I’ve actually begun to knit a little bit again. The tendons seem to be healing slowly but surely and I can’t stand NOT knitting! So. Old projects are coming out of “time out” and getting finished. Slowly!
I finished my Frosting Shawl. I love the cable on one edge, a reversible cable. I also like the icord bind off. I like this bind off in general because it makes a nice, substantial edge and it really does finish it well. I knitted my Frosting Shawl with the Manos Allegria colorway that the pattern showed in Ravelry. I love the colorway. I did not love the way the bright blue dye bled. I will try to re-wash it with some soap and see if I can whiten it up again. Ugh. Update: I did wash it again and it’s better but I know that the bright blue bled. I’m still not thrilled but I’m ok with it.
I also finished a little zip-up-the-back sweater for a baby gift. I knitted it in Plymouth Encore, a sturdy and easy care worsted, acrylic and wool blend. I love the red that I picked for this project. The pattern is an “oldie but goodie” that we hand out as a free pattern at my LYS. It is a simple knit and you can choose one of two cables for the center front and sleeves or knit it without cables. The part of this sweater that made me laugh out loud was that it had a zipper and in all of my years of knitting, I have never sewn a zipper into a sweater. Well, now I have! And it was a great success! I’ll post pictures after it’s been shipped and received! Update: the new baby has been born!
I’ve also been working on some charity projects. One of my sweet Friday students asked for hats and mittens for children who attend a Christmas party at an area club. I delivered two hats last Friday and this week I’ll deliver a pair of mittens. Simple, quick and very rewarding to know that every child will go home with a hat and mittens that night.
I pulled out my A Walk Through Aspens wrap. It’s been “away” for a long (long) time. So, A Walk Through Aspens is a beautiful bulky cabled wrap. I am going to “edit” the size of the project and make it into a pillow. I’m not sure exactly how it will work yet, but I’m knitting along … and remembering how much I like cables! This is a beautiful pattern and I am knitting with Cascade Eco+ in a really pretty blueish-grayish. It’ll be really pretty.
I’ve been working on an embroidery project, too. I am finding that I like embroidery – at least simple stuff! I bought a pattern at the Maine Quilt Show several years ago and finally pulled it out thinking it’s a good way to “not knit”. So, I bought some white cotton, interfacing and lots of colors of DMC floss and I’m stitching away. I’ll add some Christmas fabric around it and it’ll be a great Christmas pillow for our house. Next up is an appliqué pattern that I bought the same year. I decided to hand-stitch it … again, “not knitting”. I’ll keep you updated!
I’ve got a couple of thumbs to knit. What are you working on?
I’m entering week four … WEEK FOUR … of not knitting. Nearly four weeks of not knitting is a huge punishment for me. I always knit; every day! Even on those days that I teach all day I go home and knit.
I bought a little bit of linen fabric at the Yardgoods Center in Waterville, Maine a few weeks ago. I also bought some needles and some DMC floss in six or seven different colors and an embroidery hoop. With my 
The i-cord edge hides the yarns as they are carried up the side of the garment. It’s a brilliant idea! I’ll admit to having a bit of a challenge getting the i-cord edge started, but I figured it out in a couple of rows! There is a TON of knitting in this chapter! Phew!
Chapter Four – OK, this chapter was released and I hadn’t even begun the previous one. I am telling you, there is a lot of knitting each week. If you work at a job or are a stay-at-home parent, or do anything but knit, you will not have been able to keep up with this MKAL! I am a relatively quick knitter and I’m waaaaaay behind!
It’s April 15 today and it’s winter again. Today was not blue skies and sunny. We had snow flurries, a little sleet, a mixed bag of yuck! It’s truly sweater weather!
I’ve been drooling over some sock yarn by On the Round. On the Round is a Maine yarn and is hand-dyed in Owls Head, Maine. Rachel has been knitting since she was seven and she home schools her children … and dyes yarn in her “spare” time! Busy lady! Anyway, I finally decided to buy a hank of Silver Lining Tweed in Signature Sock and I am so glad I did. I haven’t knit socks in a little while and it felt like I was sitting with an old friend as I cast on and worked down the cuff of my sock. I always (almost always) use the Yankee Knitter pattern, Classic Socks for the Family and I am using it this time. I nearly know it by heart (always need help when I am turning the heel). I’m a happy camper …
I’m also working on my Malabrigo Rios sweater using the Knitting Pure and Simple Neck Down Cardigan for Women pattern. I didn’t get the right gauge of 16 stitches over four inches with this yarn. Probably because the Rios is more a light worsted. So, with my gauge of 17.5 stitches over four inches (4.375 stitches per inch), I’ve decided to make a size larger so that I have some positive ease. I love the colorway that I chose. It’s a blue and a grey at the same time. It’s tonal and I love it! I haven’t had an easy start with this sweater, though. I noticed, just as I was about to separate the sleeves, that I was a couple of stitches short on one side of the front. And I SAW that the reason why I was a couple of stitches short was because I hadn’t increased on one side of the marker. It was the one side that was front and center of course. I decided relatively quickly that I was not going to be happy with it and had to rip it back and fix it. It set me back a bit, but it was totally worth it. I am so excited to wear this sweater!
I have also cast on a shawl using my yarn from the sheep at Bedlam Farm. Mine is a sport weight from Susie and another sheep. It’s a lovely grayish brown. I had a customer at the shop who needed help with her shawl and it was pretty and simple. I like pretty and simple because it lets the yarn shine. So, I cast on the Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief and I pick it up now and then when I want to knit something simple. It’s going to be pretty! I think this shawl will be used to do some good. Stay tuned.
At home, we have begun the process of rebuilding our boat house. The original boat house was re-built around 1950 and then a “garage” with a dirt floor was added after that. The foundation of the building is in remarkably good shape so we are simply rebuilding the same building so that my husband can move his workshop into the garage part and we can turn the existing workshop (the white building at right), we hope, into a two-car garage in the future. This week we are hoping to see the roof joists and roof go up. It’s very exciting.
Our family thrives! All five kids are working hard and make us very proud. Youngest, Amy, made my blueberry muffins this weekend and they looked wonderful. A great first attempt.
I may have an injured wing but I’m still knitting!
I have nearly finished a 1898 Hat for my dear husband and valentine. I’m knitting it in Malabrigo Rios in the Piedras colorway. It will match his scarf that I made last year. He works outside (in Maine, in the winter, in all kinds of weather) and the doubled garter brim of this hat ought to keep his ears warm! This yarn is absolutely amazing and I hope he’ll love it as much as I love him. He takes such good care of me. I can’t imagine life without him.
I have a scarf on the needles, too. I’ve been wanting to knit the Zick Zack Scarf for a long time. We have a sample in the shop that I have always liked and chose to do it in the “original” colorway. I’ve gotten half-way through the project and find it monotonous at best. The pattern is the same row throughout and it’s even repeated across the rows. But the color changes in the Lang Mille Colori Baby yarn is exquisite and I love the way it looks. I’ll keep plugging because it’s really bee-utiful.
The headband is knit flat in garter stitch with increases for the ear flaps. It has a provisional cast on – I used a crochet cast on. It’s knit in garter stitch on either side of three slipped stitches on the wrong side (they’re knit on the right side) which makes it fold in half to make the headband double thickness and really, really warm! You graft the ends of the headband together with Kitchener Stitch (if you do it properly it’s completely invisible!) and then pick up the stitches from both sides of the headband to make the rest of the hat in the round like any “normal” hat.
Queen Bee Knits 