Knit-In: Feb. 7 at Main St Art in Newfields, NH

If you're in the Seacoast of New Hampshire (USA) during the first week of February, there are two yarn-y events you might enjoy!

First, from Main Street Art in Newfields, NH:

Knit for a cause! Please join us at Main Street Art as we knit warm hats and mittens for the residents of New Horizons, a homeless shelter, soup kitchen and food pantry located in Manchester, New Hampshire.

When: Tuesday, February 7TH from 8AM -8PM

Where: Main Street Art

75 Main Street, Newfields, New Hampshire, USA

What: Patterns and yarn will be provided. (Optional-Bring your own yarn stash to share or trade.)

Bring: Your own knitting needles and nimble fingers! (Size 7 needles or whatever you like with worsted weight yarn)

On any given day in New Hampshire, there are 2,248 people who are homeless. -NH Coalition to End Homelessness

I plan to be there for part of the afternoon and hopefully evening. I have no idea if I can knit a hat in a day, but I'll try!!!! Let me know if you plan to be there too!!

Another local event of interest to knitters and weavers:
Fuzz Fest on Feb. 4 in Exeter, NH

I'll try to pop in there too!!! Last year there was some local angora yarn that was so gorgeous. It's still tempting me!!

Sunday Shot of Color

On a cold day like today, I'll take warmth wherever I find it!



Stay warm!

Diagonal Scarf

My backup knitting project for the last few years (gasp!) has been this multi-directional diagonal scarf.


What I liked about this project:

• Easy, but still interesting
• Fun to see how the two variegated yarns I used interact
• The scarf is noticeably different from other things I've knit

What I learned from this project:

• When my intuition says "you don't have enough yarn", it's usually right!

What I'd do differently next time:

• Have enough yarn to begin with!!
  

Yarn: Classic Elite Desert and Regia 4 ply
Pattern: Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf
Needles: Size 7
Amount of yarn: 2 skeins Desert and less than 1 of Regia

Finishing: Wash for 3 minutes in warm water with Woolite. Dry flat.

Finished size: 6.25 x 63 inches

Pattern modifications: Cast on 63 stitches

I haven't decided yet whether to keep this scarf, or give it as a gift. Maybe it will head to my gift bin for a while.

Or maybe, since we finally have snow on the ground, and sleet still falling, I'll bundle up in this scarf next time I go out!

Related posts:
On Ravelry
Getting started (in March 2009)
Out of yarn!
Yarn Shopping
Unraveling this scarf
Starting over

Finished Cowl

Very soft, very cushy, very warm.

Notice how the wrong side of the cowl looks like large sections of knit woven together.


I finally finished my first cowl. I do have a fleece cowl that I use a lot in the woods when it's really cold. This knitted cowl will be prettier and could be worn around town.


Quick to knit, but I couldn't knit this while chatting. I don't know if other people count lace in a different way than I do, but I was counting in my head....and definitely got confused if I stopped mid-row.



Needles: US 8 wooden double-pointed needles
Yarn: 1.5 oz (.85 of a skein) of Princess by Classic Elite
40% merino, 28% viscose, 10% cashmere, 15% nylon, 7% angora
Color 3432
Pattern: Lush-ious Swirl Cowl by Linda Frydl

We're having an unusually warm winter so far, so I've barely had the chance to use my new cowl. I'll bet I'll get a chance to use it soon though!

Related posts:
Starting this cowl
On ravelry

Yule Log Cake

I know on the day after New Year's, when everyone is trying to be healthy, the last thing you all want to see is a giant chocolate cake! I'm sorry!!!

At Christmas, for the first time ever, I made a chocolate Yule log cake. I had to save a picture of it here so I can find it again another year.


Meringue mushrooms are surprisingly tasty!! (The cake is delicious too....although I'm in more of a salad mood today!)

The recipe (a giant tutorial from King Arthur Flour) is here.

I hope your holidays were wonderful and that 2012 brings so much light, laughter and love into our lives!

Happy New Year!!!

Meg at Unravelling has a New Year's tradition of posting photos of her looms to get the year off to a good start.....plus inviting weavers around the world to join her.


So here's my Toika, poised for me to get these towels woven!!


My baby wolf (temporarily naked) has been pushed aside so that we can try to snap a quick photo of a fox that has been frequenting our yard.

Don't worry....the loom will win out in 2012!!!

Wishing you all the 2012 of your dreams!! Happy New Year!