Thread Theory

Elise's Sweater

Nothing like a new baby to get me knitting - this is for a client's baby girl. Her parents wanted to be surprised about their new addition's gender, but I just knew it would be a girl. OK, I took a gamble, and I had this really cute peach yarn... I think the green buttons look very smart.

Almost Done!

All this super soft fleece baby sweater needs is buttons and a few ends woven in. I better hurry - it's getting chilly in Maine, and the recipient is now 3 weeks old! Knit in "Fleece" from Knit One, Pearl Too. I have enough yarn left over to make a hat. But first I'm going to make buttons. Because I'm a crazy woman.

Finished - Super Soft Spiral Hat

There's nothing like the first hard frost to motivate me to knit hats!

This Spiral Hat is from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders. The Marci Blank hat in the book is knit in self-striping yarn, but I love how it looks (and feels!) in solid black Debby Bliss alpaca silk.

This pattern is quick and easy. The spiral is a cinch, and most of the hat is knit on 16-inch circular needles.

My model, aka daughter Harriet, took one look and said "Can I please have it?" 

  Here's a side view, which shows the spiral. One note: This is a "one-skein wonder" but it took one-and-a-half skeins of the alpaca silk, which has 65 m/50g per skein.

I love one-skein projects because they can help shrink the size of my yarn stash. (Not that this hat did that - I bought the yarn!) The knit and crochet projects in 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders, edited by Judith Durant and published by Storey Publishing, could keep anyone busy all winter. There are plenty of hats and scarves, but also egg cozy hats, shower soap holders, belts, a tie, a checkbook cover and other fun patterns that could result in some serious stash reduction.

Like Buttah

That's "Like Butter" for those of you that don't live in Maine. (And, no, I didn't grow up here, and I don't speak with a Downeast accent, but I like to say things like, "Like Buttah.")
This supersoft Manos Strata cotton yarn is courtesy of my One Skein secret pal. I've always been a fan of Manos wool (which is soft, too, but not nearly as snugly as this), but I had never had the pleasure of knitting with this lovely yarn. I have not decided what I'll do with it. I have a few babies to knit for, and it would be perfect for that - but I'm feeling kind of selfish and want to keep it. As I was watching it go through the ball-winder, various shades of pink and orange (the overcast Maine weather was not doing it justice in the photo shoot) were passing by - it's so pretty! Thanks, pal!

Missing a Threat

I am very sad to report the death of one of our beloved "Threats to the Thread."
Our dear friend Mr. Cat died this summer after his liver collapsed.
Harriet and I picked Mr. Cat up at the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook when both he and Harriet were 2 years old. I always liked to say he picked *us*. I'll never forget standing in the shelter's "cat room" wondering how on Earth I was supposed to select a cat from the hundreds that needed homes when a black cat came running down a ramp and meowed. The toddler in my arms leaned toward the cat, and the cat stretched over and licked her cheek. "We'll take that one!" I said, pointing at the black cat. He and Harriet grew up together, and I heard her call him her best friend many times.
He was kind of skinny when we got him, but he grew into a handsome, fat, squishy, lovable cat. He really disliked a certain standard poodle, but was very affectionate to everyone else and we forgave him his intense interest in our knitting projects.

SP 8 Pal Introduces Me to Lace!

My super SP8 pal is introducing me to lace knitting in more ways than one. I was speechless when I realized that what I though was a skein of mohair was actually a lace scarf! (Please excuse my beat up kitchen chair model - my daughter is still in bed and I don't dare get a poodle to model anything hand knit!)
My pal is quite an accomplished lace knitter. Check THIS close up out!

My pal, who it seems is a ballet-dancing mathematician from Wisconsin, also sent me some tips on taking up lace-knitting, and included some beautiful Koigu (Why have I never knit with Koigu?), patterns and some lovely sterling, freshwater pearl and Swaravski crystal stitch markers! So I am off!

Thanks again!

More SP8 Questions

The possibility of a prize lures me out...
1. What is your favorite season?
SPRING! (Or what passes for Spring in Maine, anyway…)
2. Where is or would be your favorite place in the world to take a vacation? I want to go to The Galapagos.
3. If you could have any job in the world and not worry about finances (everything would be taken care of), which means you'd be doing something you actually like, what would it be? Hmmmm, if I could blink and be handed the talent as well as the finances, I’d love to be a portrait painter. (I can barely doodle, so this is a Big fantasy!)
4. What is your favorite project to knit or crochet?
I love to knit baby sweaters because they are quick, but also because there is so much love and optimism involved.
5. What is your favorite food - whether it be a main dish, dessert, snack, whatever? Tomato sandwiches. One big slice of a fresh summer tomato between two slices of good bread, salt, pepper, a tiny bit of mayo – I’m happy!
6. What is your favorite way to relax and unwind? Need you ask? Knitting! (Reading a really good mystery is a close second.)

One Skein Spoiling

My Interweave Knits One Skein Secret Pal is going above and beyond the call of duty, sending me some very cool offerings from her travels. This cute knitter's pad arrived (it's usually on my fridge with a shopping list), accompanied by a very cool card, which I'm determined to turn into a pin.

THEN these knitting coasters, featuring skeins in some of my favorite colors arrived. THANKS!
Speaking of this pal, she's recovering today from foot surgery. Some people will do anything to come up with more knitting time...

I'm Spoiled!

I have been seriously spoiled this summer by two great Secret Pals. A box of incredible goodies arrived from my SP8 Pal. It was packed with stuff, including a skein of gorgeous Lorna's Lace, which I've always wanted to give a try... PLUS some beautiful soap her sister made (most of which has already been distributed in my bathrooms)... PLUS an enormous bar of chocolate (and yes, that wrapper in the photo is Empty!)... PLUS gardener's soap... PLUS kitty toys ... AND... the PIECES DE RESISTANCE - beautifully hand-knit, blue alpaca wristies for my long, skinny arms, which are always exposed in the cold weather. As you can see, they fit beautifully! Thanks, pal!

I'm quite impressed with your knitting, and those wristies give me a good reason to look forward to the cold weather. Plus they will leave my fingers free to knit. (I have a few secret projects going on, myself!)

NEXT, my One Skein Secret Pal sent me a beautiful skein of Peace Fleece.
(Big Coincidence: I sent my One Skein Secret Pal a Peace Fleece skein, too. She's already turned it into a gorgeous leaf-shaped cravat!) I love knitting with Peace Fleece; it feels great in your hands, it behaves itself, the colors are gorgeous, plus it's from Maine! This One Skein Pal has played some tricks on me, sending me packages from around the country (the pal gets around!). I will save her latest offerings for my next post. But I just love this blue and think it might make an asymmetrical cabled hat OR the cabled footies (for me, of course!) from the One Skein book. Thanks again!

Popsicles & Photos!

I finally have figured out how to get photos onto my blog again! (Actually, I am using a ridiculous workaround that involves e-mailing them to myself from one e-mail program to another program.... but HEY, whatever works!) We have just survived a heat wave - temps were well into the 90s for a few days running. This may seem like regular summer weather to some of you, but it's not really typical for Maine, so we don't bother with things like AC. So, here Harriet and her friend Sophie cool off with some Popsicles after a dip in our new above-ground pool, which has been a lifesaver.