ahead of you.

The planner/list maker in me gets very giddy with all that blank canvas to fill up. Of course, I also love having a quiet month with no obligations. Just cozy and quiet evenings at home, with plenty of time to think and dream. And I've definitely done some planning and some dreaming!

I've got several exciting plans for October House, but you'll have to wait to hear about most of those later in the year.

Right now, I'm thinking about what I want to make this coming year. Of course, that gets blended with what I plan to make for the business, but I've also got several purely personal goals in the making department. First up:

KNITTING
Namely, sweaters. I need/want more sweaters in my personal wardrobe. And so does Jimmy. So sweater knitting will be the big focus for this year. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach - so to speak - but these are the patterns I'm looking at:

Stitch Sampler Sweater by Holli Yeoh in the Fall 2016 issue of Vogue Knitting

Granito by Joji Locatelli

Classic Cardigan by Sandi Prosser in the Spring/Summer 2015 issue of Vogue Knitting

a cardigan for Jimmy (still looking at patterns)

Silver Leaf Cardi by Hannah Fettig in the first issue of Making

V-Neck Cardigan by Julie Wiesenberger in the Winter 16/17 issue of Vogue Knitting

A couple of new hats and mittens for each of us would also be nice


SEWING
I can't get enough of sewing right now, so I'm running with it! Besides quilting and hand work, I'm eager to get back to garment sewing. I used to be quite the seamstress back in the day. I even made a lined blazer and slacks that I loved.

Not much call for pantsuits in my wardrobe needs today, but I would love to make a couple of blouses, some tunics and see if I can remember how to make a decent pair of pants.

This is an ambitious list, I admit, but here goes:

2 blouses (I have ideas, but haven't found any specific patterns yet)

2 pair of pants

4 pairs of pajamas

2 bed quilts

2 lap quilts that can also be tablecloths

2 tote bags (Riverside Tote and The Townie Bag)

6 project bags

6 pouches

2 english paper pieced baskets

a handmade collar and harness for Riley


CROSS STITCH & EMBROIDERY
Most of my cross stitch plans are for October House patterns, so they're kinda secret, but obviously I'm having a lot of fun with the knitting themed patterns, so that will continue.

I also plan to introduce a few non-knitting things this year, including a couple of larger pieces.


Whew! I think I'd best get busy.

2017 recap

Here's a little recap of most of my makes from last year:

I can see that at some point, I stopped taking photos of finished socks. Because I finished several pairs with no picture of the sock or the WIP. I also haven't taken a photo of my finished Cloud Burst Cardigan, even though I've worn it a couple of times already. 

Nor I have I gotten a shot of my finished Hollows shawl, which has become my favorite knit of 2017. I enjoyed knitting every stitch of it. The yarn felt wonderful, the pattern was perfect and the finished object is getting a lot of use right now. It's so big and squishy, I can wrap it around my neck 3 times...which I need during these 20 degree days! It never falls off, and it just feels so dreamy.

I'm also wondering where my sewing projects are. I mean, I know where they are in real life, but they are missing from my photos. Basically, I haven't been great about photographing all my crafty projects. I tend to get the ones that relate to the business, but the purely personal projects don't get any screen time:)

Hopefully, I can change that, since I have a lot of sewing plans this year. Next time I'll talk about my making/creative plans for this year!

getting up to speed

Oh, October, I love you! It has finally turned crisp and very cool here, and I am loving it. It's amazing to me how just a turn in the weather can make me so happy.

I'm knitting away on a few projects, including the never ending Cloud Burst Girl cardigan. Yikes! Seed stitch sleeves! But I'm nearly there (whew), and I'll have a versatile cardigan just in time for cold weather.

I've also cast on the Myst Shawl by Melody of Mandarines, and I'm completely smitten with it at the moment. I'm using my Sojourn Sock in Blueberry Trifle. This was an exclusive color for Little Skein in the Big Wool's Little Stitches Box. I'm really glad I held on to a couple of skeins for myself. It is just the perfect blue, even if I do say so myself:)

And now back to my regularly scheduled program. I've got a small backlog of dyeing to catch up on after my hospital stay. Because we all know the holidays will be here in a flash!

that's a lot of picots

I finished binding off my Hollows Shawl - it took the better part of a week to get it completely bound off. Admittedly, I'm not the fastest knitter, and I'm not able to knit and knit for hours without a break for my squeaky arm. And let's face it, a picot bind off isn't quick - but it is definitely pretty.

And oh, I do love it. I can already tell that this shawl is going to get a lot of use this winter. For one thing, it feels fabulous.  The Melody yarn is a luscious blend of alpaca, merino and silk. It feels soft and warm, and has a great drape to it.

This is also a big shawl. It's a big shawl when it's knit in fingering weight, as the pattern call for. I knit it in DK weight, so it's really roomy.

And I love the color. Pearl is a perfect neutral. Warmer than the natural undyed color of the yarn, but still a non-color, so it'll go with anything and everything.

