FREE THE NEEDLES

Wow, it's been so long since I've posted that I forgot my password. I've had both kids home since the end of May, so we've been a bit busy. We've spent most of our time at a lake in northern Indiana, and it has been great. We've been with family and the kids have been able to play with cousins, so that has been good. However, today is a rainy day, which is not a good time at the lake to be stuck inside with all of us having cabin fever. I would be content to sit and knit all day, but alas and alack, my children actually want my attention. The noyve of them!

FREE THE NEEDLES
I have so many projects going, I've decided to have a little Free the Needles action.

Currently I am working on a cute little bag made of a thick variegated cotton by Lang called Filo Color. Best of all, I got it in the Clearance Sale Room at Mass Ave Knit Shop for just $4 each. Mine is a mix of orange, salmony pink, and white, and it is turning out nicely. Just need to finish the handles and sew them on. I saw it made on Knit One, Purl Two on DIY, but the directions on their website are scanty at best. They tell you what pieces to make, but not how to put it together, nor can you tell from their half a picture how to do it. I had to use my imagination on this, but it looks good. And here it is:



Also on the needles is a beautiful little scarf for my dear mother-in-law for her birthday next week. It is made of a lovely Koigu yarn, my first use of it, and it is, as they say, a true joy to work with. The pattern is from a book called Knit Ponchos, Wraps, and Scarves, by Jane Davis, though it is listed in searches as Knit Scarves & Shawls. Go figure. Anyway, the scarf has a lovely flared bottom on each end, to which I have added beads, another first for me. It will be off the needles soon, as her birthday is coming quickly. Here is one half. The other is hiding in the container.




I am also working on the last pattern section for a beautiful laceweight shawl from Meg Swansen's A Gathering of Lace book. This one is called the Shetland Tea Shawl, and is shown in red, though mine is being done in a cream colored Suri Alpaca from the Alpaca Yarn Co. It is so wonderful to work with that this will definitely not be my last rodeo with this yarn. It's a giant cobweb right now, and I can't wait to get it done and get it blocked.

When I am done, it should look something like this one I found on another blog by a girl named Sydney called As the Yarn Turns. Quite lovely, don't you think?