It’s another beautiful day here on the lake. A lot of sun and a little breeze. Just about perfect. We had coffee on the porch and watched an eagle, a pair of wood ducks, and other water birds.

I wanted to post a bit about knitting because I am knitting. Trying to balance the post about the railroad and the lake that I posted earlier this morning (written yesterday.)

My last knitting post was about my last two FOs: the Daisy Cardigan and the Jasmine Romper, both for my granddaughter. I love knitting little things. And with that in mind …

This is the most recent pattern that I’ve knitted for Sylvie. The pattern is free on Ravelry and is published on Knitty.com. If you haven’t heard of Knitty.com, it’s an emailed magazine of electronic patterns and this was one of their patterns from awhile back. The original was a leopard print but I couldn’t imagine doing the duplicate stitching that would be required AND I already had the yarn in pink … although there’s a story about that, too.

Jane of the Jungle is a two-piece pattern in two sizes for babies/toddlers. Mine is a peanut so even this smaller size may not fit her this summer. Time will tell. I knitted the top first and it’s really simple and makes me giggle – a halter top for a baby? Ha! Ha! The icord straps will make it a little softer around baby’s neck. The bottoms are also pretty cute. These may end up being used often. They’re knitted in one piece, the ruffles are knitted first and then added in – I knit the ruffle stitches together with the pants stitches and it was a little bit fiddly but much easier than sewing them on afterward. All I need to do is weave in the ends and seam the sides of the pants and this outfit will be ready for the beach!

I ran out of pink yarn (and I don’t love working with Cascade’s Fixation. I’m sorry, I just don’t.) a little bit past the crotch of the bottoms. Of course I did! I considered several “saves” possible – frog back to the ruffles and knit the ruffles in a different color, frog the top and re-knit in a different or two colors to match the newly reimagined bottoms, or bite the bullet and buy more yarn. I was hoping to use up yarn not buy more yarn. Well, I lost at yarn chicken … and the new ball is a different lot number and just a slightly different color … so I did end up frogging back a bit and starting the new ball just in the middle of the legs. So be it. Note to self: Next time. start with using two colors so you don’t have to buy more.

Spoiler Alert!

I’m also working away, although I’m a little bit behind, on Romi’s 11th Annual MKAL called, Falderal. We know it’s a two-color triangular shawl (you can buy the pattern on Ravelry.)

I’ve wanted to knit a Romi Hill pattern for a long time and for whatever reason, this is the one that I am starting with and I have enjoyed it so far. The MKAL is in five parts and we have had three parts released. I’m still finishing part two … I said that I was a little bit behind, right? If you are knitting this shawl and are behinder than I am and don’t want to see what it’ll look like then stop reading here.

Part One was a lace triangle. The lace was simple enough and the cast on was interesting. I am enjoying the recordings of the lives from YouTube. I won’t be able to watch any lives because they’re always on a day that I work. But it’s ok. They’re recorded.

Part Two adds in the second color and it’s an interesting slip stitch pattern with some simple cables. I’ve finished the first of the two charts in this section and am about to jump into the second chart. The photos are not of the end of the first chart or the end of the second part, but here’s what I had as of yesterday afternoon … I never did get dressed yesterday.

I have made no progress on my Three Seasons Cardigan. I haven’t even tried. My thinking was that I would be taking my Romi shawl with me when we travel to Knit City Montreal in a couple of weeks but I think we will be getting clue 5 when we’re there. I’ll have to plan to bring a different shawl.

I am knitting the Three Seasons Cardigan in Katia Concept Cotton-Merino in the black colorway. This is the colorway that I saw when I fell in love with this pattern. AND the yarn is not disappointing me at all. The stitch definition is amazing. The yarn is soft and nice to knit with and the pattern is very well written. I am at the end of the first 50 rows of the back and am about to begin the arm scye (a little triangle added in so that you can have a nice smooth arm pit.) I’ll have this sweater done in time to wear it this fall and winter. It’s not a pattern that I can knit when I’m in a group or that I can knit and watch TV because I tend to make mistakes in the charts. But it’s getting easier to follow as I go and now that I can read my knititng.

I also cast on a pair of socks. I love knitting socks and have a small horde of sock yarns. This pair will be for my daughter, Libet. She chose the yarn from my stash. It’s from deep stash, I have absolutely no recollection of where I bought it but it’s knitting up to be quite pretty. Wherever I bought it, good for me! Ha! Ha! I haven’t taken any photographs yet. Coming soon to a post near you?

I still have a few projects in project bags on the shelf in my studio. My genser, a pair of colorwork mittens and Arne and Carlos mini Nordic jumpers (they have got to be finished before Christmas!) There may be more in the cabinet in my atelier but I don’t want to know about that right now. What I have out, what I can see is enough to keep me going for a while. At least my boss is coming back to Maine this week and I won’t be working any extra days. More time to knit!

Gone knitting.