Wow I actually forgot to post about my white sweater. I showed it off all over Ravelry but then forgot to post here.
My top down white lace sweater is finished. I did a basic raglan and added a large lace panel from Knitting Lace by Susanne E. Lewis. Gauge was 4.5 stitches to the inch. It has some waist shaping to it, and I used Berroco Weekend, a 75/25% cotton/acrylic blend. The yarn was wonderful to work with, and I enjoyed knitting this. I think it took me only three weeks. I finished it Saturday before last.
I’ve worn it several times already. It’s the longest sweater I’ve knit, and the sleeves are 3/4 length. It’s a very useful addition to my wardrobe.
After being without a land-line and internet since Saturday, we’re finally back up and running. Believe it or not, I did NOT get the DTs while being Internet Free. I listend to my audio books and knit on my sweaters.
I’ve begun a new sweater now, it’ll be short sleeves with some lace down the front, sleeves, and back. I’m using some of my Samite sock in a soft turquoise color. I love working with the yarn, it has such a lovely sheen to it.
This afternoon I’ll take pictures of the white sweater and post it, finally. I’ll be wearing it today and I really like the way it turned out. It’s longer than my other sweaters which is really nice.
Felix, our huge, big hearted, noisy, talkative, active, old, black cat was put to sleep this morning. He’s been with us since 1996. He wrestled with our Great Dane puppy, Maggie (long since gone, Danes are short lived), and wrestled with Sophie as a puppy. Pretty much ignored Remi, and talked and talked and talked to everyone who would listen.
He was the noisiest cat we’ve ever had. He doesn’t appear to have a speck of Siamese in him, he just had a lot to say, and now he will be silent.
It’s going to be very quiet around here.
And no, I don’t want a kitten.
By the way, our phone line is down so until it’s fixed, my posting will be sporadic.
I am reading Charles Dicken’s letters. Quite a lot of his correspondence was saved and put into books in the 1800s. I found the letter collections on Manybooks.net and downloaded them. I also have letters from Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling. They are just fascinating to read.
Charles Dickens writes a lot to his illustrator telling him exactly what he wants the drawings of his books to look like. He writes a lot of the business of writing. One letter was a response to a fan from someone living by the Mississippi in America. It was a very heartfelt thank-you letter from author to fan. It was very touching. Apparently that letter was published in one of the perodicals that Edgar Allen Poe was editing at the time.
My Kindle has made a lot of obscure and fascinating reading much more easily available to me. I love it. I would not have found these letters outside of a university library, and there they are on Manybooks.net, a huge collection of them along with a novel called “Varney the Vampire”. I have not read it yet, but couldn’t resist downloading it. Gotta love a mid-18th Century vampire novel about a guy who hates what he is. Angel, much?
I hit a snag on the sleeves. I’m having trouble with the lace pattern in the round. I’ll figure it out eventually. It’s knitting, not rocket science. 
Here is the progress picture of my white cotton sweater. I finished the bottom edge last night. Today I’ll do a sleeve or two. I don’t think I can finish it today but I’ll make good progress. I’ll probably finish it this week sometime. Blocking it and waiting for it to dry is going to take a while. Cotton does not dry quickly and it’s as humid as a swamp around here right now.
I’m using Berroco Weekend, which is a 75/25% cotton/acrylic blend. It’s a very nice yarn and easy to knit. It also feels really good. Lighter than 100% cotton. I like the yarn a lot and will be using it again. I’m not a huge fan of cotton yarn in general, but this stuff is nice.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that my blog has changed a bit. Well I had to upgrade the theme and it re-set the banner to default. I need to figure out were my banner is and get it set back up again. Soon enough you’ll have the sunset picture back.
White!?!
I would show you a picture, but, well…
Would you believe I am knitting a white cotton sweater?!? Me, a dyer who loves her color, the more color the better, and I’m knitting a WHITE COTTON sweater!
Because I can’t find one to buy. I need a white cotton sweater for my summer wardrobe, and I couldn’d find a nice one anywhere at any store that looked good. So I stopped by L&B Yarns and bought some hanks of the new Berroco Weekend cotton/acrylic blend yarn. It feels very nice.
It’s going to be top down, 3/4 sleeve, with some lace detail on the sleeve end and bottom of the sweater. The rest will be simple stockinet. I can read and knit when it’s stockinet.
By the way, Michael’s first day on the job went fine. Yay!
New Yarn in the Shop!
Some recent dye batches!
Some new colors of Nimbus Cloud!
Colors are After Midnight, Cheery, Clementine, and Lilac Frost.
Also a batch of Hedonist Sock, which was used for Hunter’s pattern in my last message here.
Colors are Mahvelous Dahling, Rizzo, Hot Lips, Cote d’Azur, and Siren’s Song.
Available at Slackford Studio now!
Hunter Hammersen, a great sock designer, has designed a pair of socks using my Hedonist Sock yarn! The pattern is names Anemechory, and it’s available for sale starting today!
We are doing a give-away on Hunter’s website, Violently Domestic, as a promotion for the pattern! Go to her site to find out the details. Also for the month of June, use the coupon code “Hunter” to get 10% off of one entire order from Slackford Studio.
The colorway that Hunter used was Mahvelous Dahling! and I have several of that color in stock, plus more to dye if we need it.
Thank you, Hunter, for such a gorgeous sock pattern!
I paddled again at Lake Thunderbird this morning. I got onto the water at about 7:20 Am. I found a long finger at the north end of the lake that will probably turn into a stream. I wonder if it’s the outlet of the creek that I cross on the way to work every morning.
I paddled up this area and the water was as smooth as glass and the surroundings were beautiful and quiet. I passed a leatherback turtle sunning on a submerged log. There was also a heron who didn’t fly away until I was passing it. I want to go back to this area and paddle even farther up next time. I love paddling just as much as I thought I would.
All in all I was on the lake for about an hour. My arms felt the workout toward the end but I don’t think I’ll even be sore tomorrow. I hope not, I have yarn to dye!
I need to get a water-proof instant digital camera of some sort. I don’t dare risk my nice 35mm digital in a kayak.
Sharon Bird of Anotherewe Knits has designed a pattern using Stalwart Sock! The pattern is called Hanging Diamonds and is available for $5 on Ravelry.
Sharon used the color Golden Sun and if any of you would like some of that color leave me a comment or use the “Contact Us” feature on the store site. I’ll be happy to dye up a batch.
I’ve purchased the pattern and there are four ways you can make the socks, two different ways for toe-up and two different ways for cuff down depending on how you arrange the charts. I’ll be digging into my own stash of Stalwart Sock and making a toe-up version here soon.
There are two more designers working on patterns for my yarns. One for Hedonist Sock and one for Stalwart again. I’ve also got a few half-baked sock patterns here at home too. Knitting your own design is fun, but writing a pattern is not easy. I admire anyone who puts themselves out there and gives us a beautiful design. Thank you Sharon!
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