distraction

It's very difficult to impress Garden Man, but he really likes this one!

Maybe it's the airiness of the piece or maybe it's the color combinations so far or just maybe he sees the big smile on my face as I knit every colorful stitch. After his extremely positive comment I laughed while telling him of the years the Feather and Fan design had been around and was only an old idea with a new twist. He simply winked and whipped out the door to do what he does best...Garden.

This lovely knit is a stole in the making and knit using two different colors of Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn. Imagine knitting a fingering weight fiber on #9 needles and you will realize you have a wonderful light wrap. I'll follow up soon with all the details of this latest project, but I will tell you now, I'm really loving the effect of this Feather and Fan project.

Actually I have had a very non-productive knitting week with far too many distractions. One of the major distractions has been in my garden, I mean all those pretty flowers to appreciate and gaze at.

And to cut (only with the Garden Man's permission of course). And to gaze at some more. But the biggest distraction this week was this.............my Droid X! There has been much too much time spent getting cozy with this new (long sought after ) HOT phone! Check out the purple skin...you know how much I love purple!

With all those distractions it's no wonder I have so little knitting progress to share with you, but next week should be different story.

Hope you all have a Fabulous week-end!

it's a Mad Men thing..........

......and ohmahgah my obsession not only continues but is growing in strength.........

Season 4 brings Joan (Christina Hendricks) back to the office and in that real life-like Joan form we have come to expect. Some women make an impressive entrance, but no not Joan, Joan's strong point appears during her every exit. I mean that gal has a mean prance going on, the gal knows how to make an exit all right! Just imagine being a wife in the 60's and your husband working in an office with the likes of a Joan traipsing around.

And this is her office attire...............
(glad to see ya back Joan)

Just as unpopular and politically incorrect as cigarettes are in today's society...it was embraced in the 60's! Everybody and their cousins puffed like a freight train as if there was no tomorrow.

Seriously. As unhealthy as it was, those were the days???? or were they.....anyhoooo let's not get ourselves all worked up over the smoking thing - 'cause it's just another TV show ( to be savored).

Now how could one think or mention Mad Men and not speak of the dark and mysteeeerious Don Draper (Jon Hamm).

So virile. Such masculinity. He has the busiest zipper in town that certainly doesn't resolve or simplify his troubled life.

Check out this picture I came across....

Jon Hamm in stubbles and whiskers! The women want him and the men want to be him. ENJOY!

seaside throw and a change of heart

Seaside Throw is one knit that would be a great baby blankie that could be used continuously into the life of a small child. That wasn't the plan when this project was started, but the more I knit, the more I think my finished Vanilla - 100% cotton piece will be boxed in tissue paper waiting for that "Special Little Person". I'm enjoying the rhythm of this pattern and think it may be one of those knits you regret seeing end. One would think the natural Vanilla colorway would get boring, but it is pure yumminess! While a lot of knitting remains on Seaside, there is already plans for my next knit that will take me from the present loved natural color of the Seaside Throw to this................ Aade Long Artistic 8/1, colorway "Rainbow". Yes! This will be my next Ishbel, only this one will be on a larger scale and in a fabulous multi-rainbow of colors!

simple daisy and of course some knitting

Simple Daisy! These just may be my favorite flowers. They are sweet in the garden and fabulous when cut and showcased in a simple little jar to enjoy inside for days on end. Of course, I have to ask the gardener before any major cuttings take place!Hey check out my latest knit!

The Curlicue Coverlet is finished, blocked and waiting for some caressing come this fall and winter. As is always the case, the Noro colors are spectacular and made for a quick, interesting and fun process. You will find all the details of this piece on Rav or in my earlier blog post. One might ask, "when is a good time to start a new throw or coverlet"? Hey, it must be when a coverlet is finished. Well, that's exactly what I did.....this is my Seaside Throw from Debbie Bliss' book, HOME. My throw is knit with Sublime Organic Cotton in the colorway Vanilla and the color is a true simple vanilla shade! YUM!

This is a pattern that will take a while to knit up on #6 needles. I mean 15 balls of cotton and all that lace, cables, bobbles and OMG....all those seed stitches! I'm already rather pleased with the clarity the cotton yarn gives the stitch detail.

Curlicue Coverlet

I purchased the Curlicue Coverlet pattern a couple of years ago only because of it's interesting construction, but didn't think it looked particularly spectacular when knit in a solid colorway. It was when I saw what creative knitters did with multiple colors and variegated selections that the pattern came alive and got me going. Beautiful, colorful swirls of stitches with a scalloped edge.

For me, the pattern is not an easy one! There is constant counting, getting a mental gripe for the directions of the short rows certainly didn't come easy to me with lots of second guessing on that first center section. After frogging the first center wedge #5 three times and much freaking out, I finally wrapped my mind around the construction and the process is now quite enjoyable. Trust me, now that I have this pattern moving along I will be loyal to the completion of the coverlet. This swirls of stitches should be ready for blocking within the week!

Pattern: Oat Couture Curlicue Coverlet

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden

Needles: #6

Montego Bay

This is such a relaxing knit and worked up so beautifully in Farmhouse Yarns - Bonnie's Bamboo that I found it hard to have the knitting end.
It was kind of like when you read a really good book with an awesome ending and you sit and hold the book and wish it wasn't the end.

My Montego Bay Scarf will provide a perfect extra layer of warmth in my cool office this summer while the open pattern will blend in perfectly anywhere for a summer accessory.

The project was knit with #9 needles and two skeins of Bonnie's Bamboo in the colorway, Natural.

I actually have three more skeins of Bonnie's Bamboo in the colorway, Indigo! That is a serious clue of just how much I adore this fiber. The sheen is beautiful and it doesn't split when knitting like so many other bamboo yarns.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, these three skeins could be a sleeveless pull over or a summer vest. Well, maybe next summer, I've got an awfully long queue of projects lined up right now (more on the topic later).

Isn't the color B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.LY?

mail day

Today was a big.......no make that a "Huge" mail day! Mr Mailman was too good to me and left a box of this Noro-Silk Garden yarn at my door!

Up close and personal...Be Still My Heart!

These different colors of Noro Silk Garden are destined to turn into a Curlicue Coverlet! This coverlet by Oat Couture has been on my wish to knit list for many months and now is the perfect time to jump into such a colorful venture! Each section will be a different colorway, I have already matched a color for each section (see below) and with much excitement I'm ready to begin this Curlicue journey!

My Curlicue is knit with mostly jewel tones and will be a bright and happy piece. I really didn't want to hunt and search numeous shops for so many different Silk Garden colors and decided Webs was the way to go. That turned out to be an excellent idea, I viewed the color board on line, got my mind wrapped around the desired look and tone I wanted and placed the order in minutes.

Noro Silk Garden Color Selections: 211, 252, 258, 273, 276, 279, 289, 301, 304, 8, 84, 87