Relishings

IN MY STUDIO : : Fingerless Mittens

When my oldest daughter was six months old she was pretty attached to me. So attached that every time I put her down or someone else held her she cried - very hard. It wasn't great, but you could hardly blame her as we had spent a whole lot of time together. We were inseparable. 

And now all these years later I am the one crying - very hard as I drop her off at the airport. Missing her already. 

There is a slight panic that sets in right about now when everyone prepares to leave again, when we are all sitting reading in front of the fire in the evening and I hatch a plan in my head, a desperate plan: I know you could all live here forever, we have plenty of room, we all get along so well, we will grow our food together, I will cook and care for you, forever. It is crazy in the most selfish way. I keep it in my head. 

Instead, I send daughter number one off with a handknit pair of fingerless mitts. Perfect for texting me, for drawing with, for using when operating power tools, for keeping her safe and warm, for living her own independent dynamic and creative life. It will have to be enough. 

Mosaic Mitts an Interweave Pattern

Knit with Quince and Co. Yarn Lark

Purchased at Purl Diva

Happy perfect knitting weather weekend all! 

IN MY STUDIO : : The Slouchy Hat Etc.

Whether on the streets of Valparaiso Chile or the beaches of Midcoast Maine hand knitted hats can't be beat.

Hats make the perfect holiday gift. So run out this weekend, grab some yarn, and get started already.

Make some heads warm! 

Some tried and true favorite patterns: 

Noro Ribbed Cap

Slouchy Hat

Yarn Girls hat with button

Soulemama's hat

Dolan beret

Alpine topper

Textured cap

Purl Soho hats

 

Happy Weekend All! 

 

IN MY STUDIO : : Fast & Warm

 

Working in an old building has it's upside: the ceilings are tall, the space is funky and light filled, and we are right above an Irish Pub. But it's awfully hard to keep the heat in this retro brick furniture factory. 

I am always looking for somewhat stylin' knitting patterns that will keep me warm. Jane Richmond's Oatmeal Pullover fits the bill. Knitted top down with bulky yarn and no seams, you could finish this sweater in a weekend. I love the off-the-shoulder-almost neckline and the over-sized ribbing - just the right amount of attitude. Don't be afraid to make it tight; it will stretch (I wished I made mine tighter). 

This would be a perfect first sweater pattern. I used Lamb's Pride Bulky in Charcoal Heather (on #11 and #13 needles), purchased at Halcyon Yarn. Quince & Co. Puffin would work wonderfully as well and the colors are marvelous. 

So go ahead dive in. If you started today you'd be done in time for the holidays! 

 

IN MY STUDIO : : Wrapping Blue

My "penchant for blue" gene pool runs very deep; at least two generations back on my mother's side. Try as I might to shake free - heather green, celery yellow, or even an occasional plum - I find myself unconsciously drawn to the indigo. 

And as I worked on a recent project yesterday, I realized it was not the first, or the second, but the third in a line of recently made blue shawls.

They match my eyes, what can I say.  

On a very very long drive back from dropping daughter # 2 off at college, I needed something to keep my hands from wringing. A small skein of yarn and a round needle did the trick. Rowan Kidsilk Haze is absolutely luscious and so eloquent. I just knit round and round until it was done. 

A great beginning lace style wrap, I used bamboo yarn to knit up Wisp, a pattern available for free on Ravelry. The bamboo, Blue Lagoon, came from the Connecticut Yarn and Wool Co. It is hand painted, giving the yarn an artful ever so slightly variegated look and it knits up beautifully (gives like wool but slides like silk). 

The final in the blue trifecta is another free download on Ravelry. This Textured Shawl is, as noted, a bit more of a recipe than a pattern. Dive in, give it a try. It took me a couple of times to get it right. Very fun. Knit with Malabragio Silky Merino from Halcyon Yarn my neighborhood shop. I am hoping to get this wrap off the needles and around me before the weather turns. 

Next up a couple of pink baby sweaters for some newborn babes I know. Pink! Baby sweaters! Lucky me. 

IN MY STUDIO : : Off the needles and out the door.

Sometimes sweaters take forever. There are starts and stops, lost directions, christmas gifts to make, tear outs, other projects, and just plain life. 

I started this sweater last summer cruising the coast with my family. When I look at it now I remember deserted cove swims in icy waters. I remember long car rides to Boston, cozy after ski fires, movies with the family; quiet moments amid a busy world. It has been a year of knitting and living all woven together in yarn and and in memories. 

Like my life the sweater has short comings and short cuts. There are stitches dropped during the distractions of much activity. Some measurements are a bit off due to my impatience. But also, like my life, it is one of a kind and fits me perfectly in every way. 

The pattern is from Tahki Yarn. The yarn is Debbie Bliss Eco Cotton purchased at Halcyon Yarn. It is a heavyweight cotton that is perfect for a chilly spring and gives quite a lot. The green is the exact shade of an oak leaf the moment before it bursts open-which seems to be happening all around me this morning in Maine. 

IN MY STUDIO : : A place of one's own

 

 

Yep it is really happening ! Ignore the water spots on the ceiling; they are old. 

After scheming and cleaning I have gone from this to this.

Next rainy day I am moving in cause outside in the sunshine, there is a lot of this going on : 

 

Happy Weekend all !

IN MY STUDIO : : Spring Swing

Often a homemade sweater is thought of as a bulky and ill-fitting garment made solely for warmth. What is forgotten is that once a bit of skill is gained, the knitter can tailor their piece to fit the wearer...perfectly. And that makes all the difference. 

I wear this tank as both a vest in the cooler days and alone in the summer. It falls in just the right way in all the right places. It was easy; just knitting. AND it swings when I walk, even on days when I don't ! 

Flow tank top by Berroco

 

IN MY STUDIO : : Oops.

I just finished sewing my new spring sweater sleeve in ... umm ... inside out. I wonder how many times I will make that same mistake in this lifetime ? Ah well. Watching this while I recover. Happy weekend all. 

IN MY STUDIO : : Needling along

 

 

* Done with another cowl. This one made with luscious Araucania Azapa, one skein was enough. One more very special cowl left to knit. 

* Picked up Cowlgirls. Great ideas for next winter. 

* Started a lightweight wool project and am really missing the ease of bulky yarn ! 

* Sewing market bags for vegetables, fruit, and grain. To cut down on the plastic. 

* Waiting for the pieces of my blocked spring cotton sweater to dry so I can finish it. 

But really I just want to keep running out and checking the sap jugs. Happy Weekend. 

 

IN MY STUDIO : : taking care of business manifesto

As the rain continues to wash winter away I am : 

Working on another cowl (I know I just can't watch soccer without my needles)

Finally going to block that finished sweater. I find knitting much more fun than blocking. 

Promise to get my seed order in (it's just all the dang knitting ! )

 

Going to write my Senators ONE MORE TIME, because I have this sinking feeling I am going to wake up one morning without any rights. And I have been watching Mad Men. 

 

Going to the Portland Flower Show

----

............................................................................................................................

Taking some next steps to go plastic free, because now that our Governor is proposing lifting the state ban on BPA,  I don't want a little beard. Honestly.  

Have a wonderful weekend all. TCOB.