Pattern: Flourish

I love the feeling of having something 'hot off the presses', so to speak. This hat's been sitting around in my little idea notebook for very nearly a year, so it's about time it got let out to run off some steam. I'm not entirely sure why, but it took me ages to actually get it all done. Possibly in part because I kept getting about halfway in and realizing that the yarn I was using was all wrong for the look I wanted, scrapping the whole thing, and starting over.


I ended up using Silky Wool, by Elsebeth Lavold, and absolutely loved it. It's got this soft but slubby feel to it, and it lies so nicely. I'd gotten two skeins while yarn-shopping earlier this summer, and I sent the other one off to a swap partner--who better love it as much as I did.

Anyway, my favorite thing about this hat is the versatility of it. I generally like things that work with any style, and being able to swap out what tie you use goes a long way with that. And you can turn it around on your head and play with the gathers for different looks. There's even a row of eyelets along the brim that you can put ribbon through if you'd like.

It's also a great end-of-summer project, because the yarn is so light, but still warm enough for fall thanks to the silk (I learned from reading the Yarn Harlot's blog that silk is much warmer than wool--believe it or not! Silk always seems like such a cool, slippery thing to me...).

Speaking of fall, I'm totally knitting ahead for it right now, anyone else?


Let me know if you knit this--I'd love to see how you wear it!

Pattern download here.

Up & coming

Couldn't resist throwing together a little inspiration board for fall. ♥
Pictures are from tumblr or pinterest--collage is my work. ♥

(double-click for full view)

Crave This: Summertime

I know it's probably right around the time that everyone starts daydreaming about fall knitting... I just got a copy of Knitscene's fall issue, and the fall VK has been out and about for a while now. But, let's be honest. It's only August. There's plenty of summer left.
With that in mind...

~summer's favorite hue~


No little summer dress is complete without a lacy shrug. I love how the stitch pattern on this one is feminine, but structured. Plus, it's an easy transitional piece for cooler weather.



I love dressing up simple scarves with a bold necklace. A solid tank with an airy, white scarf and a necklace like this one is the perfect summer night get-up.



A merino/silk blend ever-so-appropriately named 'Mermaid On the Shore', just dying to be knit up into a little summer shawl, or a special pair of socks. All of the other colorways from Dyeforwool are just as delicious.



I love using beads instead of buttons for fastening sweaters. They're so functional & eye-catching. I love how these have an inner glow to them!


~projects to inspire~


Everything about this is perfect. The yarn, the color, the fringe... Everything.
Project page here.



I love the bright whimsy of this photo. Such a simple knit, but the colors make it so striking. I normally stick to neutrals in my wardrobe, but this makes me want to branch out!
Project page here.


The details really make this hat. The stylish slouch in the silhouette, the unique brim, and the stockinette panels... Mmm.
Project page here.



Socks--the ultimate summer project. I've had these in my Ravelry favorites for a little while now, and every time I see them I'm seized with the urge to cast on. You can never have too many socks.
Project page here.

~delightful things to try~


I want to fill our bedroom with these in a chandelier pattern. So simple & beautiful.



Stuffed French toast is probably the food I could eat everyday, forever. Summer brunch outdoors, anyone?



Embrace upcycling this summer! Easy, breezy project from old tees--what's not to love?

♥ Now go enjoy the remnants of your summer!

WIP Weekend

How do you know when you have too many projects going at once?

My husband was tidying up our bedroom the other day, and had to keep stuffing more and more pairs of needles & yarn into my WIP basket next to our bed. He finally looked over at me and said, "You do know you're working on, like, ten different things, right?"
I, of course, knew that it was ridiculous of him to imply that I had too many knitting projects on the needles. There is simply no such thing.

Besides, I'm pretty sure I don't have enough projects yet.


First off, I just got this lovely handspun from Steven A. in the mail. He gave it away as part of a blog post raising awareness about HIV/AIDS testing, and I'd definitely recommend reading through what he wrote. It made me grateful.
Anyways, if I don't knit something with this, I'm pretty sure he will track me down and take it away. I did have to give him my address, after all, so he does know where I live. That would probably ruin my knitting mojo forever. I'm thinking maybe a Larch, but I'm not certain yet. Great yarn needs a great pattern, and this yarn is incredibly touchable and sheepy. It's giving me a serious wool craving that's very out of place in July.

But, that's not all...

I already signed up for the Mystery KAL that Stephen West (Stephen West!) designed, and that starts tomorrow--but I haven't even picked out yarn from the stash yet! Oops. August snuck up on me in a big way.

And then Stephanie Dosen of Tiny Owl Knits came out with this. So far I've been able to resist it calling me, but probably not for much longer. I had a really easy time pulling little bits & balls out of my stash for it, and I think I need an afghan. No, really. Doesn't everyone once August rolls around?


From left to right, that's Paton's Kroy Sock wool, Isager Strik Alpaca, two different colors of Koigu KPM (one from my LYS, one from my NY trip), Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, a purply-brown mystery wool from the market in Xining, and the front little bits are Knitpicks Palette. All those different colors and places, and they look so beautiful together. What's not to love?

As for what's actually on my needles...
Two new design projects, the beginnings of a Lee Meredith hat (take two), a sweater from one of last year's VKs in full hibernation, Jacqueline (probably headed for the frog pile--gotta love trying to knit sweaters that fit a 24" waist and 35" bust simultaneously) and this...



...Breezy silk & wool for mindless knitting over coffee and conversation. I love summer afternoons like these. ♥

Summer Lovely

By the request of the lovely Evelyn, photos of my finished short version of Grayson...

I surprised myself a little here, because I actually like the short size even more, despite the fact that I normally favor oversizing everything. I used Palette, just like before, but I shortened the border a bit to balance out the look.

These colors scream summer to me. Like African prints, or sea glass.

I got lucky recently and managed to attend an Annie Modesitt class on her combination knitting method. While my town isn't quite backwater Ohio, it's still a bit off the beaten path, so it's always a pleasant surprise when anything like this is scheduled in the area.

I was too shy to try to grab any pictures, but the entire thing was awesome. She was funny, brilliant, and a great teacher. Furthermore, the combination method completely worn me over. It resolved issues I'd had in the past with keeping good tension while ribbing and cabling, and made me feel empowered! The whole thing was just plain fun.

Finally, I did get around to creating PDF versions for my two most popular previously published patterns, Jaymie and Fantastic Mr Fox! Those are probably going to be the only patterns I re-release as PDFs, but all future patterns will be in the new format. You can head over to Ravelry to download them if you like...

Summer, contrary though this is, is my absolute favorite season for craftiness, so there's lots of knitty goodness on the way for these next few months! Stay tuned!

♥