I’m a Fingerless Glove Fanatic!

When I joined the Ravelry group of the above name (FGF) I had knitted just two pairs of mittens but in the last few weeks I have upped my total considerably. I went through my sock phase, like many before me and now I’m knitting hand warmers galore. I mentioned Robin Melanson’s Knitting New Mittens & Gloves in my last post and now I have the pictures to show my efforts from this book.

I’ve already posted pictures of my first project from this book (Glaistig purple gloves) and I’ve got four more to add.

The Gothic hand warmers were a lovely little knit and very satisfying, particularly as I got the RYC Silk Wool DK for 50p from the John Lewis Clearance bin (I love a bargain!). They are knit on 4.5mm and 4mm DPNs and the only bit which is at all tricky is the little diamond pattern. I opted for a string of beads rather than sequins. They feel great on and are a good way of using up a leftover or bargain ball of yarn.

The Filigree gloves were knitted with some old yarn I found in a charity shop - Phildair Chatoga (2 balls). It is a soft cotton in an extremely bright turquoise with very strange little acrylic rainbow sections. I’m not sure how much I’ll wear these but they were fun to knit and the colour made me feel bright and happy (unlike the current weather). I used 3.75mm DPNs rather than 4mm and they were finished in no time.

Next comes Tapisserie and the chance to learn a new technique- knitting fair isle in the round . I had tried knitting continental style once before and ended up with my left hand feeling like a claw but using both hands, continental style for the green yarn, throwing the yarn for the purple, it worked reasonably well. I have pulled a bit tight but for a first attempt it’s not too bad. These are a little big to wear on their own but are just right to wear over a long sleeved top / sweater and I think they’ll come in handy in winter.

Now, to my latest effort from this book, Box Pleats. I have knitted one glove so far using Rowan Damask (another sale purchase!) in a green colour way. I’ve never come across this type of pleat before (you distribute the stitches on 3 needles, bend them back concertina style and knit off all 3 at once) so that made it interesting. The pattern calls for beads but I decided against this. I quite like the first glove, although the yarn is a little strange. It looks quite pretty and it is reasonably soft, but it has a straw like quality which I found slightly odd.

Why knit so many fingerless gloves / pulse warmers? Well, I was getting a bit fed up of the things I was working on and these quick, fun projects reminded me knitting is fun. A few days and you have a finished item and can move on to a new colour, new type of yarn and new technique. Also, the more I wear them the more I am convinced that protecting, warming and adorning your wrist area is comforting and satisfying and it has been done for centuries! My Dad even requested a pair of wrist warmers and says they make him feel cosy and warm when he meets a friend for coffee outside (Glasgow can be damp and miserable , even in summer I’m afraid). So I’m sure this will not be the end of my fingerless glove fanaticism.

Cheeky Little Monkey

Here is my little nephew, being held captive for the photo, in his monkey jumper. It is a bit big but I wanted it to fit during the winter.


In this photo he is walking on his dad's feet- the perfect opportunity for a back view shot.

In the last post I promised pictures of my muir stole but that was before I became obsessed by fingerless gloves and wristmarmers! Muir has been cast aside (for the moment) and I have knitted 4 and a half projects from Knitting New Mittens and Gloves instead. I haven't taken any photos yet but will post some soon.

Sewing Up - Uughh!

I like knitting. It can be relaxing, challenging, satisfying and fun. Sewing up however I do not like. It takes me much longer than it should and I’m never happy with the end result. In fact all it does is make my knitting look worse. So over the last couple of days I’ve been sewing up and have done no knitting at all- none. The sewing up in question was on the Cheeky Monkey Jumper and on a pair of lacy fingerless mittens. It astounds me every time how long it takes me to sew up a sweater for a toddler - hours and hours! How is that possible ? I’m just rubbish at sewing obviously. Anyway, it’s being blocked and will be delivered to gorgeous little nephew in a few days (not by post this time).


Proper pictures to follow when dry.


The mittens are purple but are not the crochet Afternoon Tea Gloves mentioned in my last post. They, unfortunately, had to be abandoned due to an inappropriate choice of yarn (damn you inflexible cotton 4 ply). The new gloves are from “Knitting New Mittens and Gloves”(Robin Melanson) , a lovely little book with some unusual patterns. The book arrived a week ago and I started knitting Glaistig the same day, having bought some purple (again) merino 4 ply from McAree brothers (on sale) the day before . They were a great weekend knit, quick and fun.



