What ever happened to...

Last spring, when I was interviewed by Andrea for her Fruity Knitting Podcast, I indicated that I would soon be publishing my Fusion cardigan. 

I had the pattern all written up, and a version made up for myself,

but I was waiting for Isabel to come back home in the summer for photos. Then we put our house up for sale and I got bogged down with all the cleaning and house showings and more cleaning, and to make a long story short, I never did get those photos. Finally, I'm getting on with this project, but the publication will probably be closer to Xmas. You see, I'm knitting up a whole new colourway for Isabel, who is now back home and job hunting.

You'd be right if you think I can't seem to get enough of this terrific fairisle motif. The pattern is coming, I promise.
P.S. If you happen to be in the Portsmouth area of Kingston, be sure to swing by this knock-your-socks-off example of yarn bombing on the fence at the corner of Francis and Churchill.

Wow!

Red

I've always had a thing for red shoes. There's an old photo of me, age 3, in a photo album buried away in a trunk, wearing a smocked dress and red shoes. I look pretty pleased with myself. I still love red, especially at this time of the year as we count down the last month to the winter solstice.

The schoolhouse wall, as seen from the back of our house.

Crabapple tree a couple of weeks ago.

Procession entering Grant Halll at Queen's University last week during Convocation.

So yesterday evening I reached for a basket full of skeins from Philosopher's Wool. I had purchased the skeins as part of a kit at the last Rhinebeck Festival attended by Ann and Eugene and I had meant to make Ann's Kilim Jacket. Problem is, I've changed my mind since then. The Kilim is really too boxy and oversized for 2016. This, below, is more the silhouette I favour for this cardigan/jacket. (There might be a little disagreement with Isabel about the collar. She favours no collar, the better to wear with shirts/blouses with collars, while I prefer the face-framing character of a wide shawl collar.)

It's inspired by the shape of this, below, from Vogue, 2011. OK, the hair is a bit much, as it often is in Vogue Knitting, but I love the cardigan silhouette and also the styling, with the layered, but flowing, pieces.

So, now I'm playing...

P.S. That's actually red at the bottom of the swatch, even though here it's taken on a distinctly pink overtone. The camera lies. And now I need red even more, after this happened two days ago. Winter isn't just coming. It's here!

Yule

In advance of my workshops on the 19th of this month, I am releasing Yule, suitable as a first stranded knitting project.

Detail of corrugated ribbing.

Blocking on a dinner plate.

On the head (obviously!)

Here's what the pattern blurb says:

This easy tam was designed as a first project for students in my stranded knitting classes. The stitch pattern is adapted from the “Snowstar” mitten in Inger and Ingrid Gottfridsson’s delightful little gem, “The Mitten Book”, translated from the Swedish and first published by Lark Books in 1984.

The tam has a few rounds of corrugated ribbing, only one round with carries long enough to require weaving in, and no colourwork at all in the crown shaping. The colour changes are taken care of by the yarn, Noro’s Silk Garden. Be sure to select a solid background colour with a good degree of contrast. Choose a wool that is not superwash treated to allow the hat to be blocked into the classic tam shape. You can probably complete this project in a weekend, making it perfect for holiday gifting.

And it's free as of now on Ravelry here.