Highland Walking Cape

Everything is a bit nutty — coup attempts and executive orders and raids and roundups — and I’m starting to fray at the edges, so I’m working on a new knitting design: the Highland Walking Cape. 

Knit on size 8 needles with BlueSky Fibers Woolstok Worsted in Wild Thyme.

Cable Mantle

Finished the latest design: a cable knit mantle with turtleneck in Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok October Sky.

Vivian's Blue Sweater

Vivian's Blue Sweater

begun 11/06/2021

Knit in Raglan Pattern as Follows

Day One:

One episode of The Morning Show

One cup of tea

A reflection on the November New Moon

One episode of Invasion

Another cup of tea

Approximately 2" from cast-on.

Day Two:

During the first of two episodes of Foundation, change circular cable to 32". 

Two glasses of milk, joint supplements, and a phone call with a friend, about 3.5" from cast-on edge.

Wind 50g skein of contrast color while watching first half of an episode of The Watchmen. Continue knitting as established in main color for the rest of the episode while a pot of blackcurrant tea steeps. Pour tea. 4" from cast-on edge.

Set aside to attend Bluebeard's Castle opera.

Knit several rows while thinking about alternate endings.

Day Three:

Knit a couple rounds while watching The Watchmen.  Approximately 5" from cast-on edge.

Set aside to play pinball.

Day Four:

Knit to the final marker. Switch to contrast color and continue knitting in Raglan Pattern as established for two rounds. 

Set aside to attend court.

After two rounds of contrast color, switch to main color and knit as established for two rounds.

Set aside to look up "widow's mite."

Change to 42" cable.

Switch to contrast color and continue knitting in Raglan Pattern as established for 6 rounds while watching The Watchmen.

Register for Fall classes.

Switch to main color and continue knitting in Raglan Pattern as established for two rounds while strategizing how to pay upcoming legal fees. Separate for sleeves. 7" from cast-on edge.

Change to 32" cable. Body measures  approximately 34" around.

Work the body in stockinette stitch, in contrast color for two rounds, then switch to main color. 

Set aside for still water float.

Continue knitting in stockinette stitch with main color while thinking about how Cotton Mather allegedly wanted Quakers fetched off the deck of the Welcome when it made shore, and how he wanted them beaten and sold into slavery. 

Drink peach ginger turmeric tea. Approximately 9 inches from the cast-on edge.

Day Five:

After work knit half a round while sitting in the Jeep. Get distracted by sunshine. Take a call from a friend. Set aside for acupuncture and a meeting with Friends. Approximately 9 inches from cast-on edge.

Day Six:

Knit a round while on the phone with a lending agency. Set aside to read "Faculty Memoir: A Conversation with Laura Nader." Write analysis and reflection paper on reading. Read "The Price of Excellence." Briefly consider transferring to UCB. Discard the notion.

Continue knitting body in stockinette stitch while watching The Problem with Jon Stewart.

Day Seven:

Fine tune back length and arm measurements during family session with Vivian after work.

Set aside to attend philosophy writing group.

Day Eight:

After drafting a conference abstract, continue in stockinette stitch while watching The Morning Show. Pause often to add article links to dissertation.

Woolstok 150, October Sky (main color)

Woolstok 50, Morning Frost (contrast color)

Long tail cast on to 24" US7 circular needle: 20, pm, 30, pm, 20, pm, 30, place final marker. 100 stitches total.

Join for working in the round.

Raglan Pattern:

Round 1: knit to end of round.

Round 2: [knit to marker, kfb in stitch before and after marker] 4x. End of round.

Repeat these two rows until piece measures required depth for armholes.

U turns

The Kentucky Blue pullover has been through more redesigns than anything I have ever crafted. Truly I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever unlock the combination that feels right for this piece. 

 

I'm using Blue Sky fibers Alpaca Silk, and it's a dream to work with. I've spent the day undoing all that has gone before and am about to cast on the latest conception. 

Wish me luck. 

☘️

Garter Blanket

I designed the Garter Blanket with one goal: a project that I could work on even on Headache Days, or during Zoom meetings. I started it in the middle of June, and worked on it sometimes more and sometimes less often; there was a whole week that it sat in a backpack, ignored but close by. This morning I cast off the last stitch, and I'll miss it, even though it had gotten so large that it was a beast to work with. Still. Very smooshy and cozy and the undyed wool was just the right choice. 

Pattern:

I used my standby favorite: Blue Sky Fibers Woolstock 150, in Highland Fleece. 

Five skeins on size 10 needles.

Cast on 196 stitches (or more for a wider blanket, or fewer for a narrower one). 56" wide.

Row 1: Knit to the end of the row.

Repeat Row 1 until the piece is desired length. I stopped at 42" long.

Where time stands still

This morning after delivering everyone where they needed to go, I dropped by the newly opened Mosaic yarn store. Whenever I get around great yarn and other knitters, time seems to stand still, or perhaps it simply vanishes altogether.

It was a bit chilly this morning, so of course I threw on the capelet on the way out the door, and by the time I left the yarn shop, I had made a sale of the pattern, and received a request to publish it for sale so it could be featured in the shop.

Now I have to go about making a formal pattern of it, complete with pictures and a link for downloads-for-sale. There are worse problems to have.