The cuff is knitted as a strip in K2 P2 ribbing and the “hand” is a lovely lace pattern, knitted on two needles . It was interesting / easy enough to knit during Euro 2008 ( which has been fantastic so far!). There was a problem finding a plastic buckle and I had to make do with a couple of D shaped rings cobbled together. It’s not perfect by any means but I still am very fond of the end result- I am wearing them as I type!



Now that I’m finished sewing up I can get back to knitting. The Jane Austen group on Ravelry is having a read along / knit along of Sense & Sensibility. I’ve chosen the lovely Muir stole as my project and I’m looking forward to working on it (I cast it on before my sewing exploits). Pictures will appear when there is something substantial to photograph!

Purple Patch

Somehow I have ended up working on two projects in purple. They are not designed to match, in fact they are different shades of purple. The first came about after a visit to McAree Brothers in Stirling a couple of weeks ago. I saw their deep purple Anchor Bamboolo and loved it. It is really soft with a slight sheen (70% cotton, 30% bamboo) and I’m hoping it will make a lovely lightweight top. I have started knitting in the round on 6.5mm needles without deciding how I want the top to look. I have copies of EZ’s Knitting Without Tears and Joelle Hoverson’s Favorite Yoke Sweater Pattern and Teva Durham’s Loop d Loop to hand for inspiration but I’m basically going to see how far my 7 skeins takes me and decide what to do as I go along.




The second project is crochet! I was browsing on Ravelry (as you do) and discovered the Fingerless Gloves Fanatics Group. I’m hardly a fanatic but I would say I’m a bit of a convert. I used to think fingerless gloves were a complete waste of time but a pair of Fetching Mittens and Falling Leaves Wristwarmers later I’ve changed my mind. I gave away the Fetching pair as a gift but I love my Falling Leaves. They do make you feel really cosy- it must be the covering of the pulse points. So I find the FGF group and see they are doing a June KAL and CAL. For some reason I go for the Afternoon Tea Gloves CAL. They are very pretty but I cannot think of a situation where I will wear a pair of lacy “Tea Gloves” ! I don’t go to many upmarket garden parties these days. It’s been fun working on the first glove despite a few problems with the pattern so even if I don’t wear them I’ll have enjoyed doing a bit of crochet for a change. The yarn is Rowan 4 ply cotton (1 ball, size 2mm hook) and I also need buttons for the wrists before I can go any further .



All this purple has distracted me but I must finish off the cheeky monkey jumper . There is very little left to be done yet I keep picking up everything but the jumper - poor little cheeky monkey needs a face. I promise I’ll give him one soon.

Lost and Found

This is my gorgeous little nephew wearing the cabled cardigan. As you can see he is being held so he can't escape or the picture would just be a blur. Well, I'm just glad he got to try it on at all because for the last fortnight it has been missing. I sent it first class with Royal Mail and it didn't turn up. Now it is not a valuable item but I did put a fair bit of work into it and was so disapointed when I thought it had gone for ever. To give the postal service their due they did deliver it eventually. I thought the cardigan might be too small but his mother thinks it's fine and has plenty of stretch in it. I'm making slow progress on the cheeky monkey jumper (one sleeve still to be knitted) but I'm looking forward to finishing the monkey face. I don't know if I'll trust Royal Mail with it when it's finished- I might just wait until I can deliver it to the little whirlwind myself.

Just as I Suspected.

When I decided to try writing a knitting blog it seemed like a good way of keeping track of all my projects and maybe forcing me to think a bit more about what I knit. I did worry that I wouldn't be very good at keeping it up and it turns out I was right to worry - a whole month with no post! Today's post is designed to account for the last month, knitting wise and show that although I'm rubbish at sitting down to write I do manage to pick up the needles.

The Cabled Cardigan is finished! This one really dragged on towards the end but I'm pleased with it. The problem is I think it is probably a bit on the small side. It's been posted down to my nephew so I'll have to wait till it arrives to see if it does fit.

While the cardigan was waiting to be completed I needed a quick project as a distraction so the net scarf below was knitted in the garden. I like scarves, even in spring and summer, so I knitted up some leftover Jaeger Roma (bought for £1 a ball at the tail end of the John Lewis sale in January) on my favourite wooden 10mm needles. I cast on 20 stitches and every row is [s1, (k2tog, yo) until last stitch, k1]. The fringe is copied from the Lady Elenor stole from Scarf Style and was fun to knot (not knit). This was perfect for knitting in the sunshine - quick and easy and I like the end result.



