Saturday Sky: My Favorite Mermaid

Thanks for all the compliments on the Brook Trail scarf! You are all very kind. At the moment I have several gift-knitting projects underway — only 86 knitting days until Christmas! — so I have no knitting to show you. That may change soon, given my current raging case of startitis. Gift knitting always seems to have this effect on me; I know I'm not alone, but I wonder how much company I have. When you're working diligently on duty/gift/deadline knitting, do you experience a nearly uncontrollable urge to start something fun/frivolous/just for you?

Reveal

Way back when, I started a scarf for Red Scarf (this was last year's Red Scarf, you understand) and then couldn't send it because I had submitted the pattern for publication. It wasn't accepted, and I was dithering about what to do next: submit it elsewhere? sell the pattern myself? when Norma made her plea for quality over quantity.

And that decided me: I am giving the scarf to Red Scarf, and I am sharing the pattern with you. It's called Brook Trail, and it's in the sidebar.

Of all my knitting designs, I'm proudest of this one. I owe Kate a huge curtsey for showing me a third way of reversible cabling, but the pattern is all mine, and every time I look at the scarf I'm still amazed that I came up with it. (And there are more where it came from.) I'm really happy to share the pattern, but it'll hurt a bit to let the scarf go.

Which is as it should be.

Saturday Sky: All Over the Map

I have way too much catching up to do, as usual. Be assured that knitting has been happening, but the vaguely interesting things remain under wraps, and the boring things are, well, boring. So, to distract you, I'm whisking you off on a grand tour.

We begin in sunny Mexico, which, as you may recall, we visited for the first time early this summer to go to our ex-babysitter's wedding and also do the touristy thing.


Our first touristy thing was to go out to dinner with the bridal party the day after the wedding. I took this picture from the balcony of the restaurant. It doesn't look real, does it? It is, though.


For the actual wedding, of course I had camnesia, but the bride and a couple of guests were kind enough to share some pictures with me.


Miss B cut quite a rug with her dad, but it turned out that she was just waiting for the party to heat up...


...to totally bust a move.

All those beautiful women knew lots of different line dances that Grant and I couldn't fathom; we stuck to the two-step. Miss B, however, caught right on, and on, and on, until about 1:30 am. The kid doesn't get her dancing mojo from me, that's for sure.


The party animal was in her element.


Moving right along, the lovely but blogless Sarah from British Columbia was my Sockapalooza 4 socknitter. Sarah, I can't thank you enough! The socks are gorgeous, my colors, and a perfect fit.

Much closer to home, there is great rejoicing as we welcome a new knitter.


She's a little worn out by all the excitement...


...but keeping an eye on the situation.

(Visible in the first baby picture is a red scarf in progress. It's a combination of 2x2 and 3x3 rib. A pedestrian pattern, don't say I didn't warn you, but I'm finding it a very peaceful knit.)

Saturday Sky: Try to Remember

In one of my sporadic attempts to become more organized as the season prepares to change and a new school year rears its head (yes!! scrounging for babysitters can wait until Christmas vacation, as I already have a teenager booked for Tuesday), I alphabetized my knitting books. Ruth wanted to know if I also subcategorized them by lace, cables, stitch dictionaries, and so on. Come on, Ruth, I don't have that many, only 50 or so. (In case you're wondering, no, that doesn't count spinning, weaving or dyeing books.)

My head may be gearing up for the fall routine, but my heart is still back in Rangeley.




Grant laughs at my endless fascination with the dance of sky and water; there are literally hundreds more pictures where these came from. Really, though, can you blame me?

Coming soon: a post with actual knitting content.