My first sweater

Here's a photo of me in the first sweater I ever knit, in college...a sweater that was bright green and that made me swear off knitting for a couple of decades--knitting it was such a nightmare. Why I chose this pattern for my first sweater, I will never know. At some point I pitched the sweater as far as it would go; I so did not want to remember it. Now I wish I still had it. Ain't that the case?

Knitting or writing.....writing or knitting....?

Liesl III and Woven scarf #4

I don't post here nearly as much as I should. I figure if I at least post photos, that's enough, right? Because that's what we mostly want--what I mostly want, anyway--when we look at knit garments and accessories. If you want more details, they are on my Ravelry Inkmama page.

Liesl III in Malabrigo Silky Merino, colorway Matisse

Good for watering the garden

The plants approve

Woven scarf #4, using Blue Moon Socks That Rock

Cute little bags

I love Lyanda Lynn Haupt's blog (and her book Crow Planet*). I subscribe, and every week or so I receive a new post. Today's was about cloth bags. She so inspired me that I dusted off the sewing machine and made one. Here it is, below, and here is a link to the post that so inspired me.

I've saved fabric from over the years--fabric from vintage tablecloths that have blossomed holes or fabric from garments and even a custom made lampshade--that I've hoped to repurpose at some point.  (I also keep all of our broken dishes to someday use in mosaics.)

The fabric below was once part of a tablecloth that covered our table. The bag stands 9" tall and 6" wide. Simple seaming, a length of yarn for the cord. Immediate gratification.

 

And bag number 2--a little larger....

* Speaking of crows, yesterday a neighborhood crow picked up a piece of pastry from the local cafe and hopped over to a puddle to moisten, to make more palatable? I love watching crows.

Can you really have too many WIPs?

If you're not a knitter and found your way here mistakenly, please, wipe clean your mind: WIP stands for work in progress, and we knitters--me, anyway--have more projects on the needles at any given time than is necessary. And I keep starting more. They're all, pretty much, in different yarns and so depending on what I'm in the mood for, I'll pick up that WIP. Here are a few. (You can find the patterns and read more about them on Ravelry.com. The first pattern is the only one you must pay for, but it's well worth it.

This is the Liesl sweater, my third. It's the perfect cardi for Southern California. Lacy, airy, yet warm. This one I'm knitting with Malabrigo Silky Merino, colorway: Matisse.

Here's my third Birch Shawl, the second from the bottom up, using Rowan Kidsilk Haze.

Knit socks are my favorite type of socks to wear, and Malabrigo sock yarn is so soft you hardly know you're wearing socks. This pattern is Elfine.

And I thought I'd knit another Clapotis using Wollmeise 100% superwash merino, colorway: Rittersporn medium.

I have a few more that I need to get photos of.  Sad, but true.

Tell me about your WIPs. Are you sane and only knit one at a time, and when you're through with that, knit another? Or are you a little insatiable, like me, when it comes to starting projects?

Birch...bottoms up!

Here's my second Birch shawl using this pattern (you can find it on Ravely) rather than the Rowan pattern that starts with casting on 299 stitches and knitting to the bottom.  I enjoyed this one more.  For a lace shawl, it's one of the easiest patterns. Very repetitive.  Time consuming, yes. But not difficult.

I made it for my friend Debbie, who commissioned me to knit it for her.  Isn't she gorgeous in it?

More woven scarves

I do love weaving, and Wollmeise is perfect to weave with.

Vamp and Guide to Galaxy 100% (Vamp is weft, GtG is warp)

My 2nd scarf using Wollmeise, Vergi as warp, Fleiderbush as weft.