Ribbing and Fit and Fashion

Some yarns look so good in ribbing.

There is a crispness that is unexpected in a double stranded yarn.  

I don't go to a smaller needle ever for a bottom ribbing.  The last thing I want is for the bottom of a sweater to pull in.  I didn't like it in the eighties and  I see no reason to change it now.  I rarely change needles for sleeve ribbing either.  The only place I do often choose a smaller needle is on collars.  Collars often stretch and open. I perfer a closer fit on collars and the stability a smaller needle gives.

I remember when I was young and bell bottoms were a thing and my mom saying for her they were old fashioned.  I understand this now.  This is the third time in my life that wide legged pants are a thing.  And leggings?  They wore very very slim fitting pants like that in the early 60's.  Anybody else remember how they had little straps at the bottom to go under your foot so the pants stayed at the bottom of your leg?  They were a 60s fabric version of leggings.  

The thing I like now about fashion that has significantly changed is that skirt lengths don't matter.  There are people wearing minis and knee length and long maxi length skirts for whatever time of day or season.  There are high waists and low waists at the same time.  Wide legs and leggings are both available.    When I was younger, there were no options.

I like that blending, that easing of 'styles' so that all of us can wear what we are comfortable in.  It's the same as how there was fashion for the wealthy through history and clothes for the rest of us.  If my shapes and styles are not what you feel good in, that's great. It is all okay.

I personally like a more unstructured fit.  Less fitted has always been what I was comfortable in. My idea of a perfect sweater is Joji Locatelli's Elton sweater.  I love that those styles are available to me and that I can make them by sewing or by knitting.  

Historically, the very biggest fashion advance in the last century has been pants. It is and has been socially acceptable for most of my life for women and girls to wear pants.   I do recall in grade one, in bitterly cold winter,  how the teacher said the girls were allowed to wear pants on the bus for warmth.  And before very long, nobody said anything if you were a just kid in pants at school. By the third grade girls were wearing pants as often as not.  I also remember that my mom said girls were not allowed to wear jeans to school and that shortly after she said that, even the principals daughter was wearing jeans to school.   That  was about grade four or five.  And now, holy cats, women and girls even get pockets on their store brought clothes.

My personal fashion is clothes for the rest of us.  Clothes that work for the way we live.  I like watching fashion and the blogs and vlogs of what the rich wear as much as anybody  but wear it?  No.  I'm not art.  I'm just me.  And so it is.  

It's going to be dicey to finish the Geddy.  The floors are going in on Wednesday so access to the other bag of the teal yarn is a no go.  I will need two more balls of the yarn so I will knit till the teal is gone.  Then I will have some fun and knit on something entirely different.  A new cast on is in the wind.  

Perfect

It was an utterly perfect day yesterday.  I had no trouble with my hands at all.  I just worked!  It was so good. 

I completed two rows of the filet crochet border and I am moving on to the last section. Remember, this is my variation on a Geddy trim inspired by another Raveler.

I will do a few rounds of stockinette and will then slip into the ribbing to finish the body.  

Perfect.

Always Canadian.  Always will be Canadian.

Looking Good

I kind of surprised myself at which way I decided to go on this bottom trim.  I was so sure that all STR was right.  Only it wasn't quite right.  Going with the trim using both yarns is simply better.  

It just gives better balance with the rest of the teal.  Maybe it brings out the teal in the STR?  

I'm finding the crochet is a lot harder on my hands than knitting.  The way I hold things, where the pressure of the stitch goes is much more on my left hand thumb joint than I thought.  It's very much a game of pick up and work a few, then set it down to rest.  That goes on all day though but it means I am getting only one round done per day.  So it goes.

I am having a fierce mental fight to not cast on for my next Lusk out of the yellow cotton and wool blend.  I need to finish some stuff first but the urge is strong.  So strong.  I found myself digging through the bags of projects ready to start this morning, ready to go, but I caught myself, yarn and needle case in hand.  I put it down but I will take comfort in knowing exactly where it is in this mess and disorder.  

We are still waiting on material delivery for the floor.  It's driving me nuts if I am honest.  I have a routine and this is making a real mess of my routine and my plans.  I just want normal.  

Okay, that enough whining from me.  I can't change that.  It's not on the pile of things I can control. What I can be in charge of is what I knit today.  Or crochet as the case may be.  I can pick if I want to look at all the good things and let them influence my day. I can watch the flowers and birds and listen to all the sounds of the world and know the pleasure of those little things or I can let the disorder of waiting for flooring wear my spirits down.  

I am considering the joy of my coffee at the moment.  It's the perfect temperature and smells so good.  I might work on a blanket this morning just for fun.  Top or blanket or maybe even socks.  What's next?  

Sure it will.

I did the responsible thing all weekend and I am glad.  The Geddy Tee is coming on nicely, but it took a long time to get there.

