I knit, sometimes I spin, and I blog about it all here.

First of a few gift projects I have planned. I love Myrna Stahman’s book Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves

This is called “The Peter” seaman’s scarf. I think it’s a bit too pretty for someone by that name, but whatever.

It’s a perfect mix of cable and lace knitting.  The neck part is a 4 x 4 rib that scrunches up to fit nicely around the back of a neck.

The Particulars…

• Yarn: Cascade Lana D’Oro – superfine alpaca and wool – approximately 230 yards.
• Needles: Size 7
• Gauge: In the neighborhood of 5 sts per inch.
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She’s finished and delivered, and her owner loves her.  I was rather surprised at how much length this sweater gained with wet blocking!  Before I washed and blocked it – it looked like this: 

And afterward, it looked like the finished picture above.

I didn’t have any new buttons, so I scrounged around in my great grandmother’s button box and found three big ol’ funky buttons to put on it. I told her it was fine if she wanted to go find some to replace them with, but I think she kind of liked them. They actually looked better being worn by a real human than they did on the dressform here.  I wish I had thought to take a picture of her wearing it – it looks great on her.  Always a relief.

I could not believe how much it grew in length though with washing!  I knew it would gain some length, but it lengthened by at least four and maybe six inches.  (Don’t know why I did not think to measure it…)

So, now my little lap warmer is finished and gone and I need to start the next project.  I want a pair of felted clogs for me – since the ones I made for me I accidentally felted them too much and they were too small for me, so they got gifted to a friend.  Just not sure I’m in the mood to knit clogs right now.  I hate when I get to the end of a project and do not have the next project decided upon.   I might just make a pair of socks while I decide what to do next.

We’re getting there.  I think I’m about ready to put the bottom band on it now.  May add one or two more repeats of the lace…or not.  It’s always a bit of a guess to judge how much it will gain with blocking.  This sweater is so fun to make.  There’s no fussing with piecing – the only sewing you do is the buttons and any ends that need weaving in – which with wool it’s possible to have maybe TWO to weave in (the beginning and end tails) – and all the rest you just “spit splice” in.

It’s been a busy month so my chair time has been limited, but I have been trying to get at least some done on it every day.  Sometimes it’s only a couple of rows, sometimes more.  I seem to end up taking a break from work around 2:00 in the afternoon these days, and it’s becoming routine to sit down, turn on the Rachael Ray Show, and pick up the February Lady Sweater and knit.  After that I’m ready to get back in there and get back to work.  I think I’m going to miss having this project waiting for me at 2:00 every afternoon.  It’s one of those knits that does not require you to keep checking the pattern or counting.  You just sit and knit.  Very “meditative” type knitting.

Weatherwise – I think the curtains have finally parted on Spring.  We had a little storm scoot through this past weekend.  Boy was it a good one too.  LOTS of rain and more snow for the Sierra, but only for a day or two.  I dumped almost 2 inches of rain out of my gauge after it all stopped.  Now – the birds are singing, the humming birds are buzzing (and fighting over the feeders) and everything’s just blooming away.  Time for the gardens to dig in and start growing.

So far – I haven’t planted anything new.  My herb garden from last year is still thriving in the pots I planted them in, so I’m happy with that even if we don’t get around to doing anything else.  I have mixed feelings about it since it’s always just a matter of time before the deer come in and help themselves to all of my hard work.  We may try for a tomato plant and maybe a squash plant in the back (fenced) yard, and call it good with that.  The rest of my efforts will be nurturing the herbs and butterfly bushes to survive in the wild out front.  So far, the deer around here do not enjoy eating herbs, so I try to camo my butterfly bushes with large bunches of parsley growing alongside.  I have one rosebush they can’t reach all the way to the top of – since it’s maybe 8 feet high.  They regularly prune the bottom of it for me.

I enjoy knitting this pattern. I’ve made it a few times as a baby sweater, and once as a sweater for me.  It’s one of those completely relaxing knits  that lends itself to a variety of different yarns.

It makes me smile at EZ’s genius as I knit not only a sweater that’s fun to wear, but fun to knit.  Of course, it’s been “unvented” (from the baby sweater of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac) by Pamela Wynne, into the adult version.

I’m using the same yarn for my friend as I did for mine – just a different colorway.  It’s Knitpicks “Andean Silk” and it’s wool, alpaca and silk.  Thanks to the alpaca content – it’s WARM so perfect for chilly winter nights…which you know…are now, what?  nine months away?   Ahem…  It’ll be “new” next winter this way.

The only complaint I have about this yarn is that it does tend to pill.  It’s still beautiful though, and my sweater doesn’t look all ratty from the pilling – just thought I’d mention it in case you’re considering a purchase.  If that bothers you – you may want to try a different yarn.   I warned my friend about it – but she did not mind the amount that was happening on my sweater, so she got this yarn for hers too.   I love the “drape” that alpaca gives this garment.