No I didn’t forget
So somehow over the space of a little less than 12 weeks this summer I found a house, bought a house, sold a house, launched a book, and moved across the country. I don't particularly recommend that timeline (let's just say I picked a book launch schedule long before I knew we were moving), but it turns out, it is more or less possible (if you don't mind not getting much sleep for a while in the middle there). However, it didn't leave me with much time for swatching. Luckily, I'm all settled in now (unpacked, and even most of [...]
At least my feet will be warm…
I'm absolutely positively convinced that warm feet make all the difference on cold days. And you all know I have a slew of wool socks (perks of the trade...). But sometimes you want an extra layer, and that's where the slippers come in. I've been rocking the slippers over socks thing the last few mornings (what can I say, it's chilly...) and found that I wanted some taller ones. So these are going to come up all the way over my ankles. And they're out of seriously thick yarn (Malabrigo's Twist in the color Zinc) knit just as tight as [...]
Swatching swatching swatching
It really is shocking just how much of my knitting is actually swatching. Because sometimes, the thing you think will be lovely just isn't quite right. But I promise it's better to rip it out and try again than to push on with an unsuitable pairing. And sometimes what doesn't work with one colorway will be just fine with that same base, just in another color. Which is why you'll be seeing those leaves again, just in a rather more subdued gray, in the not too distant future...
The boss of your knitting…
This is just your friendly occasional reminder that you (not the yarn tag) are in charge of your gauge (and needle size)! This is Malabrigo's Twist, which is a lovely aran weight yarn. They suggest knitting it at around 4-5 stitches per inch, and suggest a needle size around 8 1/2 - 11. All of which is cool, and totally works for something like a hat (though for me to get 4 spi with this yarn, I use something like a size 4 needle). But I'm making slippers, and I want them to be as dense as I can get [...]
Might as well…
So that pretty gray and green hat? The one with the welts? It's coming out later this month. And I needed to take some instructional photos for how you make that little ridge. And I was going to just do it on a swatch...but it seemed more fun to do it on a tiny cuff instead. Because really...that you can use. The swatch, not so much. Plus the yarn (kunlun by Miss Babs) is so soft it's pretty much a crime. And this way I'd be able to use it all up instead of having the dreaded mini ball left [...]
Darn it
I managed to get a funny hole in my sock. It's on top of the toes (not a spot where I usually get a lot of wear), and closer examination revealed that it's just one popped strand. There's no sign of wear (the fabric around it isn't thin), so my guess is it just got caught on something (kitten claws are a distinct possibility) and snapped. This is easy to fix... I started by securing the freestanding stitch with one of my very favorite safety pins/stitch markers (as always, amazon links are affiliate links). The strand that broke is directly [...]
Burgeoning (plus giveaway)
One afternoon, a few days after our move, I took a little walk around the yard with my camera and knitting in hand. I was looking for somewhere to show off these slippers. And what do you know, we have a handy woodpile that does the job rather nicely. The pattern is called Burgeoning, and I think it's a lovely way to start things off in the new house! There's something really satisfying about how these work up. You cast on at the back of the heel, work a few increases for the bottom of your foot, work a few [...]
Business as usual
We're starting to feel settled in. I know where almost everything is (though the basement still holds some mysteries) and we're down to just a tiny handful of boxes lingering in corners. All of which means it's time to get back to work and do some knitting! This was technically finished up just before we left Cleveland, but I've not shown it off, so I'm taking shameless liberties with the timeline and doing so now. I really do like these more than I should...I mean yes, it's just a facecloth. It's the complete opposite of fancy or complicated or flashy. [...]
Landed
Aaaaand we're in! All tucked into the new house in Maine, mostly unpacked, and ready to get back to work. You'll start seeing me around more next week (next up, the pattern for those lovely green slippers everyone has asked about). They'll be the first pattern photographed in our shiny new back yard! Thanks for sticking with me during the move (so. many. boxes), and I promise to show off lots of lovely Maine goodness over the next months as we get settled in!
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