Blue September
Thanks to everyone who has responded to the Knit Local idea. We’ve got a new group flourishing on Ravelry – invite yourself in if you’re interested! I envision it as a resource for crafters trying to find local producers, research the origins of various yarns, discuss local yarn substitutions for popular patterns, and spread the word about small companies they love, as well as a showcase of beautiful knits made from local materials. Perhaps it will spawn swaps as fiber enthusiasts from different regions exchange hard-to-find local gems.
While I’m dreaming about the directions Knit Local could take, I’ve also been knitting. I’m thisclose to finishing my Indigo Ripples skirt: only another ten inches of the (seemingly interminable) bind-off row remain, and the quest for a suitable drawstring, should I opt out of the five feet of i-cord.
I’ve got a cabled hat going for my brother’s belated birthday present, in a lovely alpaca grown in our hometown by a farmers’ collective called Honey Lane Farms. This stuff comes in 52 colors, and it’s soft as a baby’s bottom.
Speaking of babies, I’m bog-bog-bogging along on a Baby Bog Jacket for the little man across the street, whose first birthday is next week. I’ve passed the “thumb trick” arm divide and I’m getting ready to toss in a handful of shortrows and a measure of shoulder shaping. All that garter stitch makes good carpool knitting, now that school is back in session.
Oh, school. The year promises a steady rolling boil in all the pots on the stove, requiring precise timing and keen attention, but will be fulfilling if I can keep a cool head while coaxing all the projects to fruition. I haven’t even counted the minutiae I’m responsible for this year on top of the major publishing efforts; I’m just taking it as earning my stripes in this place where everyone gives all they’ve got for the kids and one another and the broader community.
Besides, the sun is out this week, and September in the Northwest, when it’s good, is very, very good indeed. All that blue knitting might reflect inaccurately on my mental state, so here’s a glimpse of what’s next:
I’m not going to blog it just yet because it’s a secret something for a special someone with an approaching birthday who sometimes reads here. But tune in on Ravelry to glimpse the pretty in the next couple of weeks.
Finally, thanks to everyone who’s written with kudos and excitement about my Footlights Cardigan. I’m loving the absinthe-green version just as much as the yellow one.
(Even if I did accidentally knit an extra repetition of the lace pattern on the second sleeve.)
Posted: September 4th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I’m feeling a bit blue today, and your post has made me very wistful. (Of course you should not think of this in a negative way.)
xox
Posted: September 4th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Knit Local is a wonderful idea. The two sweaters currently on my needles are both being knit from yarn made in a tiny, worker-owned mill in the South of New Zealand. While not so local to me, I couldn’t help buying a bunch of yarn there when I was on holiday because the story of the mill captivated me, and I really wanted to support their venture.
I’ll be sure to come on over and join the Ravelry group.
Posted: September 4th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
I love your green version of your Footlights Cardigan! Somehow this picture shows it at a different angle and that changes everything. OK, maybe not everything, but you know what I mean 😉
Posted: September 4th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Just joined Knit Local on Ravelry – hehe. Love, love, love the knitted hat you are making – so warm and fuzzy!
Warm fall days in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle for me) are indeed a treasure!
Posted: September 5th, 2008 at 3:30 am
Oooh, I love all these blues! That alpaca looks amazing.
I’m just catching up on all of my blog-reading, but I really like your Knit Local idea. I’m really excited about going to a local fiber festival in a few weeks, for the first time ever. I’m trying to stick to a “yarn diet”, but I think locally produced fiber is worthy of an exception, should I find something I like there. I’ll be joining the group over on Ravelry as soon as I finish writing this comment!
Posted: September 5th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Ooh, LOVE the footlights cardigan in green!! And what a pretty picture of you in it! Hope you’re enjoying the onset of fall up in your corner of the country!
Posted: September 5th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Thanks for the glimpse of your brother’s hat! That yarn is so lovely, I really might need to pick some up next time I’m at Weaving works.
Good luck with finding a balance of all of your projects. It’s a constant struggle, isn’t it? Hopefully, having the kids as inspiration will help.
Posted: September 5th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Thank you for the invite to Knit Local. I hope to post over there soon. I have a question for you all: can “local” also mean “small business?” We have a local yarn shop that specializes in stocking wool from small farms and businesses. Some of this wool might not be *that* local to us though…maybe a few states away? I hope that counts!
I just adore your cardigan. It looks perfect with that skirt.
Posted: September 6th, 2008 at 5:08 am
It is beginning to feel fall-ish in north Texas, too. [Of course, we really only have two seasons: summer and February.] We have had a lot of rain recently. Not the gully-washers we are used to, more like the gentle mists of the PNW. It’s made me homesick for my sister’s near Seattle.
Posted: September 6th, 2008 at 6:44 am
IS there no end to your talent!? I love, love, love both blue projects, but I’m a little partial to those colors. Who can blame me?
Posted: September 6th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
That blue house in the distance of your cardigan picture can*not* be a coincidence, right?! Everything’s beautiful – the pictures, the knitting, and the fit – it’s so flattering!
Enjoy the lovely weather – I have family in Portland, and I love visiting there this time of year – have come up for the annual juggling festival held at Reed in years past, and it’s always been a wonderful visit…
Posted: September 8th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Gosh that cardigan is just so lovely. It’s beautiful in both versions. Well done.
Loving the blue stuff. I think the mark of a great photo is one that makes you go…hmmm…I think would like to knit something in that colour myself!