I knit the body till the two balls of the teal were used up.  My first idea was to do a filet crochet edge to set up for what I plan to do next.  That didn't work right.  The edge was looking ruffled which means the gauge was not quite right. So I did it with a smaller hook.  Still not right.  I decided to cast off using the STR since I had already cut off the teal strands that remained. I started with a crochet bind off.  That was not the answer.  Too awkward.

   I ripped back and did a normal bind off.

That gave me a nice start to the filet section.  

I tried with my larger needle, a 3.5 mm hook.  That looked wrong.  Too large somehow.  I went down to a 3 mm hook.  That was better but I left only one stitch between filet sets.  Too many stitches.  I ripped again and redid it with 2 stitches between filet sets.  It looks much better. 

Round one was done and then I had to decide what was next.  When I did the granny squares, I alternated the Socks That Rock with teal rounds.  The question was, is a teal row of filet sets next?  Since I had the STR attached, I decided to see what a second STR  round would look like.  My next chore is going to be taking some teal a bit away from the place I am working on now, to see how alternating rows would look here.  

This is where I am now and I am pretty pleased.

I have two rows of filet across about half of the sweater and it looks great.  I am still going to try it with the teal.  That is this mornings job.  

I am eager to keep going on this.  There are no sleeves on the pattern, only generous ribbing and then the neck ribbing.  It will be wearable in no time at all.  Right??  

Sure it will. 

Choices

I just could not do it.  I tried but I did not have the heart to do it.  

To do what?  To work on the Geddy Tee.  

I love this top, don't get me wrong but it is in the not so merry middle.  This long stretch of teal is feeling a wee bit wearing.  Time to do something else.

I thought of the various things I could work on.  I debated pulling out socks or the Musselburgh hat I am working on.  I thought about my gorgeous Hiraeth sweater with it strong golden yellow but I landed on my Kauni sweater.  It takes me at least a day to do a section and I was ready for visible advances.

I have a ridge and a half to go on this heathered brown section but it feels as if it knits up fast.  The next section is this smoky blue grey.

The changes in this sweater keep this long middle much merrier than the long plain middle of the Geddy Tee.  

I'm not sure which project will win out today.  The Geddy would be the responsible choice but I'm not sure if I feel responsible.  I might knit it this morning and switch to something else this afternoon.  

Choices, choices, choices. So many wonderful choices!

Besides knitting

During this break from rain, magic  is happening in the world.  Everything is blooming.  

The lilacs popped to full bloom and are determined to put on their show in case it rains hard again. Our daylilies are looking a bit sad.  The wind and heavy rain did a number on them but even so, they are blooming.  There are flower fronds laying on the grass but they still bloom.  And through all of this, the peonie blossoms are just getting fatter and fatter.  I hope they wait till this next rain will be done.

And then the cherry tree.  I haven't spoken of the cherry tree.  The blossoms were all knocked off in a hard rain after only a couple days of sun and lots of busy bees.  I figured that would be the end of a bountiful harvest.  I was wrong.

I had to set the picture to extra large to see them here, but cherries?  There are plenty.  The few days for pollinators to get to the blossoms was enough to set a good bunch of fruit.  Any more and the tree would be over burdened with fruit.

Our wee potato patch though is a dud.  We planted before the rain but the cold weather and the volume of rain did not give the potatoes a chance. The patch was flooded for several days over the two biggest storms. Oh well.  Keith is debating if he should plant anything or just keep the weeds down.  

I'm voting for whatever flowers he can find or beans.  I love green beans.  I love peas more but Keith does not.  Since he is doing the planting, he gets to pick.

In the meantime, I knit, I listen to books, I read and generally keep busy.  Still no word on the flooring but Keith is hopeful that he will hear today.  And so it goes.

I took time yesterday to do a try on of my Geddy Tee.

It fits just as I hoped.  

It' s nice

I want to write this morning but I don't really have any knitting to talk about.  

I lied yesterday.  I said my WIPs all fit in the WIPs bin.  They don't.  The reason they don't is that there are 4 different knit next in the WIPs bin, so that gives me a pass, right? Hahaha

I bought a fair bit of yarn this year.  Yarn for the blanket.  Yarn for a Flea in the proper size for me.  Yarn for...well I have not quite decided but that gorgeous Fjallalopi for a something with possible colourwork, but a sweater quantity of it and the really lovely Hillesvag Ask in this year's perfect pea shoot green, a sweater Quantity.  And yet, I dream of a little something else.

Midknit Cravings has a newer colourway, Drama which is a rich burgundy and red sprinkled with spots of black.  It is elegant and sophisticated and I want it.  I do not need it but I want it.  

