Not even close
From time to time, I'll post a picture on instagram or on the blog, and someone will say some variation of 'oh my goodness, your knitting is so perfect, mine never looks like that.' And this is very very sweet...but absolutely not true. My knitting is somewhere around middling to fair. Now, I am pretty good at blocking, and blocking is a huge part of making your finished knitting look great (that's why I've done so many posts about how to block stuff...I really really really want you to be blocking your projects). And I do have a slightly fancy camera, [...]
That’ll do nicely
Well then, that's satisfying. I'm mostly just going to show you pretty pictures. Then get it all blocked and go marching out to the yard to find somewhere to take pretty pictures. Have I mentioned how much I like having a woodpile and rocks and tree stumps and more rocks in the yard? It's awfully convenient... Everything is on track for this one to come out Tuesday May 1. If you want to grab yarn, I used a skein of Satchel by Mrs Crosby. And if you want to hear when it comes out, that handy link at the bottom [...]
Unreasonably satisfying
I should probably feign a becoming modestly. I know it's the right thing go do. But I confess that I am helpless in the face of this stitch. I think it's gorgeous and I can't hide it. It's a byproduct of all the swatching experimentation that happened back here, the experimentation that led to Ecliptic (see, swatching is totally not a waste of time or yarn, it's where ideas come from). And it's rather captivating. Everything is on track for it to come out as a pattern fairly soon (read May or June if all goes according to plan. Because I [...]
Growing
As expected, the hours put in on the ribbing were absolutely worth it. The hat proper is so lovely (and so much fun to do). And having put in all that ribbing means I'll actually wear the hat (skimpy brim is the quickest way to make sure a hat languishes at the bottom of the hat bin, no matter how pretty it is). The yarn is Mrs Crosby's Satchel in Graystone. And the stitch is totally one of those things where I find myself wanting to work just a few more rows...just to get to the end of the repeat so [...]
Payoff
Someone linked to this on pinterest, and lots of folks are coming over (hi, welcome!). The is out now, it's called Ephemeris, and you can get it on ravelry. If you want an email when other patterns are released, you can make that happen right here. All that ribbing...that ribbing diligently done, despite my natural laziness...well it's paid off. Now I get to do the pretty bits. And while yes, there is still a ribbed background behind the pretty bits, somehow it's not nearly as interminable now that I've got some fancy bits going on every few rows to distract myself. [...]
Gray…so much gray
Step 1, yarn. Step 2, cast on. Step 3, knit and knit and knit. Step 4, no really, keep knitting. Step 5, DO NOT FALL PREY TO THE TEMPTATION TO QUIT, this is NOT five and a half inches of ribbing, and you will be sad if you stop now. But it is almost five and a half inches, so in a little bit you can stop that and do something more amusing any moment now. And then you'll be glad you kept going. But now it's totally appropriate to mutter under your breath and wonder about the chance of getting [...]
I didn’t forget
Remember the other day when we talked about the...ah...let's go with 'generous' amount of swatching that comes before a project? And I showed you all the swatches that happened before the blue hat leapt into being? And remember that gray swatch at the top that a bunch of you liked? Well turns out I liked it too. But the yarn it was in was just a tiny bit darker than what I wanted (there's sort of this thing where a bunch of those hats may all end up hanging out together in a bigger project, which all of a sudden [...]
I love this part
So as I mentioned, Curls 2 is off at the printer (yay) and will be out this summer (double yay). And that means it's totally time for me to diving in to the next book. One of the first steps is always getting yarn. I flashed some of the other pretty yarns for the new one a few days ago, but the mail fairy has brought me more in the meantime! That's Mrs. Crosby Hat Box in Roasted Chestnut. And that's Lorna's Laces Solemate in Manzanita. Both awfully yummy, and a good illustration of something I'm considering for this book. [...]
Playing Favorites
I'm in the middle of the best part of book making. The part where I've chatted with some of my very favorite people in the yarn industry, they've graciously agreed to let me experiment with their beautiful yarns, they've mailed them to me, and I get to play with them. This tray of yarn is sitting on my desk right now. These will be the socks for the book after next, and I love each and every one of them. Starting at the top left, there's Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Buckingham Fountain, and right under it is Mrs. Crosby [...]
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