… also the title of Chapter 2 in “The Country Kitchen“, 1935 by Della T. Lutes. Here on Day 3 of an Arctic Air Mass, I have to agree with Della:
“As the days begin to lengthen, then the cold begins to strengthen.” That was in the almanac. We stay closely housed. There is little to be done outside except chores…
‘Closely housed’ in this context is not a bad thing. For there are knits & spins to speak of!
A Lace-weight Mountain Climbed
The Laar cardigan pattern by Gudrun Johnston was love at first sight. It’s beautiful, and like any of Gudrun’s other designs is very, very well written.
Knit in Fantastic Knitting Zephyr, I used US #0/ 2.0 mm needles to get gauge. I tackled this project on & off for just over a year.
This was a tough knit in that it tested both skill and my personal endurance. The lower body’s miles of stockinette worked flat & fine nearly undid me.
What drew me on was knowing how much I would love wearing this. And I do! The side benefit? It’s charmed the commercial socks off each non-knitter that has seen me flaunting it.
A Sock-weight Mountain Climbed
… or how a good book can avert a knitting crisis.
The pattern is Wendy D. Johnson’s Bavarian Cable Socks. I cast on in June last year with really nice Indigodragonfly SW merino yarn. Using an improvised cable needle (i.e. broken DPN) for each twisted-stitch row was not fun.
By September, I was flat-out frustrated. “Twisted Stitch Knitting: Traditional Patterns & Garments from the Styrian Enns Valley” by Maria Erlbacher is what rescued me.
I gladly ditched the extra needle, and found a version of the motif charted & named the “Small Chain, #1” Kleines Ketterl.
Thanks to plane knitting (plus), I have a great new pair of textured socks.
Sweaters in Progress
Sleeves! They are giving problems! This is my Beach House Pullover by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark. I love knitting it. Just not the sleeves.
In early December when I had no business casting on for a sweater, I did.
Sweet Georgia SW Worsted, Botanical
The yarn made me do it! Can you blame me?
It’s Amy Swenson’s “Mr. Bluejeans Cardigan” for Knitty’s Deep Fall, 2012. And yes, I bought the yarn on impulse. From the beautiful new Toronto yarn store, Ewe Knit.
Remember Toby? He likes my CVM wool sweater project.
A super-springy swatch tells me that this is not as crazy-pants as you think right now… Tools of the trade = 2 Andean, and 2 Tabachek drop spindles.
Hey, there’s no rush – next year will have winter too, right?!?