I am working on resisting that want.  There is not a lot I want anymore.  Somehow my life has come down to only wanting yarn and books to listen to and not too much else.  My needs are met and I live in a place of quiet peace.  So many don't have that.  Here, we manufacture problems.  (Eyeroll and deep and abiding antipathy  in the direction of the premiers office)  but that is enough of that.  

And this morning, after what feels like an entire month of rain, the sun is shining and I can do laundry.  That's a statement you won't read on this blog often.  The idea that I am glad to do laundry is...well odd.  The water use ban is to avoid septic overflow and backup into homes and basements.  It sure isn't because of a lack of local water.  

And that is what my world has today.  Good thought and sunshine.  It's nice.  

Just right.

I gave myself the weekend off from the Geddy Tee.  It 8snt that I was tired of it.  It is that a break will keep me loving this knit.  

I decided to knit the swatch for my Piennar top.  I pulled out the linen and the Mikonos and began.  It seemed okay.  The yarn was a good match and it made a nice fabric but in a very short time I had to stop.  It had nothing to do with the laces knit 4 together.  My thumb started acting and I stopped to prevent any further injury.  I am really heartbroken over this.  Back that dream goes into the dreams bin inside my head.  Linen saved for later.  I was so looking forward to this top and this yarn.

I have dozens of things I could have picked up but I dipped into the box with the blankets.  The blankets have their own container so that all the WIPs can fit in the WIPs bin.  The Sweet Shop Blanket is the cherries knitting and after sad knitting, I wanted cheery knitting.  

This is the last colour of yarn for the blanket.  All neon, green, yellow, pink, and orange.  I would have loved to have a brilliant bright blue but none was to be had when I bought the yarn.  

Do you see the glitch?  

There was a point where a stitch popped of the needle and though I was sure I got both stitches on that decrease, it seems I did not.  I'm glad it showed up now though.  It has been sewn in and is secure.  

Just what I was looking for.  

Celebrations

I am marking my progress

and celebrating it.  One inch.  

But more than that.  I am now at five inches from the underarm.  Since my plan is to knit to ten inches from the underarm and then do a bit more of the Socks That Rock yarn, before winding the top all up with more teal, I consider myself half done.

Of course I am not taking into account the neckline and sleeve ribbing.  They appear to be relatively wide on the pattern photos, but everyone's mileage seems to vary, as will mine.  

In other brilliant news, I bought the Piennar top pattern.  I can't wait to swatch.

Markers and Keepers

I am now at the point where the top feels as if it is taking forever.  This was on Tuesday.

This was yesterday.

Looks like not much for 2 days of knitting.  You have to look at the tail of the cat to see that there is any progress at all.

Time for a progress keeper.  I only have a couple standard keepers but I do have several crochet markers that I use.  The crochet markers usually come with earring hoops that open and close.  I find myself using a progress keeper more often.  Maybe it's time to invest in a few more.  

I have also noticed that, with all my on going projects, I run low on the best stitch markers.  I like a stitch markers that are a bit heavier.  The stay put nicer than thin lightweight ones do.  This cat

was sent to me by Wet Coast Wools with my last yarn purchase.  It's lovely but it is very lightweight and thin.  I'm glad to have it but for my perfect stitch marker, it would need to be just a bit heavier.  Most of mine are the ordinary bulb kind or little circles.  The fancy ones are some little bead drops and some very fine silver markers Brian gave me from River City Yarns.   They all have the weightier feel I am looking for.

I've been spending some time looking at stitch markers and progress keepers.  It's sort of fun venturing where I haven't been for a long time.  I have not made a decision yet.  Maybe today. 

There is Geddy Tee knitting to do.  I may yet decide to knit on my blanket.  I might pull out something completely different.  Maybe some socks?  I'm not quite sure what I will work on today.  Whatever it is, it is going to be good.

  

Working at a Larger Gauge

One of the very interesting things I have learned over the last couple of years is about gauge. I did experience some of it with laceweight on the Elton sweater by Joji Locatelli.  The lesson was deeply reinforced by Rebecca Clow..  

Until now, my worsted and Dk weight knits have been pretty much to their standard gauge.  I love doing that, don't get me wrong, but knitting your yarn at a bit larger gauge than is usual, makes a completely magnificent fabric.  

The Tolsta Tee and Lusk are great examples of that.  They have a gauge of 17 stitches per 4 inches for a DK weight yarn.  A standard gauge is 22 stitches per 4 inches.  That larger gauge gives you this extraordinary drape and reveals a completely different character of the yarn.  The tops I have made from these two patterns are wonderful to wear.  They flow and drape and breathe.  

When I made the Plieone tee I knew that I was going to follow that gauge experience.  The Remix yarn I used is a worsted weight and usually is knit to a gauge of 18 to 20 stitches per 4 inches.  I decided to go up and knit the top at a gauge of 15 stitches per 4 inches.  It has made THE most fantastic garment.  I have already worn it a dozen times because it is so comfortable.   This top makes me want to dig into the stash and pull out some other worsted weight cotton I have and knit it up.  It also makes me want to pull out more of the DK weight cottons I have.  Not at the moment though.  I must resist.

