Blatherskite

Last weekend I sewed a skirt and actually sewed in my first zipper. And I didn’t completely lose my mind in the process! It was quite an accomplishment! But I decided to not take a picture of it. It’s black and I didn’t think it would make an interesting subject. So instead I thought I would show you what I’m working on at the moment. The sweater on the left has been a really fun project. It’s actually yarn from my Silk Garden Clapotis, frogged about a month ago. I am following the directions for the Classic Raglan Cardigan in Barbara Walker’s Knitting From the Top.  I have a favorite sweater that I bought a Banana Republic several years ago and it’s getting worn out. I thought I would make something with a similar shape. I’m really liking how this is turning out! It’s going to actually fit, which is a good thing.

The other thing I’m working on is a scarf made out of some handspun yarn that I’ve had in my stash. I told you about how I’ve been carrying around a box of my friend’s dog’s fur for years, right? Well have spun some into yarn and I’m making her something with it. This is my third attempt at a lace scarf. I finally found something easy enough. I hate knitting lace. I think I have come to realize that it’s the charts. I can’t wrap my mind around those charts. I don’t know why because I’m generally a visual person but I just have the hardest time reading charts. I do so much better when instructions are written out. And it helps when the pattern is very easy.

This is a project I’ve been thinking about for a long time. It’s Forsythia a pattern by Symeon North (aka Pippi Kneesocks) in the book Spin to Knit. The pattern is VERY simple. It’s a top down sweater. You cast on the stitches for the neck, knit ribbing for an inch, and then add in your handspun yarn and start increasing until it fits over your shoulders. What could be easier?

The blue yoke was knit with my own hand-spun yarn. I’ve had this in my stash for a couple of years now and have been dying to make something with it. It was the absolute perfect amount for the yoke. The rest of the sweater was knit with Cascade Ecological Wool. I used about 1 and 1/4 hanks. These are some humongous hanks of yarn. And it’s heavy worsted so you get to use larger needles. So, yeah. Fast knit. Which I like.

I’m very happy with it! It’s a very comfortable, snugly sweater and one that I will wear on cold weekends. If you want more details you can visit my Ravelry project page.