Now to just find a spot in the house big enough to block it!

works in progress

I'm knitting away on my Hollows Shawl, and it should be done sometime in the next week.  I've loved knitting every stitch of this project. The yarn is yummy, if I say so myself, and the pattern is an easy knit.

I'm going to end up with a sizeable shawl, since I'm knitting mine in DK weight yarn, while the pattern calls for fingering weight. I was surprised to look back and see that this is the heaviest weight shawl I've knit. I've done lots of laceweight and fingering weight shawls, but not one in Sport, DK or Worsted. I can definitely see the attraction in using a heavier weight yarn...this won't be my last.

I can hardly wait for cold weather, so I can snuggle up in it!


I'm also working away on my Cloud Burst Girl Cardigan. After putting is aside for most of the summer, I picked it up a couple of weeks ago and finished the body. Now I'm slowly knitting the seed stitch sleeves.  I love how seed stitch looks, but my right arm doesn't love how it feels, so I can only do a few rows per day and keep my arm happy.

But, it keeps slowly growing, so hopefully it'll be done by the end of the month. Just in time for sweater weather!

waiting for fall

This has been one of the mildest summers I can ever remember in Arkansas. June and even July were much milder than normal, and the first week of August was still below normal temperatures - mid to high 80's. 

Then it hit - the real summer temperatures, along with all the humidity. Sticky, buggy, muggy - you name it. That is how you usually describe summer in Arkansas. The fact that we had a very delayed start to the normal yucky weather means we "won" in my opinion.  Even if we have a month of typical August days, we still got to enjoy milder temps for a couple of months.

That said, I'm still ready - and longing - for fall. I love it. I love everything about it. Cooler temps, crisp autumn air, apples, sweaters, leaves, shawls....

Still on my needles in anticipation of fall shawl weather is the Hollows Shawl. It's grown a good bit, I'm in the middle of the second short-row section, and I love every stitch. Perfect evening knitting. 

I have a feeling this one will get a lot of use:)

one color shawls

I'm most definitely against the trend with my love of one color shawls, but hey, that's what I love. I'm drawn to soft colors, simple shapes and repeated textures. Oh, I enjoy a striped shawl once in a while, but it's usually in analgous or low-contrast colors, like my Wintermint Party:

So, on my needles at the moment is the Hollows Shawl by Melody of Mandarines. I've actually got about 6 of her patterns in my queue, since I instantly love everything she does.

But back to the Hollows shawl...the pattern calls for fingering weight, but I had my heart set on using my Melody DK for it, so I just went for it! I dyed up 6 skeins of Pearl and cast on. I figure it will be big, soft and squishy for those cold winter nights.  I'm about to start the first short-row section, so I'm a good bit further along than the picture above shows.

I'm loving the pattern so far, very simple and meditative, but not boring...in a word, perfect.
This has been just the spark I needed to get my knitting mojo back!

holding my attention

Here are a few things that are holding my attention this week.

Knitting on this very calm and peaceful (yet addictive) sock makes me darn happy:

Still stitching along on this WIP, Little House Neighborhood. Along with this little peek at one of my own designs:

There's even some quilting happening - just a little bit each day, it wears my arms out!

And doing some very summer-y yarn dyeing:

stitching and stitching

I'm still working away on my Cloud Burst Cardigan that I showed back in March (It's further along than the picture shows). It doesn't get everyday love, but I do try to put in a few rows every other day or so. I would probably be a little farther along on it if it weren't for the siren call of the cross stitch, which has taken over my prime stitching time.

I am about to cast on a pair of socks with my Whisperings Mini-Skein set. I've wanted to make a pair of socks out of that since I came up with the colorway. I think it's going to be a vanilla type of striped sock, and I'll probably do a free pattern for it once they're done.

I've got a couple of other things coming up that I'm pretty excited about, but they are still in process in the background. But hopefully in a few weeks I'll have something to share:)

works in progress

Although I don't have many pictures to prove it, I've actually been quite the productive knitter so far this year.

I'm working on the sweater for myself in Cloud Burst, which is coming right along (although it's hard to tell anything by the photo, I've finished the top and the ribbed waist and have just started on the skirt):

I'm also continuing to make a few blanket squares here and there, although that's rather infrequent and completely subject to my whims.

Plus, I'm knitting these lovely mittens, which are completely addictive:

And I've knit several pairs of socks in the last few months, 3 pair for Jimmy and 1 pair for myself. Unfortunately, I haven't taken pictures of any of Jimmy's socks. It seems like his sock stash has taken a few hits this last year. He's had 4 or 5 pairs blow out, or just plain wear out. They're all pairs that were knit several years ago, so it's not surprising. But they seemed to give up the ghost all in a lump.

I darn or mend socks that have a small hole, so we get maximum mileage out of them (and he wears hand knit socks every day). But you usually reach a point where it's just not worth it. So, there's a lot of replacement sock knitting in my future:)

Finished Object: Wintermint Party

I realized I never shared pictures of my finished shawl, Wintermint Party. Which I love and have worn to death already.

