Hearts and Flowers and other stuff

I did a knitalong recently from a favorite designer, Tiziana Sammuri. Her designs are always challenging and always visually stunning.

The project started in 2011 with this skein of yarn from the Tour de Fleece.

At the time I thought it was my best spinning to date. It may still be true, I can't think offhand of anything I've done that's objectively better. But by golly is it ever pink. And I'm not really a pink person, though I find myself spinning pink more than I thought I ever would.

Anyway, the yarn needed a very particular project. I thought of doing In the Pink with it but since it was a one way gradient, I had concerns about the wings matching or at least making sense. I finally just decided to wait for the right project to show up and sure enough it did with Flowery Hearts.

Starting with a long long long cast on, right directly into a tough pattern, then into lace mesh, beads (nupps are called for in the pattern but I don't like doing nupps) and flowers, the project was very difficult. It took me about a month and a half to knit, using all my home-knitting time to do it.

I think the results are pretty good.

(obligatory thrown up in a tree photo)




It was a very fussy knit but I'm glad I did it. Not sure how much I'll wear it, but I'm wearing it tonight to the opera. I don't care how cold it is outside.

I went to Rhinebeck again this year, and like a sensible person, stayed the entire weekend. I had a lot of fun for the most part (that's another post). One of the things I got was an Ashford Knitters Loom. I've been wanting to get more into weaving without spending $2k on a loom and this one was very reasonably priced. It's more versatile than the frame loom I have and I am really enjoying the process of getting to know it.

Here's my first real finished object from it. A scarf, warped with Dalegarn Baby Ull and Patons SwS as the weft. The edges are a tragic mess but I don't care. I think that happened because the weft yarn was so much thicker than the warp yarn but I'm not sure. It was fun to make (about an hour to warp and one movie to weave!) and warm and snuggly to wear. Next up, probably dishtowels for holiday gifts.





I also made a couple of hats for my daughter and her boyfriend. The hats are kind of boring but very very warm and soft.



And finally, what will probably be my last spinning before the end of the holiday season, sock yarn from Black Bunny fibers cheviot wool. 350ish yards in great fall colors.