Remember the Cozy in Cables vest and sweater from Stitches of Violet that I was working on for Afghans for Afghans a while back? Here are the finsihed products.
They were both fast, fun knits—and I’ve been so pleased to be working through my extensive stash of discounted Lamb’s Pride, knowing that my knits will wind up on children who really need them. (If you stop by Stitches of Violet, check out her Summer Spice Gansy, another of her original knits. I’m hoping she may post the pattern someday, but whether or not she does, it’s still an inspiring piece of needlework.)
And here are the two Impressionist Cowls (pattern by FiddleLee)—the blue in Classy from Dream in Color, the raspberry in Traditions by Joann.
The Classy, of course, was an absolute joy to knit with. That yarn has such a wonderful bounce that knitting with it feels like skipping about a sunlit garden (I mean, I really love how it feels). The Traditions wasn’t bad either, for a more-acrylic-than-wool blend, and the colorway is quite pleasing.
My LYS, The Golden Fleece, has been getting in some lovely new yarns lately, and lucky for me I’ve got a bit extra in summer session pay, so I can indulge. One of the new arrivals is Heritage by Cascade. The color I purchased is a variegated brown, greenish-grey, mahogany that isnn’t pictured on the web site. I’m using it to knit up the Fan-Stitch Half Circle Shawl from Martha Waterman’s Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls (Interweave Press).
This is an older book (copyright 1998) and deserves a look if you’re not familiar with it. Not only does it offer some lovely shawl patterns, it really elucidates the whole genre of shawls. The book opens with chapters on the history of knitted shawls, materials, design strategies, and construction (with formulae for all the familiar shawl shapes). These are followed by a library of stitches, including allover and edging laces. The patterns at the end of the book walk you through circular, half-circle, wedge, and square shawls with the goal of allowing you to move on to designing your own pieces. If you enjoy (or want to enjoy) lace or shawl knitting you need this book.
I also picked up several skeins of Cascade’s Rustic in a wonderful cranberry color. The blend of wool and linen gives a mix of matte and shine to the yarn, and I expect it will have lovely stitch definition. I’m thinking of using it for something like LaLa’s Simple Shawl (sorry, I could only find the Ravelry link) that will be warm and substantial, but not boring.