April 3, 2019 – Show and Tell

It is a normal scarf!!!

I realized that I haven’t shown or talked about any of my knitting for a while, so I thought I’d do a little show and tell.  I believe the last item shown was the LONG scarf for the hubs. {ED. NOTE – It fits perfectly – maybe it looks long on a short person, but it’s fine on me}  It turned out beautiful, if I do say so myself!

And see, here I thought is was named after Tallulah!!!

Since then, I completed Lisa’s pink hat using a Berroco yarn.    I had found a free pattern by Susie Gourlay on Ravelry.com and loved the way it worked up.  One of the reasons that I chose this pattern for Lisa is because of the story that accompanies it on Ravelry.

Here is what Susie says, “I named this hat in honor of my favorite ghost town; Bankhead (1904-1922). Nestled in the heart of Banff National Park, you’ll miss it if you aren’t paying attention. It was an old mining town that extracted the coal from Cascade Mountain. The settlement has been abandoned for almost a century, yet all that remains today are a few foundations, coal heaps and the stairs that once lead up to the church. Well worth a visit despite its haunting feel.

The 2 parts of this hat remind me of the 2 sections of the town; upper and lower Bankhead, where the houses existed and the industrial area thrived. The simple pattern resembles the train tracks and mine shafts which scatter the mountainside. This hat would have been a favorite among these coal miners.” {ED. NOTE – Not sure why Lisa reminds Pam of an abandoned coal mining town, but, sure, whatever} (West Virginia, Coal Miners’ Daughter… she’ll get it) It fits well and will hopefully keep her warm in these St. Louis winters!

I’ve continued to work on my Boxy sweater which I was hoping to wear during April and May.  As you can see from the picture, that will probably not happen! This pattern gives you an option to knit this sweater seamlessly, bottom up or seamed, if you prefer.  I prefer seamless, which starts with casting on 370 stitches!  So far, I have 5 and half inches knit out of the 18 inches needed before going on to the next section.

 

It’s always awkward when you meet your heroes!!!

I have to admit that even though I have been fortunate enough to attend one of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s (aka Yarn Harlot) classes on how to knit faster, I don’t knit that fast.  I discovered, after attending that very fabulous class, that I really don’t actually want to knit faster.  I mean, I do in my mind because I want to finish and go on to the next pattern but my fingers don’t find it a priority.  {ED. NOTE – Hence the reason that most winter items are finished by late July} I could make them go faster but that would mean more concentration on my part and that’s not particularly  why I knit.

I chose the green color for this sweater because I felt you could wear it in spring and early fall – so early fall it may be!

I bet she won’t say anything about the length!!!!

Finally, I started my mom’s summer scarf.  The yarn is Universal Yarn Inc. cotton supreme DK Seaspray in Denim purchased at Knitorious in St. Louis.  I’m really going to have to come up with another way of letting you know what yarns I’m finding without using the word “purchased”.  Apparently that really bothers the  hubs – I mean editor!  {ED. NOTE – I have no idea who she is talking about} {ED. NOTE – Also, good luck with that!!} Let me know if you have any ideas on that!

Anyway, the pattern is Bryza by Talitha Kuomi.  This pattern was actually published in one of the many knitting magazines I used to have (they had to be donated before moving into the 300 square foot home we’re in now) but it is also on Ravelry.com. {ED. NOTE – It’s not the stuff it’s the memories!!}  It is a simple zig zag lace pattern that will be perfect for my mom’s “always cold even in the summer-time” neck!  It is soooooo soft and the denim color will go with most everything she wears 😊. It is finished, has been washed and is drying before going off in the mail to her. 

Finally!!!

Finally, the last item I’m working on is my red hat (with the fur pom pom that I got at the Delmarva Expo).  I’m using the pattern Claudia by MJ Kim, also free on Ravelry.com.  So far I’ve only done the ribbing (I stopped to work on Lisa’s hat 😊) but I shouldn’t need it until next fall – I hope!

Now, this is really it, I mean it!!!

Well, that’s all that I’m actually working on right now.  I’m not counting the red summer cardigan that’s been in time out for the last 6 months – waiting only for a sleeve to be attached – or the ruana hanging out in a knitting bag behind my chair!