Sunday, October 23, 2011

Sundays






Cate came home last week and unbeknown to me set up a photo shoot with her little sister. They decided mom's knits would be perfect for fall and I could use them for my blog and pattern photos. I'll let them speak for themselves.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Ooops, that took a while.

Sorry folks, didn't plan to be sooooo long between posts. Lots of secret knitting, so nothing interesting to show. But I have been informed I NEED to get back to my blog...so here we go.

All the secret knitting is now being published and I am pretty pumped. Four of my designs have been published in 60 More Quick Knits by SoHo Publishing with Cascade Yarns. These were knit so long ago I barely remember knitting them. Tell me what you think..



The Tasseled Ski Hat
Nordic Mittens

Baltic Mittens

and the Fair Isle Tam (front and Back)
These photos are all from the book 60 More Quick Knits. They were all knit with Cascade 220 Sport.
Copyright by Sixth&Spring/Cascade Yarns
60 More Quick Knits
Photography by Jack Deutsch


And to keep things interesting...

One of my very favorite knitting students has had a terrible diagnosis, so being a knitter, I knit her something to cheer her up. This is the lovely Aria Delicato Scarf by Anne Hanson. I am a huge Anne Hanson fan and stalker. I never miss her Knitspot blog posts and even found her in the wild once! I was too shy to approach her, but she was super sweet when I commented on her blog. So next time I will be more forward.

Yarn: Sea Silk (not sure of the color, it is more variegated that I wanted, but I think she will like it).
Needles: #4, 24" circs.
No modifications at all, can't play with perfection.
Best of all I finally sent it off in the mail today, it has been finished for over a month.



This little cutie is truly adorable, not because of my knitting but because of the size. Oh and I am in love with the yarn. Can we all say yummy!!!

The sweater will eventually have the little fellows initials duplicate stitched on the front of this size 6-12 mos. boatneck pullover. In the same color as the pom pom. Hat pattern is my own, simple doubled rolled back ribbing, 100 sts and off you go in fingering weight. The sweater pattern is from my friend Sheila from Flock on Nantucket. It is knit is a worsted weight and is just the softest wool cashmere combo. Sheila owns Flock (formerly Sheep to Shore). Sadly the website is not being updated too frequently, but the pattern is called Easy, Easy Baby Pullover.

This has been one of my favorite yarn shops since the day they opened. And yes, I may have stumbled in a few times while we were home closing up the cottage. I am not apologizing...it is a beautiful shop with the most Madeline Tosh I have ever seen in one place and a fantastic staff. So everyone who visits  Nantucket should go and see Sheila. And yes, I do work in a yarn shop, which I also love, for different reasons. Believe me there is plenty of yarn love to go around!

Hat
Size: Newborn
Yarn: Anzula Squishy, Color: Seabreeze
Needles: #2

Sweater Easy, Easy Baby Pullover
Size 6-12 months
Yarn: Anzula Cricket, Color: Seabreeze
Needles: #5
One skein of yarn was all it took. I didn't have a 16" needle or I would have knit this in the round. And it is sooo tiny it took no time at all. I think I knit it in one day and the hat the next afternoon. Thoroughly addictive knitting.
There was much knitting finished while on island. I think I need to head home every time I have a knitting deadline. The quantity of work I completed in 10 days is phenomenal.

Next we have the Caera Cowl by Lucy Sweetland.

Yarn: Highland Aberdonian Granite 2010, 100% Alpaca. Worsted Weight.
Needles: 6 (I think)
Modifications: I changed up the cabling a little, added some others and just had fun with it. Blocked the beegeebers out of it. I am sure I will have to make another one for a certain young lady. I think next time I would use Cascade Eco Cloud. The alpaca is not as soft next to the skin as I like and the Eco Cloud is like buttah, with great stitch definition.

This last little set is an original design of mine but was heavily influenced by Adelia from Tanis Fiber Arts. I won't be selling this design or placing it in my designs for Ravelry. If you like it and would like something even nicer please order the pattern from Tanis. I fell in love with her color combo and then Madeline Tosh Vintage in Oceana and Flour Sack arrived at the store and resistance was futile. Really... go to Tanis' website, buy her pattern. It is lovely.
I did have a very productive vacation. (This doesn't even include the pair of socks I knit on the trip up, they are very pedestrian, get it...pedestrian, and I didn't think you would be interested) They were knit with Aslan Trends sock yarn which I had never used before. It is a nice yarn, very tight twist but not hard and stiff.

I did get to the beach, rode my bike and walked the dog all over our end of the island, shopped, ate ice cream, made an apple pie with my honey's apples, cooked bay scallops he caught, celebrated our 29th anniversary with  a yummy swordfish dinner, see... I didn't just sit around and knit all day.