mad hatter

Hello! I've been a neglectful blogger lately, so I will catch you up on some of the knitting, at least the hats...

Pattern: 'Triple' by Odessa Reichel
Yarn: Cascade 220 #7814 (lime) and Patons Classic Wool (grey)

Pattern: 'Branchy', also by Odessa
Yarn: Cascade 220 #9430, held double

I love test-knitting things, so I was happy when Odessa let me knit these up for her a few weeks ago. This is the season in which I stockpile warm hats, so it was fun to spend a few days making such great ones. They've been in steady circulation. I love Odessa's designs.

Pattern: 'Neep Heid' by Kate Davies
Yarn: Coldharbour Mill 3-ply (red), Knitpicks Palette 'White' and 'Mist' (light grey), and Jamieson and Smith 2-ply Jumper Weight #27 (dark grey)

I just returned home from the fabulous experience that is the Wolseley Wool knitting retreat, and a few weeks ago I remembered that last year the person from whom I had stolen this skein of Coldharbour Mill cherry red yarn (it was a stealing yarn game. it's OK) had included the condition that I make something from it for this year's camp. So I made Kate's tam pattern. I love this hat, too.

I've also completed a pair of socks, am halfway done the stranded pullover, and almost half done another pair of socks and a cute dog's sweater. Photos soon.

and a new pattern

My pattern Contours is now up on Ravelry. They're knit in Northbound Knitting Superwash Merino Fingering in 'Nocturne', which is a lovely yarn and colour. These are a great meditative knit, with their sinuous cables. Now that the weather's turning I've been pulling these out a lot.

My testknitters were so fabulous, and I'm grateful for their help. It takes a village.

Happy October!

expectation

Just a quick note to let you know that my 'Expectation' cardigan pattern, which originally had been published through the Sanguine Gryphon site, is now re-released and available for download here on Ravelry.

It's knit in 'Eidos' - a wonderful yarn which is still available through The Verdant Gryphon.

Hope your weekend was fabulous.

more matchy boys sweaters

Pattern: Gramps Cardigan by Kate Oates
Yarn: Cascade 220 superwash colour #1960 (teal) and Knitpicks Swish worsted in 'Cobblestone Heather' (grey)

My Mom has a wonderful friend she's known for about 43 years, who lives in Tasmania. She's visiting at the moment and she's a knitter. It's been a bit of a tradition the past few years that she and I exchange knitterly sorts of things, so I made these for her two grandsons. It's going into summer in their part of the world, but I hope I made them big enough they can use them on chillier days now and again when it cools down in 6 months.

This pattern was fun and good for the cable fix I was craving. I'm not crazy about knitting patterns twice, especially in such quick succession, but I didn't mind this one at all.

Has anyone read this book? I'm reading it right now (thanks to this thread on Ravelry) and it has a lot of food for thought about how our approach to clothing has shifted dramatically just in the past few decades.

Now that much of my non-work life is filled with family activities again I needed new 'waiting time' reading material. Also very happy for fingerless mitt and sweater weather.

the perfect sock yarn

I finally have some skeins of the new sock yarn I've been dyeing in the shop.  I love knitting socks and shawls and I've knit with many many yarns in the last several years and thought a lot about what I like and don't like in a sock yarn. Merino is great for softness, but it's not the most durable breed so it needs some nylon as well as some twist to give it that. These factors require a delicate balance. This yarn has 20% nylon for strength and durability, 80% superwash merino for softness and ease of care, and a fabulous sproingy twist that lends comfort and stitch definition.

I love this yarn. In fact, I keep grabbing skeins of it for my own projects, like this:

which means I've only put a few in the shop. For now. More later.

sinuous wristwarmers

Pattern: mine
Yarn: Merino fingering from Northbound Knitting, in 'Nocturne'

I wasn't positive I would like these as I knit them, but I love them now. Lisa's yarn is fabulous, in texture and colour, and I like the subtlety of the cables in it. Happy.

DK love

DK is in the shop!