The last pair of knitted socks for my Dad was at Christmas so he was due a new pair. These are plain toe up socks knitted in Regia sock yarn. I really like the colour and plain socks are great for knitting while watching TV (these were knitted through two Champions League Semis).

I was in Hamilton last week and I picked up a ball off Lang Super Soxx Cotton from Stitching Time. It was a real bargain at £4.95 so my Dad is also getting a bonus pair of socks in a stripy cotton blend. Again, they are toe up, my current method of choice but I'll probably return to cuff down for my next pair for a bit of variety.

After some easy socks it seemed time to try something new. I've never really been a fan of picture knits but thought it might be fun to try a bit of intarsia, at least once. In the 50th issue of Knitting magazine I saw a pattern for a cheeky monkey jumper which would look great on my gorgeous little nephew. The pattern called for Debbie Bliss Cashmerino but as I still had half a bag of Jaeger Matchmaker left over I decided to use this instead.



Finding a nice brown yarn for the monkey wasn't that easy but I settled on Sublime Extra Fine Merino and bought a ball each of brown and cream. The jumper has the word cheeky on the back but I've decided to use duplicate stitch for that rather than intarsia. The front didn't go too badly although having the various strands hanging did get on my nerves but I think it will look good when the monkey gets his eyes, nose and mouth.



So that's my output for the last month with the monkey jumper and cotton socks still on the needles and several more items in the early planning stages.

The football season is almost at an end and I'm looking forward to the Champions League final but so much of this season has been sickening. The Scottish league becomes more of a joke from day to day and the fiasco of the UEFA cup final in Manchester was disappointing and disgraceful. The point is being made all over the internet but it is worth repeating. Scottish fans of all clubs and the national team have been fantastic at away games for years (Celtic fans even have awards from FIFA and UEFA) but repeatedly when Rangers play there is violence and trouble with the police. Please don't judge all Scottish football fans by their example.

Update on Socks and Cardigan- not much to report!

There was little knitting progress to report over the last week or so and then when I did manage to finish my pink socks and get back to work on the cabled cardigan, the broadband connection went down. I hadn’t realised how dependent I am on the internet. A few hours of knowing I couldn’t go online and there seemed to be endless things I needed to check or find out. Not to mention no access to email and Ravelry . This is not meant to suggest I do anything important or productive online - I don’t- but I still got withdrawal symptoms almost instantly.

My knitting has been on and off lately. I enjoyed knitting the embossed leaves socks but the little cabled cardigan has been getting on my nerves. When I did finally make myself try to finish it I picked up stitches for the button band on the wrong side (the seam edge)! I couldn’t believe I could make such a stupid mistake but it serves me right for chucking it aside to cast on the socks. I’m back sorting out my mistake now and it shouldn’t be long until it’s finished - just the collar and sewing up to go.

Here are my finished pink socks. I like them a lot and will probably knit this pattern again. I didn’t break the yarn at the gusset; one of my favourite thing about socks is you don’t break the yarn until you’re done. Also, at the toe I decreased until I had 20 stitches then grafted them together but other than that I followed the pattern. I bought some Ranco Solid sock yarn this week which would look good in a lacy pattern so maybe I’ll knit some green Embossed Leaves.

The alternative would be to knit Monkey socks from Knitty.com, just for a bit of variety but I’m not sure I like the finished sock as much as Embossed Leaves. I tell you what, why don’t I stop worrying about what to knit next and go and FINISH THE CABLED CARDIGAN!

I Need a Bit of Colour!

I'm fed up with muted, neutral shades and so rather than finish the cabled cardigan (it only needs a collar and button band) I cast on a pair of Embossed Leaves socks. I've wanted to knit these since I got the Favorite Socks book and I've had the bright pink Fortissima Socka for months.

So far I like the pattern, the rib is indeed as crisp as the pattern promised and the "leaves" look OK too. What I'm really enjoying is the pink which is brighter than the picture shows (due to lack of sunlight in Scotland in April). Sometimes you just need a little colour to brighten your day!

