Hello Goodbye

Wishing you 365 joyful, fearlessly creative days in 2012. Oh wait--make that 366--it's a Leap Year!

Double Quick

Two quick projects to share today ... one practical and one not.


Pattern: Dolan Beret by Leah B. Thibault
Yarn: Quince & Co. Osprey in the Bird's Egg colorway
Needle: US7/4.5mm 16-inch circ

What a fun knit ... all those knits and purls really pop in the Aran-weight Osprey. And the color is incredibly lovely. This beret's going to get lots of wear!


Here's something for that person on your gift list who has everything:


Pattern: Tiny Chicken, from Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec
Yarns: various leftover sock yarns
Needles: US 1/2.25mm dpns

If everyone you know already has a 1 1/2-inch tall knit chicken, no problem. Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi also has mermaids, fried eggs, baked potatoes, garden gnomes, aliens, and more.

The Cat Always Wins

After two times through the washer and dryer, my wool dryer balls were sufficiently felted and ready for their second layer of yarn:

wool dryer balls (to be used in place of fabric softener; see this blog for details), shown atop my Seersucker afghan-in-progress

For the second layer, I'm using Lion Brand Alpine Wool, a chunky roving that's supposed to felt well:



Minutes after I sat down to wind the Alpine Wool around the three balls, I was interrupted:







A surprise lap takeover, deftly executed by Snickers! Much purring and petting ensued, and eventually I was allowed to resume my work.



I seem to be drawn toward this tealish-blue color lately. The dryer balls are almost the same color as a hat I cast on last week:


Pattern: Dolan Beret by Leah B. Thibault
Yarn: Quince and Co. Osprey in Bird's Egg
Needle: US7 16-inch circular

Worked at four stitches to the inch, this hat goes very quickly—it should be done and on my head soon.

Pattern Release: Deephaven Cowl and Rockywold Mitts

I'm excited to share two new designs with you today. They're matching patterns that have a stitch pattern in common, and they're available both individually and as a set called Morning at Squam Lake. Find them on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop.

First up, Deephaven:


Pattern: Deephaven by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Quince & Co. Lark in the Chanterelle colorway
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm

Deephaven is an infinity cowl that's knit flat and seamed after blocking. It measures about 8.5 inches/22 cm wide by 52 inches/132 cm long. I've listed the yardage requirement as 500 yards, but mine used a bit less than that—about 480 yards.

It's a versatile piece that can be worn many different ways:









If you've never knit cables before, this is a good pattern to start with, because the cabling is done on only two of the stitch pattern's eight rows. The stitch pattern is given in both written form and a chart.



Next up, Rockywold:


Pattern: Rockywold by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Quince & Co. Tern in the Driftwood colorway
Needles: US 2/3.00m dpns or long circular for Magic Loop

A textured stitch pattern takes center stage in these unisex fingerless mitts knit in fingering weight yarn. The pattern gives directions for two sizes, S and M/L. You can easily expand the size range to an XS by using light fingering weight yarn and a smaller needle size, or to an XL by using sportweight or DK weight yarn and a larger needle size. The stitch pattern is provided in a chart and in written form.







Rockywold and Deephaven are named after the Rockywold-Deephaven Camps on Squam Lake in New Hampshire, where knitters and other crafters gather for the Squam Art Workshops in spring and fall. Mornings can be chilly at Squam Lake, which means breakfast in the dining hall is a veritable fashion show of scarves, cowls, mitts, hats, shawls, and sweaters. When I went to Squam last spring, I wasn’t really prepared for the cool mornings—but I will be next time I go!

Many thanks to Katherine for her expert tech editing, and to Betsey for modeling the mitts. And a shout-out also to Elizabeth, the mastermind behind Squam Art Workshops, and all the fantastic teachers there, as well as my cabin mates in Everest. I had a great time at Squam and can't wait to go back next year.