block 'n tackle knitting

 I squeaked in one more summer knit before the rains started. I think it looks great on my sweetie!

This was a quick and delightful knit in two colours of mohair yarn, one with a sparkly accent. It's squooshy and warm, and to knit it up quickly, I used an old shale lace pattern only at the ends (about 10 repeats on each end) and stuck to garter stitch in the midsection.  Colour blend section made by alternating two rows of each colour, back and forth in garter stitch. The whole scarf is fairly short, but warm and fluffy and easy to tie or wear loosely around the neck.

We've spent two weeks moving to a new place -- packing, painting, unpacking.... I haven't found all my knitting supplies yet, but I was itching to get at my needles, so I made this sock -- mostly by memory, which was pretty cool! It's a bit bunchy and the lace looks a little weird, but I'm satisfied for now. And I have enough yarn for a second one, whew.

One more triangular shawl in blues and greys, with a bit of lace trim. It looks good on both sides too.

I'm done that hat, and while it doesn't look exactly like the one in the shop, it's pretty nifty. I'm happy with the results of combining the classic feather and fan lace pattern with heavy worsted yarns and knitting it in the round. Now I want to try this one with different yarn, and maybe a pom pom? :)

I just happened to see a feather-and-fan patterned cap while strolling through the mall on my way to work the other day and felt a sudden urge. 

I like sturdy rubber boots for west coast rainy winters. I buy mine in the boys' section, usually. But I also like to wear them with skirts and tights -- so I need pretty boot cuffs! These knit up in an afternoon. Enjoy! I used acrylic yarn for these, and they didn't even take 1 ball. Use up scraps, change colours, bust your stash and fill yer boots! Wet Coast Boot Cuff pattern: Worsted weight yarn (wool, wool-blend or acrylic) 4.5 mm (US 7) dpns (can use a small circular needle for most of this, but after you reduce it can be a bit tight, so I prefer dpns) One size fits all (women). CO 54 stitches on dpns or circular needle and join to work in rounds, being careful not to twist stitches. Place marker if desired, so you remember where your rounds start. Knit about 5 cm (2 in) in 1x1 k/p rib pattern (k1, p1). Next, knit one round straight (no purling). Start eyelet lace rounds: Row 1: On next round, *k2tog, yo* and repeat until the end of the round. Row...

Here it is all blocked! This was such a satisfying knit, with just enough colour and pattern change to keep me curious.

The secret to this lace tablecloth is how simple it is: a large granny square crocheted with thin crocheting cotton, round and round until it's big enough for your table or dresser. Sweet.

This was super fun to knit in the Malabrigo worsted yarn I bought at Fibrations earlier this month. Better yet, the pattern was free on Ravelry! It's called Curlew , and it knit up very quickly, in a couple of days. I used the entire skein and a bit of a contrasting colour for the bottom lace section.

Garter stitch knit up surprisingly quickly with crochet cotton with this simple scarf. I bound off the length and picked up stitches at the end to create the vertical stripes.

Cowls are trendy! Oatmeal new wool cowl in an old shale lace pattern and cream alpaca cowl in stockinette and garter.  The oatmeal cowl was knit flat, then joined; the alpaca cowl was knit in the round. Here are two knitted cowls and one extra-long crocheted cowl for winter. I love that I don't have to worry about arranging dangling scarf ends -- yay, cowls! Crocheted flat with sock yarns, I had initially added a fringe intending this to be a scarf, but when I saw how beautifully it draped, I decided to join it in a loop and make a big cowl.

Mohair makes me happy, especially in the springtime.  This was quick to crochet, in a half-circle with shells to make it lacy yet warm.  This little scarflette is perfect to throw round my neck on a windy day at the beach.

Every spring I remember how lovely it is to work with and to wear laceweight mohair yarn.  I tend to find my yarn in thrift stores, so I end up with lollipop/rainbow colours, yay! Here are two shawls for spring.  The orange is a stole I mostly knit in loose garter stitch (BIG needles) and am now lengthening with a few rows of double-crochet in strawberry pink.  Yum.  Also, longer and cosier... The cucumber green shawl on the needles is going to be a triangular wrap, with eyelet lace, and probably trimmed in gold mohair crochet lace (I didn't show that yarn in the pic because the colours clashed).  I will be warm and light for the windy Victoria days and nights this summer (but must remember NOT to eat lollipops while wearing mohair haha).

I love the feather & fan lace pattern. I've decided I like the alternate name, "old shale", even better (because it makes me think of the Burgess Shale, and beautiful, fractal-like, ancient creatures?). At any rate, vintage colours and patterns are turning me on bigtime right now, so this stole is not only a way to use up scraps of stash, but a colour-homage to 1920s experimental, dramatic colourways... Sort of like something Glenda Jackson might have worn in Women In Love ..

Here's my first pair of lace socks (made with that lovely, buttery yellow marino wool I was given last year).  They were a birthday present for Eve.  She liked 'em!

I just found out my sister in Singapore received my gifties (mail can be slow, sigh) so here's what I made her: A light, lace cotton ascot (with a crocheted fringe): And a cotton, tunisian crocheted teatowel (I was practicing on this, and I really like how thick it turned out):

All done!  I just had to add the pink double crocheted border, 'cause I love doing that kind of thing.  (Deets here .)