Arty Knitting

I love knitting books. I’ve whiled away hours in bookshops and on Amazon looking at all the books available and every now and again I give in to temptation and buy one - or two. The last couple I got were gifts, although they were chosen by me. One was Knit Knit by Sabrina Gschwandtner.

Knit Knit is more of a coffee table book than a traditional pattern book with profiles of knitting designers / artists . There are lots of very nice photographs and each designer has provided a pattern. I knew the work of some of these designers before, Teva Durham , Erika Knight and Annie Modesitt among others, but the more artistic knitters were new to me. Now, I am very interested in art but my taste runs more to painting than conceptual art and my knitting is mostly about following patterns and creating attractive, practical garments. Combining knitting and art can be effective but I find myself torn by some of the projects in this book.

Dave Cole’s knitted Fibreglass Teddy Bear was probably really impressive as an installation, I’d imagine the scale would be disconcerting. As a photograph however it doesn’t really move me and I’m not even interested enough to read the knitting pattern he used to produce the work. It just all seems a bit pretentious. A few of the art works profiled in the book seem like that to me but if they do inspire others , fair enough, that makes them worthwhile. I did like lots of the projects in the book and the profiles of the designers are interesting - it’s amazing how people from all sorts of backgrounds end up knitting.

The knitted wedding dress is surprisingly beautiful and the pattern provided by it’s designer Eugene Ong for a backless top is very pretty.

The book does have patterns that make you want to knit them rather than just look at them. There is a hobo bag pattern by Nora Gaughan and I plan to knit Joelle Hoverson’s Favorite Yoke Sweater. The sweater is based on Elizabeth Zimmermann’s sweaters which tells you all you need to know about me and my knitting. I may buy arty knitting books and flick through them for hours, consuming far too many cups of coffee but when it comes to actually knitting something it’s well conceived, well written patterns that I turn to. I’d like to be a creative pick up the needles and let’s just see where it takes me type but I’m not sure I can be. Still, it doesn’t stop me admiring this quality in others. On that note, a quick update on my current WIP.

I've just about finished the sleeves on the cabled cardigan for my nephew. It felt pretty slow going knitting both sleeves at once but now that they are almost done I'm glad I did it this way. Following a good old fashioned cable pattern has it's merits too.

Retrospective F.O.s

While I was putting details of Fos onto Ravelry I realised what a limited range of colours I knit with. There’s nothing very garish in there, it’s all a bit muted. Also, I haven’t taken photos of loads of thing I’ve knitted as gifts so it looks as though I only ever knit for myself! What I should do is get people to model their gifts for me but I never quite get around to that. I don’t even get around to having photos of myself taken and end up resorting to “jumper laid out on table” shots. Maybe one day I’ll blow dry my hair and have a photo taken to go on my blog - maybe.

A couple of my old Fos now . The Retro Redux Shrug from Lace Style is very popular and my version is not one of the best I’ve seen but it was a quick, enjoyable knit. All the shaping is done by changing needle sizes rather than increasing / decreasing so it’s a good choice for knitting while watching TV. This was my first version, knitted in the leftover New Lanark DK from the Tomten, so it is a bit rough and scratchy. I wear it as an extra layer over fitted jumpers - this isn’t a soft summer yarn. It’s the only pattern I’ve knitted from the Lace Style book so far although there are a few things in there which I like - the Essential Tank Top is pretty and I like the look of the Lacy Waves Top.

My little beige bolero was on of the first garments I knitted for myself and although my sewing up looks awful I’m still fond of this. The Jaeger Chunky Merino wool was in the sale at John Lewis so I bought a bag. Later I saw the Lana Grossa pattern (from Filati magagine 32, model 20) and decided to have a go. It’s knit across, rather than from the top up and I made mine a bit longer by adding an extra pattern repeat. The band is different too, it’s the opposite way round from the pattern. European patterns are written in a different style and I found this a bit tricky- it’s not written row by row, there’s more of an overall description of the stitch pattern and final shape you’re trying to achieve. It was fine when I got the hang of it. The little bolero has had quite a bit of wear and makes a very cosy extra layer in winter.

Now that the Falling Leaves wristwarmers are finished (I love them) I'm back working on the cabled cardigan for my nephew. I've just started the sleeves and have decided to knit them both at once -not sure if this is a good idea or not but I'm giving it a try. Haven't knitted through many football matches lately- not even the Scotland game last night. Big old firm game coming up at the weekend and as usual the hype is at fever pitch. I'm glad I've got my knitting!

