weekend prep.

This week, I spent a little time prepping for my weekend knitting projects:

First, I finally learned how to hand-wind a center-pull ball of yarn, which will be used on my secret WIP. I actually used my Beauty Blender container to start the ball, after seeing someone on Instagram use an old film canister. Sometimes the strand catches and needs a little extra tug to release, but overall, it works! I think I just wound those first few rounds a little too tightly, so next time, I'll try relaxing my tension. This is the first new skill I've added to my repertoire this year!

On Wednesday, I stopped into my local library to photocopy the Log Cabin Socks pattern out of the book, Handknit Holidays. (Question: does anyone else visit the library for knitting patterns?) Inspired by Jared's gorgeous version, these cozy slipper socks will be a (very late) Christmas knit for my very patient niece. Since the pattern calls for bulky weight yarn, I'm hoping these are a quick, satisfying knit.

What about you? What are you working on this weekend? 

spring shale

There's something special about casting on a new Brooklyn Tweed pattern, wouldn't you agree? They're well-constructed, thoughtfully written, and beautifully presented. For me, these details quietly elevate the already enjoyable experience of knitting. When my co-worker asked if I would knit her expecting niece a baby blanket, I immediately knew that I wanted to cast on Jared's Shale Baby Blanket, with its sweet, feather-and-fan lace and eyelet cables. 

I was told that the baby's nursery was lavender, cream, and gray, so I picked this pale, dusty shade of soft purple to pair with the pattern. The yarn is Knit Pick's Brava Worsted in Seraphim. Now, I'm a firm believer that all babies should be exposed to wool early on, but when I think back to when I was a brand-new momma, I certainly didn't have time to delicately hand wash and block wool baby blankets. The reality of those early (reflux-heavy) baby days, was that I needed something that could be easily thrown into the washer and dryer, so that I could get it back into rotation as quickly as possible. 

I started the project on bamboo needles, but the blunt tips and grip of the bamboo made it difficult to knit some of the large decreases. I switched to lace-tip stainless steel needles, which has made all the difference--especially when you have to ssssk and k4tog! 

This pattern is quickly memorized--after the first four row repeat, I was good to go. So even though it looks complicated, it's quite a simple and relaxing knit. The vintage pattern, combined with the old-fashioned lavender yarn (which, in case you haven't heard, is apparently getting ready to dethrone millennial pink), makes this piece feel like an instant modern heirloom. 

the pondhopper hat

I was pretty excited to be a part of Alicia Plummer's test knit team for her latest hat pattern, Pondhopper! This was such a quick and fun knit--perfect for those last-minute holiday gifts. The combination of cables, ribbing, stockinette, and purling added just enough variety to keep things interesting for easy, evening knitting, and resulted in a rustic, woodsy-looking hat that's perfect for walks in the woods: 

The yarn is Swan's Island Organic Washable Merino DK in the (perfectly named) Eucalyptus colorway. It's crazy soft and beautifully variegated. I ordered three skeins directly from the Swan's Island website and three different dye-lots arrived in the mail. While normally this would incite panic, I decided to just roll with it. I selected the two that were the most similar in color and alternated skeins every row, carrying the strands along the back of the piece to minimize any pooling or striping in the finished knit.

Alicia's instructions were very clear--she wanted us to "...attach the biggest pom pom you can find!" to our hats, so I whipped out my Clover pom pom maker and made this fatty:

What's great about this hat is that it's the perfect knit for beginners looking to add some new skills to their repertoire. There's a little bit of everything here, and Alicia's instructions and chart make it very easy to follow along. In case you're wondering, here's a peak at the brim, unfolded:

I'm thinking of sewing the edge of the brim to the inside of the hat so that I don't have to worry about keeping it straight, and so that you see more of the hat pattern...I'm pretty sure that's how Alicia styled it in her photoshoot. Pre-blocking, I was a little scared that the hat was too small for my head, but after a nice long lavender bath, the yarn bloomed gorgeously and fits just right. I'd really, really love to knit a cardigan out of this yarn one day...

