These are not proper knitting.  They're not serious.  They're not somber.  They're not even a little bit practical.  They're pretty much ridiculous.  And they're just what I need right now.  They're called Hoard, and you can grab them now on ravelry (and take 10% off with the code ACORNS). So these were supposed to just be for me.  They all started because there's this gorgeous mossy root in my backyard (yes, yes it is sort of a fairy land out there), and every time I walk past it I think 'I to use that for photos someday...'  Well someday finally [...]

So there's a tree in our back yard.  Well, there are several, but there's one in particular that has a root that runs right at ground level for a while.  And between the two edges of the root is a little channel of the softest, fuzziest, most intensely green bit of moss you've ever seen.  And every time I walk past it I think "that's so disgustingly cute I should take a picture of something there sometime." And yesterday, as I was coming back inside from chatting on instagram, I had this thought for about the two hundredth time.  But [...]

Right...so the hats are adorable on their own.  They are and I won't let you talk me out of believing that.  But they are made even cuter by the shameless addition of tassels. Now, much as with pompoms, making tassels is easier with the right tools.  I use this little gizmo (as always, amazon links are affiliate links).  And while I probably wouldn't have bought it if I was just going to make one or two, I found myself very glad to have it when I wanted to make piles and piles and piles of matching tassels for the hats. [...]

Look, these just are not a serious project.  If that's what you're looking for, go make a sweater.  Or a giant lace shawl.  Or maybe even some socks. These are a few dozen yards of pure unbridled frivolity.  And I should probably apologize for that...or like pretend it's got more significance than it does.  But really it's just cheerful and easy and non-threatening, and that's sort of what I'm looking for in the world right now.  That, and an excuse to make tassels. I'll do a post about those here shortly (because really, the make the hats about a zillion [...]

Yeah, so the outside world feels big and dark and scary.  And while I probably should be doing something to at least pretend to try and help with that, today I'm really not.  Today I'm picking crab apples from the trees in the yard (so tiny, so pretty, so sweet).     Then I'm chopping them up, and burying them in sugar. In a few hours they'll have released a ton of juice (seriously, all that sugar will dissolve and there will be liquid in the bottom of the bowl).  Then in a day or two I'll add some apple cider vinegar [...]

Working on the theory that accessories are better in sets, allow me to introduce Thither. It's the perfect companion to the previous pattern, Hither.  Because really, half the fun of being a knitter is having the cutest, most perfectly matched, accessories you can imagine!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Just like the cuffs, the hat uses a really beautiful leaf pattern and plays with putting it just a bit off center.  The leaf panel is just on one side of the hat, and I've been wearing it with the panel off to the side (over my ear [...]

I don't see any problem here. I mean, I see a new diversion that will totally take a while to work its way out of my system...but no problem. Unless tassels count as a problem.  But I'm pretty sure we don't live in that world. Pattern (which will include a whole whackpile of tiny hats) looking like it's going to come out in late October.  And yes, it will include all the info on how to make the tassels.  Because they're too fun to leave off!   [pextestim pex_attr_set="looking-for-this-pattern" pex_attr_autoplay="false"][/pextestim]