I have other great things happening on the needles and I want to focus on that.  I can't wait for the Geddy Tee to be done and I am really looking forward to working on my Hiraeth pullover.  That's the yellow Arcane Fibre Works yarn.  And so many good projects wsiting.  The Piennar top, the Staffin, that lovely Kauni sweater.  So many good things.  

It will all come in good time.  Today it's the Geddy Tee.  On to tea and knitting.

Onwards ho.

That's better.  I knit for much of the day and it was so good. 

I'm not far along but it felt so good to simply knit.

 

I am just about to join ball 5 and 6.  It seems like a lot of yarn is being used but I made this top with quite a bit of ease and good width on the drop shoulders.  It makes for comfortable wear on hot days and it will give me the option to wear it over a shirt to extend the seasons I can wear it.  

All the ease makes it feel like it takes a long time to do a round but it really doesn't.  It's a head game.  There seems to be a lot of that in knitting.  

Still, it's time to dig it out of the 'yarn bowl'

And get to work.  Coffee is hot and precious and tea awaits the rest of the day.  

Too tired to knit

I'm beat.  There was no time for knitting till I was too tired to knit.  On the upside, the living room looks like this.  

It is more or less usable but all the fun stuff is shifted out.  What is left can easily be moved in the space of an evening.  We are as ready as we can be for the floor guys.  

Today, I will move all but the projects in the WIPs bin.  It isn't really the the overflow is active projects but more, that they are projects ready to go.  There are four bags and the Sweet Shop Blanket I am working on.  There is a needle case and a table with stuff I use regularly.  They can all be moved to my room for the duration.  The WIPs bin itself can be moved the night before.  

I will take my tea cup and tea kettle into my room for the duration and then, my world will be much smaller.  Keith and I were joking about setting up a fishing rod out my large window to play fish pond for food, bahahaha.  We did talk about me going to a hotel for a couple of days but that would be far more difficult than sorting out staying here.  It wouldn't normally be that way, but hey, I am more or less stay at home and I have things set up so it's manageable.  And for a good part of the time I will be able to roam  Once the floor is laid it will be two days till it is cured enough to use.  So it really only a  couple days and I can manage that.  

It really become a mental game of deciding not to feel stuck.  This is where I feel really lucky.  I knit and therefore, any time where some people would feel stuck, will be really good knitting time.  I am hoping to finish up the Geddy Tee before all this is over so that when I am free from my cocoon, I can start Piennar or Lunan.  Or both.  

No knitting? !!!

I did not get any knitting done yesterday.  Not one stitch.  I finished that cleaning I was avoiding and then, found some more of that to do.   There is always more of that to do.  Why is this taking up so much time?  For one, I am slow.  For a second thing, I we are having our floors replaced.  Again.  

We did it two years ago but the click flooring was a bad choice.  Every joint in heavy wear areas failed and it looks awful and feels awful.  The material actually has lifted and ripped out.  Away from the joins/cracks, the plank flooring has been great.  In low wear areas, it looks impeccable.  But overall, it has been a big no.  So we are getting new floors again.  

This means everything off bookshelves and out of all the main rooms.  All the furniture needs to be compressed into my room and the sewing room.  Last time we shifted things as sections were completed.  This time it all needs to be out because Keith is getting someone to do it.  It will be over quickly and will be done in a couple days instead of the week it took Keith last time.  So cleaning, packing, moving stuff.  Sigh.

I did one other big job yesterday.  I depilling one of my favourite sweaters.

This has been worn and used and loved.  It's BFL 2/8 and is so wonderfully soft.  However that softness leads to a lot of pilling.  Not excessive but it does pill.  I haven't depilled in far to long and after the job was done, the full ball was the size of a baseball.  The lovely thing is it looks almost new.  Till I looked at this.

Inside needs depilling today.  I realized how bad it was after I put it on after I did the outside and found I was still absent mindedly pulling off pills.  It's pretty bad, even on the back which comes under less friction during wear.  Still, it's a job the needs doing.  

There will be knitting today.  No big chores today.  I am resting up for tomorrow when we have some help coming to shift and move and do the heavy lifting.  

The best days

I did it!  

Joined to knit in the round.  I really like the way this looks and I am so happy to be at the knitting in the round point.  The back, as I have interpreted the pattern is wide and it was oddly tedious  to knit.  It's not wider than my usual tops, it just felt tedious.  The fronts were fun.

I am pretty pleased with the vneck too.  When you mangle a pattern, things like necks and sleeves can sometimes not get the right look.  That right look all comes down to how often I did the increases.  I picked the right ratio for the gauge first time and the neck was ready to join at the same place that the pattern does.  Perfect.

