coming up roses

Some random things that are making me smile:

L'Arbre. The stitch pattern was so much fun to knit and is a lot easier than it looks. I've decided to indulge in new-to-me yarn for each of the hats in the fringe hatalong. This pretty rose colorway is one of my favorite colors and the softness of the Malabrigo Twist did not disappoint.

Hitofude. It's funny how the sight of two sleeves can suddenly make a drawn out project interesting. It only took me a little less than a year to get to this point but now I can finally see the finish line. Boy, once you get past the scarf-like beginnings this knit turns into a fun but still easy ride. Too bad that it's a little snug. Nothing a little heavy blocking can't fix (hopefully, fingers crossed!)

Impulse Shawl. I rarely knit a pattern more than once, but when I saw this yarn (Spun Right Round SW Sock graffiti colorway ... click on that link at your own risk) on the Woollen Wilderness blog, there was no doubt that it was going to be another slipped stitch shawl. This is my mindless summer travel project since I am in no rush to get it done. Just savoring all the beautiful colors of the yarn.

Flowers and Herbs. I planted a whole bunch of flowers (mainly marigolds for dyeing) and herbs. It has been very peaceful to sit in the garden with a cup of tea and my knitting. The strawberries are so plentiful right now that we have been treating ourselves to a bowlful of strawberries and ice cream topped with whipped cream almost every night this week. Love this time of year in the garden.

A New Toy. More on this later.


What are some of the things making you happy lately?

audrey loves wabi

I've been on a hat knitting binge lately. Strange, since until this year, hats were mainly reserved for gift or charity knitting and not for personal wearing. But I've recently discovered what great little accessories they make, especially when one is suffering from a bad or lazy hair day (which is every day for me). Plus, they can add a little handmade personality to an otherwise ho-hum outfit. I also like the fact that they can be worn comfortably for three out of four seasons here in Maryland. And the best part is that they are quick, fun and portable projects to knit.

This here is Audrey which is the first hat to kickoff the fringe hatalong hosted by Karen from Fringe Association. I used the recommended yarn, Snoqualmie Valley Yarn. Did I mention that hats are also a wonderful way to indulge in new yarns? So yeah, I broke from the stash for this one and it was well worth it! Not only did I have enough yardage to make Audrey but there was plenty left over. So I decided to knit a pair of wabi mitts to keep Audrey company.

I like how they look together and both were fast and fun to knit up. The hat turned out a little big, so I wear it more as a slouchy beret.

Right now, the second hat in the fringe hatalong is underway. It's a lovely little pattern called L'Arbre by Cirilia Rose. Mine is off the needles but still needs to be photographed, so more on that later.
Do you like to knit hats and/or wear them? If so, what style of hat do you prefer?

a sheepish weekend

Happily exhausted and recovering from a weekend full of fiber, yarn, good friends and fried artichokes. And lots of adorable sheep:

Every year I go to Maryland Sheep and Wool with a wish list and every year I end up ignoring it. But that's half the fun! This year also came with the temptation of an indie pop-up store at the Knot House with irresistible vendors like YOTH Yarns, Duck Duck Wool, O-wool, and Magpie Fibers. Skeins of yarn were jumping off the shelves and into my shopping bag faster than you can say Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep. 

The weather was beautiful but warm, so I ended up wearing my sheep heid which drew some smiles. It was the perfect accessory for a sheepish weekend :)

Here are some details on the hat: the yarn is from my never-ending stash of knitpicks palette. I've been drawing lots of color inspiration recently from everyday objects such as interesting packaging, printed shirts from my closet and flowers from the backyard. This particular color combination for sheep heid came from one of my favorite flannel shirts.

Doesn't it look like the sheep are standing in a meadow of flowers?