Ahem. That Will Do Quite Nicely Thank You. Quite nicely indeed. Now, we're not done...there are going to be several more columns of stitching and a few other bits of fancy business before we're done. But wow am I calling the proof of concept a success! Those bits of skinny green thread on the bottom and right are there as guidelines, they'll get yoinked out when I'm done, so just ignore them for now. And we'll be doing something Delightfully Absurd to handle all these ends when we're done. But for now, for now I just sort of want to [...]

One of these days...one of these days I really want to do a project where I get like a dozen different worsted weight yarns, send them to a dozen different sample knitters, say 'knit me a tube with x/y/z stitches, put a/b/c ribbing on the bottom bit, then knit stockinette in a tube for 8-9 inches, and mail it back to me. Then I'll do a dozen different hat crowns. Not even fancy, intricate ones where you carefully work the decreases into the existing stitch pattern. Just basic ones where you work on a field of stockinette and make it [...]

Oh, oh there we go. That's the creamy, dreamy, ever so slightly steamy vibe I was going for. So, as a reminder, this bit of knitting is going to be a canvas on which to embroider a whole heaping stack of fancy business. Which means that, to a far greater degree than usual, I want the knitting to be the background, not the focus. I wanted something with great stitch definition (so I can easily see exactly where I'm sticking my needle as I sew) and fairly big stitches (because the size of my knit stitches will be the thing [...]

Ok folks, my yarn recall is...well...my yarn recall is spotty, but my past blog archives are extensive! And I have a Whole Damn Bunch of old emails loitering about in old folders in the depths of my hard drive. And between them, I've managed to track down this yarn.⁠ Looks like it's Squish DK by Spun Right Round in the color Spellbound. Now, once again, I. Knit. These. Five. Freaking. Years. Ago. So I have precisely zeeeero idea if that color is still around.⁠ But that will not stop me from being smug for having dug up the order email [...]

Will I carefully pick any stray people/kitten hairs out of my knitting before proper photoshoots? Yes of course. Will I photoshop any sneaky ones right the heck on out of there after the shoot if I miss them ahead of time? Yup, to the best of my ability I will.⁠ Will I do that for some random instagram post on a Monday morning? No, no I apparently will not. ⁠ We'll talk about this yarn more soon. It's glorious, and just perfect for this project.⁠ But I took the photo right around sunset and the color is wildly wildly off [...]

Oh. Oh my. Oh my yes.⁠ I've been noodling around on the edges of 'I should stitch some stuff on some knitting' for quite some time now and just never *quite* pulled together the right combination of yarns/stitches/motivation/energy all at the same time.⁠ But now? Well now I think I've got all four lined up pretty much just right.⁠ If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go cast this on while this rare confluence of events prevails. ⁠ We'll do yarn info a bit later on in the process, don't worry, you'll be seeing more of this as it grows. [...]

Do I have a Significant Surplus of inexpensive, middling quality, cotton sweaters that I live in around the house during the half of the year when it's not either freezing or roasting?⁠ Yup.⁠ Do I have an intense longing for the details of hand knit sweaters and an absolute lack astonishing amount of fortitude it takes to knit a sweater?⁠ Yup on both counts.⁠ Do I have a shocking number of bits of yarn and a tendency to...poke at things to make them suit me better?⁠ Clearly.⁠ I think I am in big big trouble here folks.⁠ That was easy [...]

For reasons that elude me, some of you like to see what taking photos for patterns looks like. So since this was Fancy Schmancy Rolly Cart's first trip to this beach, I thought I'd bring you along! I've been doing this for a while, and I tend to bring a fair amount of kit with me, especially when I head to this beach. It's an hour away, so if I forget something, I either do without it or come back another day. The list starts with the knits, then the props to display them (today that's two hats, two pairs [...]

I...I'm feeling a little embroidery project coming on.⁠ I rather enjoy embroidering on my knits these days. And I've got a cotton sweater that I threw in dyepot one day last summer, and then left lay out on the rocks in the garden for a few days sort of by accident, and the sun/rain did all sorts of neat things with the color. ⁠ And now I want to doodle all over it with string.⁠ Because yeah, sure, why not. Seems as good a thing to do with my time on this earth as anything else.⁠ Though if check with [...]