I have no idea what I did yesterday other than this visible evidence.  It is what it is.  Maybe I was planning again and I know how that can defeat me.  The best days, just like the best knitting, just happen.  

Time to get ready and get a move on it.

It was another good day of knitting.  

The right front is ready to go.  I got about an inch past the short rows on the left front too.  There would have been more but I had to have a stunning realization first.

I picked up my linen swatching first thing in the morning.

I changed to a 3.75 mm needle from the 4 mm I had started with.  I hoped that would give me a nicer fabric.  It did but I really wasn't enjoying it.  I thought I'd see if crocheting was the right thing.  It wasn't.  I feel bad but I think this is going back in the bin. It simply did not feel right and life is too short for work that is not fun.  Oh well.  

I am going to work on the Geddy Tee again today.  It's is just so much fun to knit.  Then I will get to work on Veera Valimaki's  Piennar sweater.  Swatch first.  I am about 100 meters short for the amount of the main yarn, but I have plenty of the cc colour.  I think I know what I am going to do if I end up short of the main.  

First off, I'm thinking I will make the solid sections a row or two shorter.  I'm also going to use only cuffs instead of making the very short sleevelets and if needed, I will use a section of the multi colour in the bottom ribbing as well as the sleeve ribbing.  With a tiny bit of luck, doing these things will help me finish the top as close to the original look as possible.  

There is still a bit of cleaning to do and if I am really quick about that I will get to finish my current pants over in the sewing room.  If I am not quick with the cleaning, sewing will happen tomorrow.  I realized on the weekend why it feels like I am short of pants.  I have two pairs made in a sweatshirt fabric.  They are a bit warm for summer wear and I have not been reaching for them very often.  So I have pants but not seasonally adapted pants.  Still, I need pants.  And I want skirts for the ultimate summer cool.  I also want something from my red and black flannel and my rose fine whale corduroy  and so many other fabrics I have at hand.  

I have stacks of things to do so it's time to get moving.  

A Full Weekend

Heat one week, very cool the next.  That is the story of the last few weeks.  Somewhere in there big heavy days long rain.  What was looking like a great cherry crop is done.  My poor tree lost all its blossoms.  Oh well.  It is what it is.  That is how it goes with a single, short flowering crop. Overall, the rain was lovely though.  As is the cooler air.

It was a very good knitting weekend.  My hands and my heart were on the same wavelength.  

The back and part of the right front are done on my Geddy Tee.

Work will happen on that today.

By Sunday morning, I needed to do something else.  It wasn't a "I'm sick of you" feeling.  It was to prevent that kind of feeling.  

This does it every time.  I thought about working on some socks but these brilliant colours called my name.  It should be noted that the orange and hot pink photographed to look exactly the same.  I tried to get some variation but nope.  This is what the camera saw even if the top square is part pink and the bottom one is orange.  

Last weekend was the Monaco Grand Prix.  The racing was great in every way, but it absolutely highlights how I am not the same as the average Joe.  They kept doing these long scenic shots of the bay and the mountains and the tiny principality of Monaco at the edge of the sea.  Every time they did, I felt nauseous.  Seriously nauseous.  They kept talking about how beautiful it was but that overly packed humanity, that feeling you could walk across the bay without touching water made me ill.  The city with an emptier bay would have been better, but that mass of human engineered stuff...

If I traveled I would go to far places, empty places, not cities but places where you could see and hear the earth breathe.  I would go where you could see far.  But that is me.  I just want to be.

And that is enough of that for the day.  Time to sew and knit and clean.  I like the first two.  The last, not so much.  Oh well.  At least the laundry is caught up.  

  

Up to Many Things

So much to do the last few days.  I did knit.  I need just 2 more inches on the back of the Geddy Tee till I can start the fronts.  

 It's moving along well though I am looking forward to getting to knitting in the round.  

I also spent some time sewing.  I don't get to do as much as I used to in a day.  It gets too hard to focus closely for long days of sewing.  Still, the two pairs of pants are almost done and there will be more sewing today. 

Because my miniature stuff is all over the sewing room, I pulled out a couple small projects that could easily be done instead of playing games on my phone.  

Many moons ago I found these pendant findings and I felt they would be perfect for old fashioned pictures for my mini house.  And they are.  The three smaller ones are people pictures.  Not my family, just generic, already scaled down photos.  I wanted a floral picture for the bigger one but found a perfectly sized bird instead.  I am really pleased with these and can't wait to get them in my mini house.

Then I played around with some other accoutrements.  

Newspapers and maps and under those, some tiny decorative plate pictures.  Those need work, but it's a start.  

