fall woolens

Can you believe that it's already the last day of September? This month has just flown by. There has been a lot of knitting on little projects here lately and today I have a couple of new fall woolens to share with you.

First up is Laurus, the fourth hat in the fringehatalong. It was a quick and simple knit with a cute little bit of colorwork thrown in. I decided to go with a brown/cream marled yarn for the main color combined with a kelly green contrasting yarn. I like the outdoorsy vibe of the finished hat.

Next is a pair of fingerless mitts that I modified from this cute mitten project that I saw on Ravelry. I love how the fake thrums look like little hearts. I used a super soft bulky roving yarn in the stash that had a lovely mix of autumn colors. These feel pretty great to wear and I can't wait for the chilly fall days ahead!

Do you have any fun fall projects in the works? I've been itching to get started on a new sweater but can't decide on a pattern. In the meantime, there are still plenty of small wips to keep me busy. Happy knitting and have a great rest of the week :)

hermaness worsted

Presenting the third hat in the fringehatalong series and my favorite so far: Hermaness Worsted by Gudrun Johnston.

I love the look of the simple Shetland lace pattern knitted up in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter. The colorway is Almanac which is a gorgeous dark blue with bright blue flecks that seem to glow. Would love to knit a big cozy sweater with this yarn! It's so lightweight but with a rustic feel and very warm. I did have one occurrence of a breakage in yarn while working the crown decreases but no other issues. And now that I've fallen down the Brooklyn Tweed rabbit hole, there are some fall knitting plans in the works involving Loft:

Like my back-to-school haul? Toms sheep sneakers, Knerdshop knitting bag, Midwestern Knits book, Brooklyn Tweed Loft.

Also, the fourth hat in the fringehatalong was just announced last week. Can't wait to pick out some colors for this one. Not to mention the second Fringe and Friends Knitalong coming this fall. Must knit faster!

colors of summer

Started some new projects! The Shelter is for the third hat in the fringehatalong. I figured I should finish this one before the fourth pattern is announced in August. So far so good. I love lace patterns that are simple to memorize. Just finished with the lace back panel for the Morning Mist tee. A little concerned about how big it's looking, so planning on giving it a good soak and then some time in the dryer. My past experiences with Hempathy is that it tightens up a bit after a wash and dry. Fingers crossed!

There are lots of marigolds popping up in the garden. The tomatoes are also starting to come in. I should keep better notes of what varieties were planted. One tomato plant that I thought were just of the plain cherry variety are coming up a rose color. Pretty and sweet but I have no idea what kind they are. I also need to trim out my hydrangea bushes. They are taking over the front yard!

And as you can probably figure out from the Camp Tolt goodies: 1) I went on a little shopping spree 2) which might have involved the purchasing of some yarn and 3) another item can be checked off the summer bucket list. I hope that you too are enjoying every minute of this beautiful summer :)

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?