Winter Solstice Cashmere Cowl

Lobster Pot Cowl by Susan McCurdy

Yarn:  Lobster Pot Hand Dyed Cashmere
One Skein: Hydrange US Needle 8 

Winter Solstice Cowl

I wish you could squeeze this in your hands!  

I decided last minute that I wanted to knit something special for my sister out of Lobster Pot Hand Dyed Cashmere yarn.  It was too late to order and none to be found within a two hour drive so I frogged my cashmere hat I knit last winter.  I only wore my hat twice so after frogging a gentle steam and dry removed any kink.  

I knit this in two evenings and finished the morning of Solstice and it was ready for the trip to Vermont with Christmas crackers and Lake Champlain chocolates. 

 I love this yarn.  The color is beautiful and the seed stitch in the pattern makes the neck warmer cushion-like.  

I knit this one years ago (2006) and I see my knitting has improved!  

...Happy Trails.... 

Swan's Island Côte-Nord Cap and Fingerless Mitts

Cursed Co-worker or Cursed Knitted Gifts?

Yarn: Swan's Island Natural Colors
Cap Pattern:  Côte-Nord Cap by Amy Christoffers
Free Fingerless Gloves Pattern:  Maize (with modifications)


I knit this gift-set for a co-worker to give to his girlfriend for Christmas. I took no money for the yarn or time; that was my gift to him.  Good Karma, right?

Sadly, I learned she accepted her lovely cap and no gap at the thumb gusset mitts knit in lovely 100% organic wool and then DUMPED him!  I have heard of the sweater curse and I wonder if that curse split and formed a new unforgivable and not yet identified curse.

Perhaps it is my co-worker who is cursed and not my lovely knitted hat and gloves.  I know this:  I would not want her karma.


Notes:  The Swan's Island Company yarn used for is 100% organic merino.  It knit up with a soft hand and the color “Glacier” is a lovely shade of blue!!! The fabric is light but very warm.  It took less than one skein for my hat and with just enough yarn to knit a simple pair of hand-warmers to go with.  For the mitts I used Maize making a few modifications as I knit.   The stitches in the hat and gloves relaxed during a short soak and looked flawless after they dried.

...Happy Trails....

Swans Island Côte-Nord Cap and Fingerless Mitts

Cursed Co-worker or Cursed Girlfriend Gift?

Yarn: Swan's Island Natural Colors
Cap Pattern:  Côte-Nord Cap by Amy Christoffers
Free Fingerless Gloves Pattern:  Maize (with modifications)


I knit this gift-set for a co-worker to give to his girlfriend for Christmas. I took no money for the yarn or the time it took to knit; that was my gift to him.  Good Karma, right?

Sadly, I learned she accepted her lovely cap and no gap at the thumb gusset mitts knit in lovely 100% organic wool and then DUMPED him!  I have heard of the sweater curse and I wonder if that curse split and formed a new unforgivable and yet to be identified curse.

Perhaps my co-worker is cursed and not my lovely gift set.  I know this:  I would not want her karma.

Notes:  The Swan's Island Company yarn used for is 100% organic merino.  It knit up with a soft hand and the color “Glacier” is a lovely shade of blue!!! The fabric is light but very warm.  It took less than one skein for the hat.

I had just enough yarn left to knit a simple pair of hand-warmers to go with.  I used a free pattern, Maize but made a few modifications as I knit.

The stitches in the hat and gloves relaxed during a short soak and the cap looked flawless and the mitts near-flawless after they dried.

...Happy Trails....

Kiddo's Techno Cowl

Shawl Collar Cowl by Purl Soho 

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Techno 

1 Skein Red, 1 Skein Purple  

Needle US 9 and 10 

 Knitting Notes: I frogged a lot of rows! So, I had to knit this when there were no distractions and never after midnight! I had 16 rows left to knit on main color (purple) and the fabric stretched 4”. My swatch was spot on for recommended needle size but I stopped knitting this piece. I picked up the second skein, cast on and continued the front side on US 10.  Beautiful!      