New Works in Progress

I have 2 new projects on the go. The first is for my gorgeous little nephew, who will be 2 in June. It’s a cabled cardigan from the Sirdar Cheeky Chinos booklet. I’m using Jaeger matchmaker merino DK (I bought a bag from the craft show at the SECC ) . I like the way it’s looking so far but then I’ve only done the back and a little bit of the front. It’s design J from the booklet and I’m doing the version with a collar. I had thought of knitting this really quickly and sending it as part of an Easter gift but that’s out the window. Even though I’m enjoying knitting this I somehow managed to get caught up on Ravelry and discovered the Falling Leaves Wrist Warmers by Alexandra Brink. Now, I don’t need wrist warmers (I’ve got through life so far without even thinking about them) but I really wanted to knit them.

I’ve finished the left one and I have to say I love this pattern! It’s simple, clear and really beautiful. On one side it's lacy, on the other there is a mock cable stitch using slipped stitches.

I’m using Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK which was left over from a shrug I knitted as a Christmas gift. I’m still not sure how much wear I’ll get from a pair of elbow length fingerless mittens / wrist warmers but I’m loving knitting them. It's taken me a little while to appreciate Ravelry but browsing their patterns section is fantastic and you can easily lose a couple of hours and then end up starting a new project. I think I'll go and have another look now.

Long Time No Post

I haven't posted for ages but I have been knitting. For the last few weeks I haven't had access to a digital camera and to post without pictures is pointless. It's been sunny today and I have photographing just about everything I could find that I have knitted or crocheted. This is in an attempt to make my ravelry page look a bit healthier - I have made stuff, honest!

Photographing my stuff has made me realise how bad a photographer I am- even some of the garments I really like look a bit rubbish. I may get around to posting details of previous FO's here at some point but I'll concentrate on what I have worked on since my last post for Today.

Anise Jacket: this has been sitting almost finished for weeks and I finally got around to doing the collar and finding buttons. I pretty much followed the Rowan pattern but I made buttonholes- I'm not a fan of poppers. I used 7 skeins of Rowan Big Wool in Lucky which I'm told pills a lot but for the moment it looks good. The wool cost me £1.99 a skein from Hobbycraft so it was a bargain (I wouldn't have paid full price for this yarn). At the same time I bought 9 skeins in Latte for the same price so I have to decide what to use that for. I've got a few ideas but can't make up my mind.

Beret: I've become a fan of Let's Knit magazine and that's where I got the idea for what to do with some leftover Big Wool from Anise. The Renee Beret on 20mm needles is so quick to knit and the big needles make it a bit of a novelty. The patterns actually calls for Little Big Wool but the Big Wool knits up nice and chunky. I used 9mm needles for the brim and crown and decided to knit in moss rather than stocking stitch for a bit more texture (I love moss stitch and double moss stitch). I like the result and it's a comfortable hat to wear. The pattern is free on the Let's Knit website here.

Wish Scarf: Another pattern from Let's knit. I was in Hobbycraft in Glasgow a few weeks ago and saw Rowan Tapestry yarn. I remembered a pattern from the magazine which needed only 1 skein so I bought one, got home and started knitting. It's quite a fun pattern with lots of wrapping yarn around the needle but as I knitted I realised I would never get a full length scarf out of one skein. So, I had to go and buy another one, which was annoying but I've ended up with quite a nice scarf. The yarn is interesting, a wool and soy blend, with a sort of delicate sheen.

I also finished the Ranco Multi socks from the previous post, having put them aside to work on the projects above and I knitted one Big Wool mitten. I'm not sure why I did this as I don't like mittens, especially big chunky ones and I doubt I'll ever knit the second one. I have also started two more projects which I will post details of later- I don't want to overdo it on the posting front after such a long lay off!

More Socks - but from the toe up

I have really been enjoying my first attempt at toe up socks. I fancied learning a new technique but the real reason I wanted to knit these socks from the toe up is so I can use as much of the lovely Ranco Multi yarn as possible. Having looked at a couple of different patterns / methods I decided to use the DVD with this month's Let's Knit magazine as a guide. It has a very clear tutorial on crochet provisional cast on and short row toe and I found it really helpful.

