FO: Hey Now Sweater

Who could do with a bit of colour to cheer up the grey?

I certainly could!

I’ve been wearing my finished Hey Now Sweater absolutely NON-STOP since it came off my needles just before we went to Unravel. The Mustard yellow Something to Knit With Aran just makes me beam with joy. I am so pleased with it!

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Postcards from Rhinebeck: Part 1

Not yet strictly Rhinebeck, but bear with me…

I’m trying out the app on my phone in the hope that I can write a few short blog posts while I am on the road. Fingers crossed I’m about to have the most knitting-filled week that I’ve had in a long time, so there should be plenty to talk about!

Tuesday

I’m starting my journey by train to London, and I have just the crown shaping remaining on my Marangoni Hat – this month’s Boost Your Knitting pattern. All things being equal, it will be finished before I catch my flight tomorrow.

wednesday

Boom! Hat is all done, save for the last couple of ends, with two minutes to spare before it’s time to leave for Heathrow.

This is the obligatory plane knitting shot. I cast on for the smallest size of Antler Cardigan by Tin Can Knits using our Something to Knit With Aran and knitted both sleeves and a good chunk of body during my flight from Heathrow to JFK in New York. It’s so satisfying to rattle through the pieces of a garment like that, especially when my last couple of garments have been 4ply epics. Note to self: Next adult garment should be in aran weight…

thursday

On Thursday, together with Kay and Ann of Mason-Dixon Knitting, we headed upstate to Red Hook, which is just a little way from Rhinebeck. I could write a whole blog post about what a joy it has been to spend time with these two! Ann is wearing her fabulous aran weight Dionne Shawl by Jeanette Sloan and I’ve borrowed Ann’s Parallelogram Scarf, which I need to immediately cast on when I get home. It is one of the designs in the Sequences MDK Field Guide, and unbelievably squishy and warm! This was just the start of a parade of incredible hand knits – many of them from MDK Field Guides…

Knitting has been almost non-stop – in the car, on the subway, on the plane, at restaurants and at home. I was really inspired by Kay’s gorgeous basketweave socks on her needles (in their Wanderlust Field Guide), as well as Ann’s Petula Sweater (Downtown) and the Corrugated Shawl (Sequences) that Ann was working on. Spending time enjoying the process of stitches and wool against a background of friendship is such a powerfully recharging thing.

My Antler Cardigan started to take shape!

Friday

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Tivoli Bays was the perfect backdrop for some fresh air and a walk, and we were joined by MDK team member, Christina…

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…for a photo shoot for our new album cover: Knitters on Tour.

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And what do knitters do when they are on tour? Why, they head to the nearest town with a yarn shop of course! We went to Fabulous Yarn in Tivoli, NY which was PACKED with stunning yarns and notions. It took all my willpower not to dive in and buy everything.

I was very taken with this aptly named Oooh! cashmere chunky yarn. I held strong though, safe in the knowledge that the weekend would bring plenty to tempt me.

To be continued…

The unignored projects...

I didn’t get completely side-tracked over the Easter holidays! I worked on the projects that most needed my attention, and stayed pretty faithful to my Sterlyn Shawl and Briochevron Wrap. I cast off my Sterlyn not long after we got back from Wales, and the Briochevron is one of those projects that I just need to pick up and do regularly. It will get there eventually! There were heaps of photos of Sterlyns in yesterday’s post, and mine looks much like those – if you’d like to see mine, click the link above to head over to my Ravelry project page.

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How I got hooked on dip stitches

I'm entirely blaming Hunter Hammersen. It's completely her fault!

We have been chatting by email for a few months – comparing notes on getting carried away with techniques and the demands of running a knitting publishing business. She's been sharing photos of her experiments with what she has called "dip stitches" over on her Instagram account (HunterHammersen) for a few months now, and earlier in the summer she sent me a preview copy of her new book, Firmament, which explores these fun stitches in detail.

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What was I thinking?

Dearest blog readers,

Please accept my humblest apologies for my choice of knitting projects. I appear to be working only on projects that consist of endless stocking stitch. There won't be much excitement to report for weeks to come, as I plough through the bodies of not one but two fairly plain, 4ply, adult garments. I shall endeavour not to post endless photos of incremental changes in the length of the stocking stitch bodies that I'm knitting on, but at the same time, would welcome encouragement to stick with my knitting, as it will all be worth it in the end.

What was I thinking?

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