fo: summer flies

Mid-August already?!? Summer truly is flying by.

pattern: Summer Flies, by Donna Griffin

yarn: Orange Flower 50/50 merino/silk fingering weight, .7 skeins

needles: US 6 Clover bamboo circs

my Ravelry project page

notes:

I love this pattern! It knits up quickly, and you don’t get bored, since you switch stitch patterns fairly often. I especially enjoyed the knotted openwork near the end.

This looked tiny when I finished knitting it, but blocking really opened it up. It’s a useful scarf size. You could definitely add some rows of knotted openwork if you wanted to use up more yarn.

This yarn was originally used for a Gaenor shawlette, which I loved, but I didn’t pay close enough attention and ran out of yarn. : ( For a blend of merino and silk it help up to frogging and reknitting quite well. Orange Flower yarns are always gorgeous, and this is no exception.

I knit this as a thank-you gift for my Aunt Patrice who hosted just the loveliest baby shower for us last weekend.

No, we're not really naming our little guy Ragnar -- it's a family joke (though it does have a nice Nordic ring, doesn't it?).

fo: pear drop shawlette

We are in the midst of reshuffling our library to make room in the nursery, and Moxie has discovered a new favorite hidey-hole. Such a funny kitty!

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Another handknit is not only off the needles, but it has already been delivered to its recipient while we were in Minnesota last weekend.

pattern: Pear Drop, by Ysolda Teague

source: Afternoon Treat

yarn: The Plucky Knitter 80.10.10 MCN, Tracy Lord Haven, 1.2 skeins

needles: US 6 Clover bamboo circs
size: small

notes:

The construction of this shawlette intrigued me! You begin by knitting the edging. I actually looked forward to picking up stitches from the edging (I’ve never said that before!) and then working inward, decreasing the semicircle. I wasn't happy with the bind-off -- you end up just cinching the last few stitches, which seems like a sloppy end to an elegantly constructed project.

The yarn from The Plucky Knitter is gorgeous, as usual -- a very rich, deep red. It bled a lot in the wash. The pattern specified laceweight yarn, but I wanted something more substantial, so I went with fingering weight. If I were to knit this pattern again, I'd try a DK yarn like this beautiful example. 

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More Moxie goodness:

Happy weekend!

preppy

Our little guy will be rocking a wee sweater vest this autumn:

pattern: tiny trees baby vest, by Kylie Bates

yarn: Valley Yarns Superwash DK, 1 skein (137 yds.)

needles: Clover US 7 bamboo 16" circs

size: 0-3 months

my Ravelry project page

notes:
The yarn came from a giveaway on Suze's blog, Mad Knitting, a while ago. I used the first two skeins to knit Babe in the Woods (which still needs buttons but is otherwise complete), and the lone last skein was just enough for this tiny vest. It's very soft and cozy, but has a tendency to stretch (as superwash is wont to do). That doesn't bother me with baby knits, but I'm not sure I'd use it for a sweater for me. I might actually prefer it to Knit Picks Swish, the superwash I use for baby shower knits all the time. Hey, if it's a gift and I'm not sure that the recipients are used to washing wool, I'm not breaking out the Madelinetosh -- that's all I'm saying.

The pattern is easy and would be good for a newbie knitter, though it does call for you to kitchener stitch the shoulder straps together (though honestly you'd be fine just binding off and seaming, and it would probably give the straps a little more structure).

Hmmm... I'm also working on a new crochet afghan using Cherry Heart's free Rosie Posie Granny Square tutorial. I love the look of the round centers, but magic rings make me a little nuts. This pattern is reminiscent of Posie Gets Cozy's Sunshine Day afghan. I broke my yarn-buying embargo to acquire enough yarn for the afghan, and I'm loving the colors so far! This was a go-big-or-go-home Knit Picks order, so I also picked up yarn for these adorable moc-a-soc booties and aranami.

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Chicago's heat wave broke last week, and I've been so thankful. My Nordic blood can't handle heat and humidity, and I turn into a total sloth when the mercury hits 90. A crabby sloth, at that.

Now that it has cooled off our garden is perking up again (as am I, despite being seven months pregnant and feeling ungainly). I picked some basil tonight and tried Nicole's new recipe for mozzarella and basil bread. Mine doesn't look nearly as pretty as hers (note to self: thoroughly flour both the board and your hands before kneading so that you can shape a nice ball), but it is delicious. That said, it doesn't hold a candle to my mom's dilly bread (a yeast bread made with dill and cottage cheese -- I'll have to post the recipe sometime soon, esp. since there's a bumper crop of dill in my herb garden).