Small Things

The other night, while finishing the body of my Lonely Tree Shawl, I had a golden opportunity to sit with my 19-year old son and simply talk. He's home from college on a study break, and our conversation naturally flowed from light chit-chat at dinner to a more profound talk about career paths, relationships, and what it means to be a young adult in the 21st century. I know, heavy stuff but oh so good. He's my first and so I often feel like I'm learning how to be a good parent on him ... okay, maybe I should say with him .... and conversations like this one reminds me that I'm doing a good job. I don't typically write about such personal stuff, but I'm still feeling and thinking a lot about our talk so it feels natural to let it all continue to flow over here.

He's an artist, and I'd like to think of myself as someone who has a creative spirit and approach to life.  He would agree and is always incredibly positive and encouraging about my love of fiber, textiles, and yes, even my humble knitting.

Speaking of humble knitting, sometimes I get the urge to cast on something small and this lovely hat pattern jumped onto my needles over the weekend.  Like the Lonely Tree Shawl, I'm knitting this beanie in LB Collection Superwash Merino. I love knitting hats (talk about instant gratification) but I'm personally not a hat wearer myself.  As a knitter, it doesn't matter much as I'm really a process and not a product knitter.  Yeah, you should see the stash of finished goodies I have in my closet all waiting to be given away!

Yes or No?

It's Friday which in my book means thinking about what I'll be knitting this weekend.  I'm really enjoying my Nangou shawl, but I'm feeling unsure about my contrasting color. If you recall, originally, I started this shawl in red and found the fabric ... blobby (isn't that a word?) and undefined.  I frogged it and decided to knit this in a white DK which I like a lot but what do you think about the contrasting red stripe?

When I first finished the red section, I almost frogged it again but then thought better ~ after all, I didn't want to be too hasty.  So, I knit a few more repeats of the pattern in white, and I have to say that I'm growing more fond of how the shawl is developing.

I'm ready to add another stripe but it'll have to wait until after the weekend because I've got sweaters on my mind.  I just came across two new-to-me patterns here and here which I just may have to cast on. As you can see, I'm all about the textured stitch right now. Oh, and I got a new armchair for the living room and love it.  Somehow, we're sporting a whole 1950's Mad Men vibe in our apartment and it's making me very, very happy! 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Try, Try, Again

Remember the other day when I posted about a new shawl that I cast on over the weekend? The Nangou pattern is one I've admired for a while now, and I was excited to get it on the needles.  I already frogged it once because I wasn't very good about keeping track of my increases, but after almost getting to the end of the first section last night, I realized that I didn't like the fabric that was knitting up.  I was working with Cascade Heritage which is a really nice yarn, but I found that my garter stitch looked more messy than squishy. Hurumph!

So, like all good knitters, I went through my stash again and remembered how much I like Lion Brand's Superwash Merino especially in garter stitch.  It's a DK weight so I went up a needle size (US7, if you're interested), and I'm now humming along.  As the shawl is growing, I'm loving the edges that are developing.  It's got me thinking about how important edges are which I'll save for another post.  

I'm not sure what contrast color I'm going to add when I get to section B but my bento bag is sort of inspiring me.  Stay tuned!

When In Doubt

As I said I would, I made a much-too-long list on Saturday in anticipation of having a full day to do anything (and apparently everything) I wanted.  Sure, household chores like doing laundry, food shopping, service the car, and re-potting plants were at the top of my list, but I also added items like at-home manicure, research and order new armchair for the apartment, and play with yarn and patterns.  

In all honesty, I got a little overwhelmed with the play with yarn and patterns part of my day.  I've got a healthy stash but it's mostly made up of single skeins which I've been tackling since last spring when I set myself the one-skein challenge, but if you're like me, sometimes my one skeins get me down.  I know, what a ridiculous problem!

So, I packed all my lovelies back into their bins and decided that I needed a small(ish), portable project to cast on with one or two of those single skeins.  Fortunately, one of my favorite designers had recently offered one of my favorite designs at a discount so I had the perfect pattern and the perfect yarns to start knitting with.

I'm keeping my Nangou shawl project in my lovely bento bag from fringe supply which has me feeling very stylish whenever I whip it out.  Oh, and as you can see, I've added a Sansevieria trifasciata (aka snake plant) to my happily growing collection of houseplants.

Wedding of the Decade

Okay, okay, I'm exaggerating, but my beautiful niece and nephew-in-law's wedding festivities this past weekend were simply wonderful.  There's no doubt that weddings are heart-warming affairs, but when the kids who are getting married are some of your favorite people in the world, ... well, life just takes on an extra rosy glow.

If you've been following me here recently, you'll know that I was furiously knitting to complete the Shaelyn shawl in time for the wedding.  Your encouragement, here and on Instagram, was so invigorating but sadly, I didn't make it (yes, the violins can begin now). I knit the night before, the morning of, and even while I was helping my sister (aka mother-of-the-bride) with last-minute wedding details mere hours before having to leave for the ceremony.  Needless to say, I was distracted and getting to wear my lovely new shawl to the wedding was not to be.

Regardless, the evening was summery, and after hitting the dance floor a few times, a shawl was the last thing I would have wanted! We cheered, smiled, cried, and laughed all night long.  So, cheers to the newlyweds!

