Category: Accessories

May zoomed by

Now that I feel like I *might* have a bit of breathing room on my current deadline projects, a quick catch-up!

I have a couple of patterns in the new June issue of I Like Knitting. I don’t think they’re on Ravelry yet though:

Dad’s Dress Socks are worked in Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, one of my all-time favourite sock yarns, in Douglas Fir. They’re worked top down, with an easy staggered ridge pattern and heel flap and gusset.

Maritime Cardigan is a pretty adorable (if I do say so myself!) baby cardigan in sizes 3 months – 2 years. It’s worked from the top down, with panels of twisted stitch medallions down the back and fronts, short sleeves, and ribbed edgings. This one’s also knit in Lorna’s Laces, in the beautiful Shepherd Sport (colour Poppy).

We finally got out to the garden this weekend and planted out the tomatoes and herbs. Sorry for the overexposed photos, it’s way too hot (and unshaded!) to spend much time out on the deck in the morning!

Lots of tomatoes this year: 9 plants, mostly cherry types.

The peas are doing pretty well, getting established – I wish there were most plants though, I ran out and I suspect that the squirrels may have gotten ahold of some of them.

I bought this “framberry/pineberry/strawberry” pack at the grocery store and have high hopes for them! I’ve never grown berries before. We’ll see how they do in a container. Quite a few of the plants at the nursery had teeny tiny fruit – I tried to pick ones that had flowers, but not fruit yet.

We usually just grow basil in with all the tomatoes, but I wanted some different herbs this year as well. Mint, coriander, dill and basil in a container together. It’s okay with me if the mint takes over eventually!

Lettuce that I planted a month or so ago (in COLD April) is definitely ready for some eating. The spread in the container came out a bit patchy, but I’m not sure whether I should plant more seeds since it’ll be so hot.

In knitting, I’ve had so many deadline projects that I can’t share yet, but these will be available soon!

Milkweed original and XL (uses 200g of fingering weight yarn), and a new shawlette in super pretty Mountain Colors Louisa: a cashmere/silk blend that’s OMG SO SOFT. Coming in June!

May 30, 2016
Snowy April

Apparently April has been the snowiest month of this winter, here in TO! I just saw some hail falling, too. Yeeesh.

I’ve been working on an XL version of my Milkweed Shawl pattern – which originally came out in 2008. That’s seriously an AGE in digital knitting patterns! It needs some new photos and layout to freshen it up, and I’ve been meaning to do a larger version for years. I’m actually striping 2 different colourways of Cashmerino 20 from Sweet Fiber Yarns – I had bought 2 different ones by accident, but they look great together and blend really nicely. I’m at the point now where I’m starting to worry about running out of yarn…here’s hoping I don’t have to rip back again.

I hadn’t spun in weeks, but got back to the wheel this past weekend. This 50/50 merino/silk from Woolgatherings on Etsy is so soft, and the colours are just gorgeous. I split the top vertically into 2 pieces and am spinning each one separately, then I’ll chain ply to preserve the colours. I really wanted this yarn to be a heavier than my “default” thickness (which is pretty thin), so I’m aiming for about a worsted-weight 3 ply.

Despite all the other work I’ve got going (and the fact that I have only 2 hands, dammit) I couldn’t resist winding this awesome yarn from Caterpillar Green in Vancouver, in Blue Light. I wind a lot of yarn by hand these days because I can’t be arsed to set up the swift and ball winder, but it was worth it to see how this yarn stripes up! It’s designed to stripe nicely for top-down, triangular shawls, but of course I’m thinking of a light spring cardigan. At a whopping 600 yards, this skein might just be enough for a little topper. Stay tuned…

This week’s cookie is Jam Thumbprints from Love and Olive Oil, spurred on by the several half-full jars of homemade jam in the fridge! They’re filled with raspberry, blueberry, and meyer lemon marmalade. They’re pretty, tender, and way too easy to eat!

Here’s hoping Spring is actually spring-ing where you are.

April 12, 2016
A Monday-like Tuesday

Let’s catch up a bit!

New Project: Top-down raglan

I don’t think I shared here that I started a new sweater for myself, inspired by Ann and Kay’s “Bang out a sweater” knit along. I’m not knitting Mary Jane’s (lovely) Stopover, but instead one of my own design. It’s a top-down raglan wrap cardigan, worked in garter stitch – the grown-up version of my Mermaid Cardigan! I’m using Fleece Artist Blue-faced Leicester DK in a lovely deep brown-black, with hints of blue.

I’m past the yoke divide now, but this one hasn’t been getting as much attention as I would like – I have 2 other sweaters to finish before the end of the month for a deadline!

I did a little more spinning.

2016.5

Fibre: FatCatKnits Superwash Targhee Combed Top, colour way: Barn Country 40
Structure: split lengthwise, singles spun end to end, basic 2 ply.
WPI: 14-15 WPI
Yardage: 391 yards, 113g

New Pattern: Polonium

And I have a new pattern out as well! Polmonium is an easy, elegant hat and mitt set worked in super soft Miss Babs Caroline. The largest size set can be made with just 1 skein!

One last thing: cake! I made this hummingbird cake (banana, pineapple, and pecans) for my grandma’s 86th birthday, which we celebrated yesterday. I really wanted it to look nice for her, so I piped roses on top – it came out great. I didn’t have quite enough frosting to do roses on the sides as well, so I just smoothed it out and added some chopped pecans around the bottom edge.

I used this recipe from Joy of Baking, but changed up the frosting a bit – I used equal parts butter and cream cheese, and a good amount of heavy cream (along with powdered sugar and vanilla). YUM!

February 16, 2016