As Promised
Despite that wee bit of pre-trip knitting that resulted in the unexpectedly early completion of the hat and one mitt, I did manage to save some knitting for the trip. As proof, I offer the mitt on the needles on the conveniently photogenic moldering log located beside the place we are staying. It will be done with just a few more minutes of knitting, and then that lovely great pile of remaining yarn will get turned into some sort of snuggly neck thing. I am fairly sure it will be delightful.
More Provisions
And, lest you think yesterday's herb salts were the only things we made ahead and packed along with us, allow me to remind you of the hot chocolate paste. As with the herb salts, this was all explained last year. This hot chocolate paste has become such a staple part of our pantry that I didn't want to be without it, even on a trip (why yes, I did also pack a teapot and several kinds of loose tea, why do you ask). If you missed it last year, you really should give it a shot, it's awfully good stuff [...]
Provisions
Yes, we are off on our annual fall excursion. And yes, I will doubtless be detailing it all at alarming length over the next few weeks. But before we left, we had the traditional herb massacre and making of herb salts. I wrote all about making herb salts last year (here and here). We followed much the same procedure this year. Just for my own records, we used three bowls full of herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram), 4.5 pounds of coarse salt, and four full heads of garlic, and the results look to be just as delicious of [...]
Best of Intentions
I meant for this to be road knitting. Really I did. But the hat was finished, and I had just a few minutes, and I felt like knitting. Then, somehow, all of a sudden...there it was. All I can say is that it is damn cute, and I'm not really sure how much apologizing can be done for that level of cuteness. And now that I see how little yarn it takes (and how much of my second ball I have left over), I find myself wondering if a little cowl might round out this set nicely...
Ahead of Schedule
I know that this was supposed to be road knitting. And I know that this is a finished hat perched on my back fence. All I can say is that it's an easy pattern, it's a pretty yarn, and sometimes I fall prey to knitting spurts and need to bang these things out quickly. In my defense, I will take the mitts on the road. And perhaps this way I can get pattern pics while I'm away and re-release this pattern this season.
Persevere
When last we left the hat, I was wrestling with the perpetual brimmed hat question...will my laziness win out? Or will I conquer the deep folded brim. Four full inches of 1 by 1 twisted ribbing later, I can proudly say I was victorious. It looks ridiculous when it's left unfolded of course, but when it's turned up, it's adorable. Now comes the too short/too long/too short/too long dance that marks the final few inches of every hat. I have high expectations for this one.
Tempest (review and giveaway)
My love affair with SweetGeorgia yarns is well documented. I've used it in three of my books (it's on the cover of the most recent one), and there may well be a SweetGeorgia project on one of my sample knitters' needles right this very moment. So, when I heard that Felicia Lo (yarn mastermind at SweetGeorgia) and Holli Yeoh (designer of deliciously modern knitting patterns) were teaming up to create a book of patterns for SweetGeorgia yarns, I expected grand things. And, now that I've had the pleasure of seeing Tempest in person, I can happily say it's even more [...]
Perfectly Normal
Someone reassure me that it is perfectly normal to have 'block the knits you plan to photograph on the trip' as a step on one's adventure planning checklist. Everybody does that, right? That's the blue socks you've all been asking about and the purple hat and mitts from last winter. That hat and mitts are totally totally done (as in the pattern is written, laid out, and tested). As soon as I have proper pics slotted in, I'll be ready to release it. And The Boy (it's his hat) and I are off to somewhere both picturesque and chilly here [...]
How to Knit a Hat
The hat is underway. The hat, destined as it is to have a nice deep brim, begins with an almost interminable stretch of 1 x 1 twisted ribbing. The hat is whispering to me how much more interesting life will be when I start the patterned bit, and I am firmly pointing out that it will be more fun to wear with a deep brim. I'll let you know how the conflict ends. In the meantime, I thought I'd tell you how to knit a hat. 1) Decide upon yarn, pattern, and needles. 2) Knit a nice swatch and, armed [...]
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