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| Lilac in the wind |
Hello on a beautiful May day. Other than some very windy days, the cool Spring weather has been glorious. The lilacs are blooming. Monday I finished cleaning the L-shaped strip of perennial flowers along the fence and beside the shed. We dug compost out of one bin and forked it into the tomato patch. My dear husband finished preparing a new bed for a pollinator garden. Armed with lists from the University of Nebraska Extension office and the Nebraska State Arboretum, I hope to do some shopping this afternoon.
Although there is no link-up today, I enjoy the routine of posting on Wednesdays. My preferred way of knitting is to circulate among three projects. For me, this keeps boredom at bay. Awhile back, I cast on a Sophie Shawl from BFL handspun. Knitting with handspun is a joyful surprise. I love the slight bounce of the yarn but didn't expect the subtle striping. The fiber came in a variegated/tonal blue braid that I divided vertically to spin a two ply yarn. Just for fun I pulled out a pair of straight needles but have since put the stitches on a circular to accommodate the increasing width.
Sunday I cast on a pair of mitts, holding a strand of mohair silk lace with some handspun Falkland. This yarn was an early spin on my spinning wheel so it is thick and thin. The strand of mohair fills in space around the thin yarn. The fabric would be warm enough for regular mittens but I wasn't sure I had enough handspun. Although the pattern is well written, I modified it as I have a small hand and like a snug cuff. My notes are on the Ravelry page linked below.
When I toss the stash in January, I create what I call the Up Next Bin. It contains a combination of yarns not yet wound as well as some bags of partial and/or odd skeins that go together. These two yarns happened to catch my eye. The light blue is leftover from a cardigan I made last Spring. The other is a much older skein that never seemed quite right for any project. They looked nice together so I put them together in the Up Next Bin. I'm auditioning the combination with a pattern from my library. The light blue color is called Spring Ice. It seems appropriate this cool Spring.
I finished the colorwork hat from partial skeins with enough yarn to knit a child's hat. Some yarns just keep on giving. The tension on it might be a shade tighter because I knit most of it while listening to A World of Curiosities. Louise Penny keeps writing the familiar characters in this series in a way that keeps me coming back for more. A visit to Three Pines is always a good visit.
This is more than enough for today. If you read to the end, thank you. Have a good rest of the week.
Ravelry Links
I am glad to hear that you're enjoying some lovely spring weather! I had another cold, rainy run this morning, and I am so done with this return of winter. I think your projects are all lovely, and it makes me extra happy to see you knitting with your handspun. In my experience, handspun will always stripe to some extent when knit up, even when the fiber is a semisolid. I'm sure there's some fancy explanation for why this happens, but I don't know it. It's just a fun thing to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to hearing more about your pollinator garden! I hope you share what you plant and have some pictures when things are blooming. Your knits are all so pretty. I had not heard of the Spring Ice Shawl previously - that is going to be so lovely in the yarns you have chosen. I think it's time for me to take a break from work (and the computer) and cast on the Crazy Zauerball Sock #2!!
ReplyDeleteAll of your knitting projects are lovely! I especially like the beautiful handspun Sophie and those colorwork hats look great. They almost look like you might have hidden a Morse code message in the colorwork. I look forward to hearing more about your pollinator garden as you plant it and hopefully attract pollinators.
ReplyDeleteI love the variegated blue shawl you are working on. Beautiful. I hope the work on your garden goes well. I would love to see some pictures. Enjoy the rest of the week.
ReplyDeleteLilacs are my favorite Spring flower followed by bearded iris. It will probably be a month before either bloom here. The sapphire yarn is beautiful: I like the subtle stripes.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Three Pines and am glad to hear that you do, too. Your knitting is lovely - I love the colors in those mitts! Enjoy your lilacs - I am checking ours for blooms everyday.
ReplyDeleteI really like your "way" of cycling through knitting three projects at a time . . . as a way to keep boredom at bay. I'm almost always a one project at a time knitter (but not always), but I do succumb to boredom more often than I care to admit. Perhaps it's time to switch up my strategy? (You can teach an old dog new tricks. . . ) I am really excited to see what you "do" in your pollinator garden . . . and I always love a quick trip to Three Pines.
ReplyDeleteHow do you like knitting the Sophie scarf? It's been in my que for a while. I love the colors you chose. All of your projects have great colors going on. Can't wait to see them progress. I like having more than one thing on the needles at once too....variety!
ReplyDeleteI adore Penny's writing style and visiting with old friends in a familiar village, can't wait for the next one to be published. Gorgeous knitting and beautiful photos :)
ReplyDeleteI'm still looking forward to reading A World of Curiosities ... maybe in June?! I know it will be a book I'll want to dive into and stay with, so I need to find a few days where I can do that! Also, yay for Spring, pretty knitting (with handspun!), and finally catching up with you. Happy Saturday!
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