And then what?  Each day I had a " and now what" period where I still had time on my hands.  I went to the yarn closet and pulled out some more yarns for summer tops.  

This is some linen laceweight that I wanted to knit a big beautiful linen lace shawl with a multi colored border lace.  I can't knit that very fine yarn anymore but I do love linen.  I doubled stranded it and did a gauge swatch a while ago, but it was still too fine for my hands.  I knew that somewhere in my stash I had a couple of tubes of cotton that I could use with the linen.  However, when I dug out the tubes, I found they were a cotton linen blend.  Even better.  

I started a swatch with two strands of cotton linen and two of the pure linen but that was too heavy.  I am now working with just one strand of the blend with two of the pure linen and find that is a much better weight.  Swatching will continue today.  

Later in the afternoon I found time to wind up another yarn I want to work with.  One skein fell off the swift three times before I gave up and wound by hand.  You can see which one misbehaved.

This is some long held stash of Louet Linen in a soft grey purple and a mess of balls of Mykonos, a multi colored lavender grey taupe blend of viscose and linen.  The colour is much more greyed tone here than in real life.  I know what I want from this yarn.  

I saw Veera Valimaki's Piennar top months ago and just fell in love.  I knew immediately which of my yarns I would use.  The grey lavender solid and the gentle Mykonos multi are just meant for this.  I might be a wee bit short of the solid, but we shall see.  I have a backup pattern in case I need a slightly different fit that might be more economical in yarn terms.  The spirit will still be the lovely Piennar.  

I think that was everything I got up to.  Who knows what today will hold.  

  

And the next day...

Funny how days go.  You sort of plan and then your plans go out the window.

By mentioning the Geddy Tee, I set the way the day would go.  Plans out the window.  Geddy  Tee it was.

And no sewing.  I was having a dry eye day.  Sewing was not possible so I knit.  

 

Looking Like a Day

I sewed yesterday.  I sewed till lunchtime and that was enough.  One pair of pants is ready for elastic.  Today I will do the other pair.  Tomorrow is for elastic and cutting out a couple more things to sew.  Very probably skirts.  

I have a beautiful set of fabrics, a plain sand linen for a skirt and a coordinating linen striped fabric for a shirt.  I have had them out to sew for the last two years and not got them done.  This year, I am going to do it and make them up. No maybe about it.

After lunch, I picked up my knitting.  

I was surprised that I chose this Mashup top.  It was nice knitting.  I made a big step forward yesterday.  I have only three full length rows left to go before it's time to knit the front and back sides.  Since they are only from underarm to hem, they don't take long.  

I am hoping to work on that again today but you never know.  The Geddy Tee is calling my name too.  

So sewing, knitting and sipping tea.  That is looking like the day ahead.

Incredible to wear

The purple top is complete.  I am really glad it is done.

I finished it on Saturday wove ends on on Sunday and wore it a bit too.  I am wearing it today as well.  If I was not emotionally connected to the yarn, I may be to the top.  It is so comfortable.  Incredibly pleased with it.  

Finishing on Saturday left me with a whole day to figure out what to knit next.  With all the projects in my WIPs bin, this really ought not to need to ask this.  However, the summer yarns bucket I pulled out, has one more yarn in it and it would be nice to knit it up.  

The yarn

Is a 50/50 woll cotton blend and I already know how it performs.  I made a top years ago with a griege green and it is one of the yarns in my first Tolsta tee.   It's comfortable and the perfect yarn for between weather.  Perfect for spring.  It also wears like iron.  

I had this in mind for Rebecca Clow's Lunan top or sweater.  It will be a Lunan in the body, but the pattern has a double knit collar.  I don't want to knit a double knit collar though I know it is a lovely finish.  I am lazy.  Or not.  The body will be Rebecca's great fit with a different collar.  I have now bought 3 different patterns for this sweater.  I bought Lunan.  I  bought the Stripe Overload Cardi pattern by Mie Ferring and this morning, I bought Sari Nordlund's North Wind Polo.  Somewhere that will help me get to the collar I want.  I hope.  Or I might just go with Sari Nordlunds pattern and call it good. I have no idea where I will end up or what I am making.  I only know it will be fun and incredible to wear.

Today is a sewing day.  Starting right now.  I must.  I am hoping to get the 2 already cut our pairs finished or mostly finished today.  My what big eyes I have.  

A Day of Joy and Sorrow

I did it and I am so pleased with myself.  I sorted and ordered my sewing room.  I am ready to sew.  I have two pairs of lightweight pants/leggings sitting cut out and ready to go.  I cut them out last fall but let's not think about that.  Let's just accept and go sewing.  

I pulled out other fabric for fall and winter back then and those things may get used, but I need to do a fabric dive to pull out summer fabrics.  It's been very hot here.  Humid too, so the need for really lightweight cottons is uppermost in my mind.  Linens too.  I have some skirt/dress quantities that I would love to be able to use as clothes.  They have been in their pre-clothes state long enough.  