The dining room

My two

Me and my guy

The Newlyweds

Ambitious ... or Unrealistic?

I've got a very special and important family event coming up this weekend, and I've cast on a project that I'm really, really hoping I can finish by Saturday.  My niece is getting married to her honey, and our family is bursting with excitement. I found a beautiful royal blue all-over lace dress to wear to the wedding but as our temperatures here in NY have shifted to autumn weather, I'll definitely need a little something over my shoulders for the evening. (As a side note, clearly, someone needs to teach me how to take selfies in a dressing room!).

I've long admired the Shaelyn Shawl pattern and pulled out my stash of Madeleinetosh in the Midnight in Manhattan colorway to see if it could be a good match.  What do you think? I think it's perfect!

So, wish me luck as I try to get this knit up in the next 48 hours ... I think I can, I think i can.  And here's a peek at a part of the bridal party.

Bridesmaid, Bride, and Matron of Honor (from years ago)

Does Absence Make the Heart Grow Fonder?

I'm dusting off my little blog today in the hopes of getting back into the habit (and joy) of writing regular posts because I've really missed you all. The last time I stopped in here was in mid-July when I was in the throes of trying my hand at different weaving techniques. Needless to say, after that, life took a mini detour, and I found myself extra busy at work, looking for a larger flat in the city, and taking care of details related to moving.  But move we did and just in time for the new school/work year to begin!

Baby Aloe

Happily, we're still in my beloved neighborhood but several blocks away from the old place to make discovering new shops, eateries, and parks a constant surprise.  One dream of mine in this new place, which, by the way, gets a ton of light, is to have a whole stash of plants ~ I'm a sucker for succulents so I have a feeling that my indoor garden will be mainly spiky and flowerless!

Moonlit sky from my balcony

My knitting mojo was quiet over the summer, but I did cast on and finish my Trillian shawl which is incredibly buttery soft and warm.  The weather is definitely turning here in New York, and I just might be able to sling on this beauty soon.  With the cooler temps, I'm getting obsessed excited to cast on all the things but will do my best to restrain myself (at least a little).  One thing I know for certain ... I'm going to knit down my stash as much as possible this fall. 

So, ... what's on your needles right now?

Trillian 

22 Little Clouds

A few weeks ago, when I embarked on my one-skein challenge, the first pattern that jumped onto my needles was Martina Behm's 22 Little Clouds. I hadn't knit a Behm design before and while I know she's designed a gazillion patterns, I thought I'd start off with one of her free patterns to get a sense of what she's like as a designer.  

I decided on one of my older skeins, one that I had in my stash since August 2012 (yikes!).  Bugga is wildly popular but like a Behm design, I had never knit with it before so this little project was going to enable me to cross off two items from my knitting bucket list.

The combination of yarn and pattern is a total win-win. The subtle but vibrant color changes are gorgeous and the simplicity of the pattern made the shawl practically knit itself.

I would say that my first one-skein challenge project was a huge success ~ just not sure if I should keep this beauty or gift it?

One Skein Challenge

In my last post, I lamented about having a stash of one skeins and wondered about how to find the right projects for each of them. I thought a lot about this conundrum all weekend long with one particular skein in mind.  A couple of years ago ~ yes, I said a couple of years ago ~ I bought a skein of Ball and Skein's Glissade in a lovely blue-purple colorway at the Massachusetts Sheep & Wool Fair. It was hard to resist indulging in this beautiful mix of 50% merino and 50% silk, but what you should know is that I had never knit with such a blend before and I actually found the yarn ... well ... troublesome.  I cast on several projects in an attempt to find the right stitch pattern for the fabric it created but each time, I was disappointed. 

This skein was one of the first I came across last week and my immediate thought was to cast on the Elder Tree Shawl which I've admired for a long time.  I love the leafy lace details and the type of drape this shawl calls for fit the silkiness of this yarn perfectly.  But, try as I might, after knitting chart B the first time, I kept getting derailed in repeating it.  I don't easily give up and I swear I cast on and frogged this project at least five times before calling it a day.

In my search for a compatible pattern, I found nothing that really excited me so I turned to my trusty stitch dictionaries and knitting magazines and came up with an original design that is happily humming along.

I'm playing with this design as it evolves on the needles so only time will tell if this one skein has found its mission.  Stay tuned.

FYI  ~ I've called this post One Skein Challenge as I've decided to do my best to knit down my one skein stash this spring.  It should be interesting ...

Revisiting Shawls

I spent the winter knitting sweaters and socks, projects which were deeply satisfying and gave me the chance to knit down my stash.  But then there lies my new problem ... a stash of single skeins.  As I went stash diving the other day to get inspired for a new project, I couldn't help but feel a little frustrated ~ don't get me wrong, I love the yarns I've bought or been gifted over the years but it can be tough to find patterns for a mere 220 yards of this or 300 yards of that.

I came across this beautiful skein of Cephalopod Bugga in the Sharpshooter Leafhopper colorway, and I got all excited about its possibilities.  I've been thinking about knitting a Martina Behm design and have my eye on this little pretty thing.  Now that we're finally experiencing some spring-like weather, I think some shawl knitting is in order.  

If you have a favorite one-skein shawl pattern to suggest, I'd love to start firing up my queue!

P.S.  I just hopped down the instagram rabbit hole ... what an adventure!