It makes a perfect scarf, since you can wind it around your neck a few times and then tuck in the little ends. That's how I wear it almost every day.

The pattern, of course, is the very popular Party on My Needles by Joji Locatelli. I made a couple of modifications:

Instead of using one color for the stripes and a third for the bind off, I used a Mini-Skein set...this one. (I'm sold out right now, but more should be coming in a couple of months.) That worked perfectly. I used one color for each stripe, and then used my two favorites for the last row and the bind off.

I knit the bottom repeat just before the bind off in the main color, instead of a contrasting color. I just liked the continuity of it better.

This had been one of my favorite knits this year. I love the pattern, I love the yarn, and I especially love the color. It still makes me happy just to look at it.

In a Gray Way

Gray has been calling my name a lot lately. I just finished a pair of Folklore Socks in our new-ish Everlasting Sock Yarn...in Cloud Burst. And I'm working on the Cinnamon Girl cardigan for myself in Sojourn Sport...in Cloud Burst.

It's such a lovely gray...how can I go wrong?

I'm also about to cast on a scarf for Jimmy using some of my treasured Arbor stash...in Cloud Burst and Pearl. It's actually going to be a modified version of the Abella stole.  I'm going to replace the lace borders with ribbing, plus make it one repeat narrower.

And then there are the sock yarn blanket squares that I work on when the mood strikes...in tones of grays and creams:)

So, it's neutral city over here these days. But not to worry, there's still plenty of color being splashed around daily in the dye pots!

Epic Bind Off

I'm finishing up my Party on My Needles shawl by Joji Locatelli, and boy, does it ever feature an epic bind off!

The pattern offers three choices of bind off, and I chose the one in the pattern photo, the loopy bind off. I've been binding off for several evenings, now:)

Almost done....

IK Knits, Winter 2017

I had almost given up hope. And honestly, had pretty much decided in my mind that I wouldn't be renewing my subscription. Then the Winter 2017 issue arrived in my mailbox.

Can I just say....good to see you, old friend! It's been a long while since I've been this excited about an issue of Interweave Knits. A few years, in fact. But I feel like this issue harkens back to what made Knits such a great magazine, and such an influential force in the knitting community: classic knits. Classic knits that you actually want to knit and wear.

I'm not sure if it's the influence of new-ish editor Meghan Babin, or something else, but...yay!

I'm excited about almost all of the patterns in this issue, including the rarely seen men's sweaters. My husband loves wearing hand knits, and sweater patterns that he likes are hard to come by. There are several great choices in this issue.

Belfast Cardigan, Solstice Capelet, & Tullamore Pullover.  Images from Interweave Knits.

The Belfast Cardigan by Irina Anikeeva is probably at the top of the list for Jimmy. It would make a great Saturday & weekend cardigan.

I'm in love with the Solstice Capelet by Monika Sirna...oh my goodness. And the Tullamore Pullover by Brandy Velten is calling my name. I'd love to knit it in my favorite olive, Picholine.

Here's hoping this is the first of many great issues for Knits. I'll be renewing my subscription, after all:)

Casting On: Cinnamon Girl Cardigan

I have cast on my newest WIP, and this is one I've been wanting to make for a while now. It's the Cinnamon Girl by JuJu Vail and Susan Cropper of Loop London.

I love the way this cardigan looks. I can foresee getting a lot of wear out of it, kind of like the recently completed Hitofude. Yay for me. But I'm also excited to knit it. There are several things going on and I think it will be an absorbing knit.

I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to do the moss stitch on the upper body, or change it to stockinette. I'm very undecided at the moment, but I better make up my mind, since it's a top-down sweater. You start with the little cable-lace band (which is where I'm at) and go from there.

Plus, these two projects have me doing some mulling over which version to make: The blousier version by Facile Cecile, or this straighter version by Millsington. It appears most people have made the blousier version, although it's hard to tell sometimes, and not many people have noted which version they made in their notes.

Anyway, I'm making mine out of Sojourn Sport in the Cloud Burst colorway. I think the gray will be very versatile, since it goes with everything I own. It's in my newest project bag, which I love, from ZigZagStitches on Etsy.  It's actually a shawl-size bag, but it holds my yarn, pattern and book perfectly.

Hopefully, this will begin a trend of knitting some sweaters that I've had in my queue for some time!

Party in Progress

I cast on last week for a new shawl, and lo and behold, it's even a popular one...Party on my Needles by Joji Locatelli.

I've been in a serious blue and green mood this year, and the greens won out this time:

I'm using Sojourn Sock in Cabana for the main color, and I'll be doing the stripes with my Linden Sock Mini Skein Kit in Bouquet Garni, which is a series of greens. It's so fresh looking, I keep wanting to take a bite! :)

I think this will be a pretty quick knit, even for me, Miss Slowpoke. And all the cushy garter stitch should make it very cosy and squishy.