Hard not to notice a theme looking down at the projects on my needles: a rainbow of color, the brighter, the better. Extra points for watery blues. Not really that surprising given how hot and dry it’s been here this summer. Everything seems edged in dusty brown. And given the amount of wool I’ve been handling — including Aran and Bulky weight — clearly I’m ready for the next two seasons.
How can it be February already? This year the calendar seems as caffeinated as I’ve been to keep up with everyday life. To start, an FO that’s a first and old hat all at once. It’s the first FO that’s been worn multiple times before getting documented here. (It was photographed back in mid-January, though.) It’s also the third of the back-to-back Saroyans I’ve knit. This one for me, using yarn purchased during the trip to Taos. I’m pretty sure I’m done with this pattern … for now, at least.
After those multiple leafy, lacy scarfs, is it any wonder I was craving something bolder and faster to knit? When my friend Chris posted a Craft It Forward invitation on Facebook, I jumped right on board. And when I found this stunning handspun in the inoxia studios Etsy shop, I snapped it up for Jane, who has signed on as one of the five people I’m passing the the crafting on to. The hardest part about this project was finding a stitch “pattern” that let the yarn shine. I settled on a simple K1P1, which also gives the cowl plenty of stretch.
And, yes, that is snow. And, no, this wasn’t taken in MN. That’s NM snow you see.
Even before “sweater weather” meant hand-knit woolens, fall was my favorite season. But here in Albuquerque, crisp mornings continue to betray me. Midday temperatures climb with the sun, reaching for 80. So it was with great joy that I actually cast on a wool sweater this weekend — the “Transverse Cardigan,” which has been at the top of my Ravelry queue since I bought the burnished terra cotta yarn in Taos.
And the desire to start that sweater meant I found the momentum to finish the straggling projects I’d decided needed to be done first. My “Citron” is blocking right now (stay tuned) and I completed the second round of “Modern Cabled Baby Bibs” (the blue ones below, alongside the girly one I knit earlier in the summer but never got around to blogging). This pattern is a fun variation on cotton dish cloths when you’re looking for a cheap thrill. And the FO photos are a good lesson/reminder — I’m going to pull up these side-by-side pics the next time I’m tempted not to block anything.
Next up? The i-cord loops and button band for Izzy’s “Finley” so I can cast on that “Oscilloscope Shawl.”
Headed north Friday night to Taos with my friend Jane, whose husband hosted a sleepover extraordinaire for their daughter and Izzy — backyard camping, telescope viewing of Jupiter, Saturday morning pancake making, and a visit to Explora … all before ferrying the girls to their ice skating lessons, then pizza for lunch and “Little House of the Prairie” viewing. I’ll, of course, leave it to Jane to decide whether she wants to submit the Husband of the Year paperwork, but I do think he’s sure to place if not win the whole thing. Just sayin’.
With the lure of yarn winning out over our desire to enjoy Saturday morning solitude/sleeping in, we were up and ready to meet for the free hotel breakfast at 8 a.m., only to find the place overrun. So we headed into town, found the World Cup Cafe, and paid for coffee and pastries definitely worth the price. We then arrived at the festival, beating a few of the vendors. Definitely a plan I’d advise — we were able to do a full circle before the crowds descended and only had to deal with elbow-to-elbow tents and lines for our purchases. As way of comparison, I’d say the festival is about 1/3 the size of Maryland Sheep and Wool (which I was last at when Izzy was a baby), but there was certainly no shortage of yummy yarn. Here’s what I finally decided on.
The 500-yard skein of Brooks Farm Duet is going to be a lighter-weight version of the oscilloscope shawl and the terra cotta Striations skeins (75% mohair, 25% wool) along with the buttons (purchased later at Common Thread in the Taos Plaza) are designated for a Transverse Cardigan. Now, which to start first?
yarnandyarns.com 