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November 14, 2010

wool, wool, wool

when working at webs, i often get asked what my favorite yarns in the store are, and people seem surprised when i rattle off a list of 100% wool, non-superwash yarns, like british sheep breeds, northampton, and peruvia quick (i do have a few hand-dyed faves too, but i tend to use those exclusively for designs and not for my everyday sweaters, because the superwashing makes drapier fabric).
i love wool. it's my very favorite fiber. i like it scratchy or not, dyed or natural, i even like when there's that little bit of vegetable matter spun into the fibers.
i only really have a small pile of handknit sweaters. many of the ones i've knit have been for yarn companies or publications, and sadly, i don't get to keep them most of the time. but, i've recently begun concentrating on a few self-published sweater designs, and since i get to keep them ( yay! ), i've stocked up on some of the wooliest yarns i could find.
many people have already noticed my fondness for st-denis nordique. i currently have 2 sweaters and a vest on the needles in this yarn, and i just bought enough for another cardigan. i love it's spring, its stitch definition and its durability. when i make myself a sweater, i want it to last forever, you know?

right now, i've got a wooly work in progress in quince and co lark.

wip in quince and co lark

i have a finished hoodie with a pattern in progress in puffin.

finished hoodie in quince and co puffin

a sweater's worth each of osprey and chickadee are waiting in the wings.
and now, there's shelter too. i recently swatched a few colors of it and suddenly i had a new leafy hat.

gimme shelter

this one is a fitted style, but i'm writing a pattern that will have a beret style too, so i'm knitting that up now.
oh boy, i love this new direction the yarn world is taking. i feel like there are so many yarns i truly love to knit with out right now. now, just to find the time.

i'm also doing something that's rare for me. i'm carrying around a project that was not designed by me. it's cecily's idlewood pattern, in some lovely beaverslide that she bought for me. i cannot wait to wear this!

idlewood in progress

and... i'm now realizing that i'm in a yellow and teal color rut again, as i just finished a sample for my acorns pattern in madelinetosh vintage in "forestry". the yarn i used in the pattern was tosh worsted, which is now called tosh dk, and the name change has caused a lot of confusion for people substituting yarns because tosh dk is more of a light worsted. so, i'm re-doing the layout of the pattern and changing it to call for berroco vintage and tosh vintage instead. still confusing, i guess, but whatevs. ;)

acorns hat pattern in madtosh vintage

January 24, 2010

acorn hats

in between all my other projects, i knit a bunch of hats. i really enjoy knitting this particular lace pattern, which i think looks a lot like acorns. i knit it over and over, until i was sure it was right.

acorn mosaic

my favorite part is the decreases (they look the same in bulky and worsted versions).

tosh worsted top

the blue and brown ones on the left are knit in berroco's peruvia quick, a bulky yarn that i love. options for turned up and plain rib brims are included and each hat uses only 1 skein, making this bulky hat an $8.00 project.

the hats on the right use the worsted weight version of the pattern. the hat on the top right is in madelinetosh tosh worsted ( which is now called tosh dk, but knits up at a versatile light worsted-dk range). the bottom right is in berroco vintage, which has taken some serious abuse from lots of wear and still look like new. love!

the pattern includes instructions for worsted and bulky weight versions. it's available for purchase now!

find it on ravelry

or buy now$5.00

thanks so much for your support!