The picture shows the short row toe before the waste yarn has been removed, ready to begin working in the round. I wanted my socks to be plain so I referred to the sock pattern Lorelei in the same magazine to help with the short row heel (basicallly it's the same as the toe) but ignored the diamond stitch. I have finished the first sock and it feels lovely on. I used 2.5mm needles for the foot and lower leg then moved on to 2 by 2 rib with 2.75mm, then 3mm on the leg. This makes the sock a bit "slouchy" which is what I wanted as I plan to wear them around the house.

I will definitely knit more socks from the toe up, although I do like a reinforced heel flap. Now, at least I have a choice.

Can't Stop Knitting Socks

My dad finally got his Christmas socks at the end of January and kindly agreed to model them for me. It's about eight months since I started knitting him socks and he can't get enough of them . These are cable rib socks from Interweave's Favorite Socks and they are knitted in Schoeller and Stahl Fortissima Socka on 2.5mm needles. I didn't make the legs as long as in the pattern. My dad likes plain socks but didn't mind the cables going up each side. I say he likes plain socks but he finds handknitted socks so comfortable he's willing to wear some surprising self patterning and variegated yarns - even Opal rainforest "Veronka Die Wilde" - which is bright green. I finished a straight forward pair of socks for him in this yarn a few days ago but haven't got around to taking photos yet.

The only pair of socks I have completed for myself so far are Go with the Flow Socks from the same Interweave book as above. I used a Lana Grossa Meilenweit cotton yarn which I bought months ago in HK Handknit in Edinburgh (very sorry to hear this is shutting down). When I picked up the yarn to start knitting I couldn't believe I'd picked that colour- it's not very attractive but the cotton does make it really comfortable to wear.

My current work in progress is another pair of socks for myself. I got some lovely Ranco Multi yarn from Stitching Time in Hamilton. It's a chance to try something new because I want to use all of the yarn so I'm knitting them from the toe up. Luckily Let's Knit magazine came with a free DVD this month which had a tutorial on short row toes. It was really helpful and I'm almost finished the first sock - photos should be following soon!

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Tomten

I have been meaning to join the zimmermania blog for ages and have never got around to it. I have to admit when Knitting Without Tears and the Knitters Almanac arrived from Amazon I was a little disappointed; there are so few pictures and no colour at all. It's now more than a year later and I find EZ's writing really inspiring. The only project I have completed however is a Tomten jacket for my 18 month old nephew.

It looks better on my nephew (everything looks great on him) but I am pleased with it and it really was enjoyable to knit -very quick too.The main body was knitted in New Lanark DK 100% wool, woodland, 3 balls. It's not the softest wool you'll ever come across but it is great value.They have an online shop and if you are ever in Scotland it's a nice place for a day out.

The hood and borders were knitted in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, 1 and a bit balls. The whole thing is knit on 4.5mm needles in one piece, only the sleeves need to be seamed. My nephew has apparently had lots of complements when wearing his Tomten and his mother and I have decided he looks like a cute little elf in it. I'd recommend this pattern and I'll probably knit another one soon.

Today I finished knitting my last Christmas present and it's still January- what a result! It was a pair of cable rib socks for my dad. I'll ask him to model them so I can take pictures at a later date. I finished them while watching an old Celtic match on TV (versus Dundee, December 2000). Celtic won with a last minute goal by Didier Agathe (it hit off his face and went in- they all count). I won't be knitting tonight as the Motherwell v Celtic match is on and it could be a nervy affair. C'mon the Hoops!

Hi!
My first ever post.

It's very weird as I can't believe anybody will ever read this but here goes.
I've been knitting for almost two years now and I've been a football fan for a lot longer. I tend to do most of my knitting in front of the television, often watching a football match. The one team I can't watch while knitting is Celtic, they always demand my full attention (I did try finishing a Christmas gift during the Dundee United game on boxing day; made a total mess of casting off the Retro Redux Shrug from Lace Style and had to redo it afterwards).

My current works in progress include a pair of Cable Rib socks from Interweave's "Favorite Socks" (another Christmas present not finished on time), Anise in Rowan Big Wool and Ene's Scarf from Scarf Style- you'll have guessed I'm a fan of Interweave's pattern books.

I haven't really thought through what to write here or sussed out how to use Blogger, but was determined to make a first post, no matter how feeble. So, I'll call it a day for now and plan to make it more interesting next time.