I’m Knitting As Fast As I Can

What did I do during my unexpected vacation? The first day or two, I watched a lot of TV. Really. Probably more TV than I usually watch in a year. The next few I still couldn’t drive but I felt well enough to move around a bit without throwing up. So, . . . . .

I crocheted (!) a string bag:

I finished knitting a shawl that I recently designed (pattern soon):

I swatched for another new shawl design:

I knit a felted bag, which still needs straps:

I started a sweater:

I started another sweater:

I read a book:

I read another book:

When I felt considerably better, I spun some amazing silk that Laurie sent me:

Oh, and Paula, I watched my tomatoes, get bigger:

After that, I was exhausted so I marked all my Bloglines feeds as “read.”

Ahhh, so many feeds . . . so little time.

One of the semi-secret projects I finished last month was the summer offering for the Wooly Wonka Change of Seasons Lace Club. When Anne approached me about participating in the club, I jumped at the chance to design the summer pattern. We decided on a 100% silk yarn and I gave her free rein to dye it any color she wanted. *cough, cough*
Actually, I gave her a skein of yarn I’d dyed myself and asked if she could match the color. Damned if she didn’t get it right on the money.

Unfortunately, the knitting needed to be completed right at the time my carpal tunnel syndrome was at its worst so Vanessa stepped up to the plate and knit the sample. That Vanessa is a mighty clever knitter. All she had was the pattern — no photo, no nothin’ — but she knit up the scarf in record time. You can see it on her Ravelry project page by clicking here.

Right now I’m working up a heavier sample in some Brooks Farm Primero that Margene got me at Estes Park last year (or maybe the year before).

I’ve set up a pattern page on Ravelry and the design should be available for wide-spread consumption near the end of the summer. If anyone wants to work up a sample in lace-weight yarn, give me a yell.

These mitts were born when I found a skein of decadent angora yarn in my stash and needed a pattern that used only one skein. They are worked in the round from the fingers down to the cuffs with a roomy afterthought thumb. Instructions are given for both a long and a short cuff. The wrist is shaped by changing the size of the needle. The simple, mirrored lace pattern is presented in both chart form and written instructions; you choose the method you prefer. They are quick and easy to make.

• Yarn Used: 1 ball Angora Extra or Louisa Harding Kimono Angora Pure
• Yarn Substitutes: I strongly encourage you to use the suggested yarn. But, Classic Elite Lush, Frog Tree sport-weight alpaca, and Rowan Kid Classic are good substitutes.
• Gauge: Approximately 18 sts/26 rows = 4 inches [10 cm] in stockinette stitch worked in the round on size 4.5mm needles.
• Size: Worked at the suggested gauge and after a firm blocking, the finished mitts are 8—9.5 inches long and measure approx. 7.5 inches in circumference. They will fit a woman’s size small/medium hand. The size can be altered slightly during blocking or you can use a larger or smaller needle to obtain a looser or tighter gauge.
• Techniques: Channel Island cast on; picot bind off; easy lace; afterthought thumb