I did a good bit of knitting on my Pleione top.  I have a few rows of stockinette to finish off before I do the same border as on the sleeves to finish off.  After that, it's two rows of trim (or maybe a bit more)at the neckline and the top is done.  Suddenly it feels like I can get there when till now it this top has felt like a slog.  I think it's because this was a yarn I just wanted out of my stash rather than a project I am emotionally connected to.  

I wanted to mention too,  about the sad news from the Knitmores.  Gigi Knitmore has passed away.  When I read the news yesterday, I felt utterly devastated.  This may seem odd to many.  I have never met either of them, knowing them only through their podcast, but Jasmine and Gigi Knitmore gave me strength and a way to begin to rebuild a life when my world was so broken.  Having their cheery chatter be a routine and regular event in the early days after Brian passed away helped me focus on what was next, not what had been.  That helps me even now.  

I was just a person out in the world, who they could not know, who they helped immeasurably and I will forever be grateful.  Gigi Knitmore, you will be remembered and  your memory treasured.  Jasmine, no words, dear.  Just breathe.  When it all gets too much, just breathe.  

Blankets

This is the most fun knitting I have done since my first Flea sweater!  

Keith said put it on a stick and go flag down planes at the airport.  I am not sure he likes the colours as much as I do. This seems to be filling every corner of me with silly, goofy giddiness.

It hit me this morning that I have three blankets on the go.  Willow World and the fun one are always in my mind and clustering around my feet, but for some reason, I don't put this project into the blanket category when I am thinking blankets.

I am not exactly speeding along on this one.  I only pick it up once a month or so.  No.  That isn't quite right.  I pick it up and move it almost every day because it really is in the pile at my feet.  But work on it?  Once in a while.  The lone blue square is the one I made the other day.  I didn't pop it off the loom and remembered it this morning.  Which is where this conversation began. 

It's odd how I have compartmentalized these blankets.  One is knit in one piece with two colours.  One is knit modularly and one is woven in separate parts which will need to be put together when I have enough squares.  

I recall saying once that I was done with blankets.  Ha!  Look at me go.

I am going to do some work in my sewing room today.  It needs a good sort and order.  Somehow there are blankets piled on my sewing table and boxes of miniature making things under them.  My sewing table has two pairs of light pants cut and ready to sew and on top of that there are fabrics that should go into the remnants box.  Which is full.  Which is why they were stacked on the sewing machine.  You see how it is.  There wasn't room for them so it all swelled into a mess that overwhelms.

Well.  I need the cut out pants.  I need some skirts and light cotton or linen shirts.  I need those very soon.  I also know how I want to use some fine wale corduroy and what I want to do with my wonderful black and red plaid.  I can see me wearing those two fabrics and would like them for winter.  My soul needs a fabric dive.  My wardrobe needs a sewing session and my miniatures needs to be freed so I can make the garden for my house.  

And I really need to finish the rosy purple Plieone.  

So much to do.  Not nearly enough coffee.  Ah well.  I am making friends with my teas and I will get it all done eventually.

Odd Perfection

I woke up today feeling sluggish and moody.  Not grumpy but not my usual self.  Sort of sad but not sad.  A bit down but not down.  Just not really ready to connect with anything or anybody.  In a mood that could easily go sideways if I let it.  Time to get out of my head.  Time for a mood boost.

Time for a bit of fun knitting.  Today's colour is brilliant yellow.  

I have to say that one wee thing I am a bit obsessed with is this.

Everytime my eye catches this bit of paper in the box with the yarn, I fall in love all over again. It's almost like a tiny perfection.  Almost art.  Not really but it it is enourmously pleasing.  

OK, I am on to knit on the blanket and oddly enough, I feel a bit better already.  

Thinking, thinking, thinking.

The cherry tree is in full bloom.  From tiny budlets to full bloom in one day.  The maples behind the house are still a bit scraggly but they are filling in.  

And the rosy purple top is still under way.  This is where knitting starts to feel sluggish.  The job now is to keep moving along and to keep my eyes on the prize, the top.  Dreams are how I get through this period.

I saw a vest pattern on Ravelry.  The Moema Top is by Mochiknits.  I have no idea why it came to me but I suddenly saw it in a yarn that is in my stash that I don't know what to do with.

The yarn that popped in my head was three skeins of Socks That Rock, one of the really trend yarns in 2010 ish.  I did not record the colour name in my stash but it's a rusty navy concoction that swept me off my feet.  Years ago.  I meant to make a crochet vest with it from the book I talked about a week or so ago.  And then I meant to make an Elton like sweater with it and some lovely rich rust Ultra Alpaca I have.  And then I did not know what to do with it.  But maybe a vest top like creation in brioche or half fisherman rib?  Maybe.  