This was a fun little project and I'm glad to finally be able to share it with you! You can grab your copy of the Pondhopper Hat pattern on Ravelry for $4. Be sure to join the Pondhopper knitalong and be on the lookout for the matching fingerless mitts pattern, too! Have a great week!

Project details on Ravelry

creamy whites

It seems as if I've been gravitating towards knitting in pale, creamy neutrals lately...there's something about this soft, vanilla ice-cream hue that has an amazingly calming effect after the long, frenetic days at work. Depending on my mood, I shift from the undemanding ease of the seed stitch on the Marian Cowl (top picture) to the more intricate cabled lace stitches on the Topiary Wrap (bottom). I reach for the first when my hands need to be occupied, the latter when I want to refocus my brain on non-work things. 

Whichever project I choose, the minute the needles start to click, I feel completely calm and untroubled—as if all is right in the world. I bet this is true for most knitters.

Aside from the meditative powers of repeating rows and rows of stitches, it makes me happy to think about the recipient of each knitted piece. I'm sure one of my teenage nieces will claim the cowl, as they so often do with the knits they find around my house. The shawl is going to be a surprise gift for my mother-in-law. Sadly, she has a wool allergy, so this cotton-blend should feel nice and soft against her skin. 

Tell me—what types of projects do you drift towards at the end of a long day? 

Weekend #knitspiration

Hello, weekend! Do you ever have one of those work weeks where all of the small things keep piling on top of each other, keeping the real work from getting done? That's what this week felt like to me. Luckily, I have a rocking chair and knitting basket in my office, so I made a conscious effort to step away from the constant emails, office visits, and meetings and just sit and knit for half an hour each day. This mid-day fiber break really helped to clear my mind and refocus my energy, which definitely improved my afternoon productivity. I think I'll make this a daily practice...

What about you? What do you do during the week to stay sane?

To get you out of the workweek mindset, here's a little weekend #knitspiration:

No. 1 :: Twig and Horn Wood Yarn Bowls | These Maine-crafted yarn bowls are perfect for keeping your precious balls of wool from rolling off of rickety lakeside docks this summer. Available in Maple and Red Oak. 

No. 2 :: Purl Soho's Close Knit Washcloths | This is the perfect sitting-by-the-bonfire knitting pattern. Knit in Purl Soho's newest yarn, Cotton Pure, an unmercerized Pima cotton that comes in 43 gorgeous colors. Their carefully-curated yarn bundles provide enough yardage for nine washcloths! Bonus: you'll have something to wash your face with before tucking yourself into bed!

No. 3 :: Bailey Island Mitts Pattern by Kirsten Kapur | Knit with Swans Island light fingering-weight merino on teeny-tiny size 2 double pointed needles, these cabled beauties will be a welcome treat once the cool autumn days finally arrive...

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!   

p.s. Here's a New York Times article on the health benefits of knitting. 

Weekend #knitspiration

What's everyone up to this weekend? The hubby and I just got back from a nice long vacation not too long ago, so we're looking forward to spending a couple of nice, quiet weekends at home. I'm going to block my two hats and get back to work on my Topiary wrap. What about you? What's on your needles?

Here are a few things to get your weekend #knitspiration started:

No. 1 :: Never Not Knitting's Botanical Gift Set | A gorgeous kit of notions, including acorn snips and the cutest little pinecone stitch markers! Comes with a signed book of your choice. 

No. 2 :: Quince & Co. Kestrel Yarn in Urchin | There's something about this time of year that makes me want to reach for light, drapey linen, and this Urchin color way reminds me of the ocean. 

No. 3 :: Nouri Sweater Pattern | Pom Pom Quarterly, Issue 17: Summer 2016 was recently released, and Carol Feller's Nouri sweater looks like the perfect cover-up for nights spent near the water.

Hope you have a good one!