I was half way through the lining (red) when I took a good look at the edges. They were not uniform. I frogged it all. Now that it is done I realize what I didn’t like is the nature of the yarn: thick and thin which makes uneven stitches.  Someday I will laugh about it. I might have given up on this had it not been for ENTANGLED!

My daughter didn’t like the top square edges - she thought it was rounded (“Peter Pan”-like collar). She didn’t like the main color (purple) peeking through the red where I seamed the two pieces together either.  

 I wrote instructions down line by line and used an erasable highlighter to help me keep my place. Using a US 10 on the purple and a US 9 on the red the two pieces fit together perfectly.

I do not like the dip on each side of the front where the 3 needle bind off starts and stops so I spent a lot of time weaving in those ends to minimize them.

I used very little of the second skein of purple and will knit fingerless gloves to go with.  I might order a second skein of the red and line the hand warmers.


 I love the the red lining with the purple!!! This is very light weight but dense!! It is cushy and cozy. I hope I will get photos of daughter-who-doesn’t-knit wearing it. Techno Cowl for the techie.

My daughter didn’t like the top square edges - she thought it was rounded (“Peter Pan”-like collar). She didn’t like the main color (purple) peeking through the red where I seamed the two pieces together either.  

The funny thing is:  the feel and fit was more to her liking wearing it inside out.  It actually looked nice that way too!  I will not give up trying to get a picture of her wearing it right and wrong side out.  It is pretty both ways!

...Happy Trails....

Long Hair Today Gone Today

Since my first pixie cut at a young age I have always preferred to wear my hair long.  For years my daughters have been after me to get it cut.  My hair was so long I could sit on it.  It got in the way! I never made it in for all those trims.  It was getting put in a sloppy French braid or wound up into a hair clip every day.

On a perfect day at the ocean on the beach and my first day of vacation I was nagged one time too many to get it cut.

I said "Okay! You want my hair cut?  You can call Euphoria and make an appointment for today."  The reply was no with a lecture that it's my hair and I could make my own damn appointment!   I found enough gumption to make the call.  I explained I had long hair and would be donating a minimum on 12 inches.  I had a 6:30 appointment!

The rest of my beach day was tainted with the appointment always in the front of my mind. I knew a cut was over due but while I walked past Euphoria many times over the years I had never gone in! Butterflies in stomach we went in at 6:25 p.m.   I waited .... and finally at 7:15 was in the chair!

I was very well taken care of!  I was delighted with the result! I am happy to have some locks to donate!  My granddaughter held my hand on the first cut and during the blow dry she said "Oh Nanny! Your hair is so beautiful"!  

Evaluating

1st Trim & Dividing 

First cut!

Another 3" or so to even up the ends!

I love the new length.
My hair is thick from top to bottom now.
 I have a cute 60s flip at the ends (when I want!)

My daughter said I should have had more cut.   I think 15" is enough for now.






...Happy Trails....

Keg's Kelly Cardigan

Pattern:  Kelly Cardigan by Erika Knight
Yarn:  Madil Yarns Kid Seta
7 Skeins of 462 Robin's Egg Blue

I started this cardigan in 2008 and finished it in 2014.  All the pieces knit up fast until I got to the shoulder sections.  The stair step decreases left ugly holes and I had no patience or understanding of short rows.  I put the shoulder sections on stitch holders and packed it all away.

Then I came across a Purl Bee tutorial on short rows and a Purl Hunter video on wrap and turn. After some practice I finished the shoulders  and the seaming.

I knit the smallest size: 34 and it is one size too large for me and two sizes too large for the model. The pattern is designed to be a cropped cardigan but I added a few rows to the length of the body and sleeves.  

  Unstretched and without snaps.

Daughter-who-knits modelled this at the beach in 80 degree temps! 

What a good daughter.

...Happy Trails....