I would need to use another yarn with it.  It would be a bit short meterage for even a vest.  At the very least I would need to use a second yarn for all the ribbing.  The Moema Top gave me the idea of two colours layered as in two colour brioche.  

I need to dream on this idea.  I need to mull it.  I need to swatch it and see what will happen when the yarns combined are on my needles.  That means a bit of a dig in the stash but that's okay.  I need to get out a yarn from there for another idea.

Today there will be top knitting and then I am going to go into the sewing room to see what is what.  There is some very interesting sewing stuff at hand.  There are pants to make and some summery circle skirts and cool shirts.  Then there is a whole other category of interesting.  More on that another day.  

Time for tea and knitting and some nice thinking of interesting ways to use some really nice yarns.

The Rosy Purple Top and The Cherry Tree

The cherry tree finally unfurled its tight leaf buds.  They still are tiny nubbins but Saturday morning you could see the tiny flower buds sitting, waiting.  By Sunday afternoon, a few tiny buds were beginning to bloom.  This morning, lots of blooms and I expect it to be fully blossomed by the end of the day.  It all goes so fast.  Plus the dandelions are out and glowing brilliant yellow in the lawn.

That was just part of a good weekend. It was the Canadian Grand Prix and it was wonderful.  But with the addition of F2 to a calendar with F1A, there was a lot of racing.  It was great but long.

However...

I hoped, I dreamed that I would get the top done.

I have completed the fourth lace repeat which wouldn't be too bad because last week, I thought five repeats would be it.  However, a lace repeat is only 3 inches long.  This top needs to be sixteen inches long and I am only at ten.  I will need to do at least two more repeats.  Oh well.  The slow weekend  knitting meant I was going to be working on it today and another repeat of the lace means it will be on the needles at least till Wednesday. It's a good thing I am enjoying the knitting.

After this top is done, I will allow myself a bit of blanket fun.  I may even let myself pull back the row with the error in it on my Willow World.  Two blankets to consider.  Wow.

Till then, top, top, top.  I will knit and get it done.  

A good place

This top is well under way.  

I am midway through the third lace repeat of what will be five repeats. I think.   But it's exactly what I hoped for.  It's got the ease it needs so that when I wash it, it will hold its  good ease after drying, because I do intend this to be machine friendly.

My hands are in a good place lately, aided by the easy gauge and comfortable needle size, but I can knit a really good part of the day before it's time to quit.  It's wonderful.  

The sun is out and the forecast is forecast is good.  The cherry trees little leaves are not out yet but the tiny almost round budlets are slowly getting looser, ready to unfurl.  The poplars across the way are green but the maples are still looking hairy with their fronds. There is knitting to be done and I am ready.  

Oh my.

This could be addicting.

It's garter stitch squares so how can that be?  I swear to you, it is a lot of fun.

Still, today I will set aside the box of colour and fun and go back to my top.  If I work on that an stick to it, I will have another top in my small summer wardrobe and that will be nice.  

And Now for Something Completely Different

Yesterday morning was spent working on my top.  I did a try on mid morning and I already know I am going to get a lot of wear out of this.  It's turning out lovely.

I had no plans to work on anything else but I had a downturn in energy for the project. I was feeling a bit down.  As Jana from Finnish Knitting Stories would say, life is pretty lifey right now. I needed something different to distract myself.  

I looked at the pile of knitting around me and decided that blanket knitting would be a good idea.  I picked up my Willow World blanket.  Willow World is a blanket pattern that takes designs from tableware to blanket.  Since I love blue and white china, It seemed like the right thing to knit.  

 

I'm only just starting the colourwork border and was having a good time getting the setup row going...till I reached the end of that first row.  There ought to be 15 stitches between markers and, as you can see, this repeat clearly is not 15 stitches.  All the rest are but since this is the first or second repeat of the pattern...harrumph.  

This was not going to soothe my heart, so I went looking for another blanket.  

The other blanket stuff in reaching distance is the very strong contrasts of colour yarn I bought myself after Christmas.  

I purchased the pattern, the Sweet Shop blanket and got down to it.

My first quandary after starting was this:  colours?   The way the pattern is designed to be knit, it felt right to settle my colour sequence first.  As usual, I got out my trusty markers and some paper and colored for a while.

 There.  Now I am ready to sit down and get to work.  

It's just a garter square.  I could have done it without a pattern but this is not just knit squares and sew together.  It is all worked at once and I wanted to see what her secret sauce was.  It's kind of neat.  Interesting too.  You could approach this a thousand ways, but this is not quite what I would have thought of.  

I am giving myself a day off, so to speak and staying with the blanket today.  Let's see where it takes me to. 

Updated.  A treat for your eyes.  Keukenhof 2026 on YouTube.