FO: Flutter

After sitting out a spell, I returned my attention to Flutter this weekend. After all the cotton and synthetic, though soft, this blend of alpaca and silk was like magic through the fingers! I couldn’t put it down.

Flutter by Miriam Felton

Capistrano Fiber Arts handdyed 70% baby alpaca/30% silk 2-ply in ‘Peacock’, 280 yds (80 g)

US6

Size: 6 inches by 4 feet

Mods: To accommodate reduced yardage and heavier weight yarn, reduced cast on by one repeat of lace column, did 30 repeats of pattern in each half (instead of 50), and did not knit last 2 rows of last chart before bind off.

It’s just long enough to knot around the neck for light warmth. And it is heaven against the neck. I’m really glad I matched this yarn to this pattern. I love the color, drape, and feel, and I think the very slight tonal variegation keeps the color from being overpowering.

I think this is a genius pattern, so beautiful in its simplicity. It makes the most of simple geometric shapes without being either too angular or boring. I can’t say I’m a big lace shawl gal, but the ones I do want to make are almost all Mim’s patterns.

Christmas in July August

This weekend I also made a small start on holiday prezzies. Partly so that I don’t have to rush later. But also because I am stymied about what projects for me I want to cast on next. I had some picked out, yarn in bags and everything, earlier in the summer, but now I am thinking of other things.

First up is a Quinn bag in taupe Cotton Ease:

This is a lovely and clever pattern from Cogknition, a very detailed, 9-page pattern. The first step is a “loop” from which the body of the bag is picked up perpendicular to the loop and knit down in the round.

The cables are provided both as charts and written directions, and every step is literally numbered from beginning to end. There is alot of cabling going on, but there are not difficult cables. With the detailed directions and clear charts, I would feel fine suggesting this as a pattern for a knitter brand new to cables. And cabling without a cable needle is a real time-saver if you can swing it!

The only drawback for me is that working this up in cotton, and in a slightly tighter gauge as recommended, is a hand workout and a half. On retrospect, it’s extra good I started this early, as it will allow be to work on it in occasional bursts between other projects.

“New York, New York” (sung as only SInatra could)

Another aspect to complicate my knitting plans is that I will be visiting New York at the end of the month! I’m so excited. I haven’t been for a long time. A total of 6 days, including travel. N was hired for a job, which was then scheduled right over my birthday. So, he said, “why don’t you come with?” Why not, indeed. The company that hired him we know personally as well, and they have wives/children/significant others tag along on shoots here and there. They and the producer said it was fine, so all I had to pick up was a plane ticket!

So N will be working part of each day, and I will therefore be out and about on my own a good chunk of the time. But we have a sublet on the Upper West Side, walking distance to Central Park, the Met and the Natural History Museum. And the first night he has to work, I am so going out and getting bagels in the morning! But so far, those are the only definite plans I have. N assures that we will do something special on my bday, I’d like to have a picnic lunch in Central Park, weather permitting. Nothing grandiose, just memorable.

But, for residents and those with intimate NY knowledge, any special places to visit? I would like to hit a yarn store or two. I’m a little familiar and feel perfectly comfortable getting around and doing stuff on my own. But overall, I don’t plan to do much shopping, yarn or otherwise. To be frank, there’s relatively little I can get there that I can’t get here. I want to experience the feel of the place, the culture, the architecture, the people. Good food. I may go to Ground Zero, if I feel I can do so without getting verklempt. I may go anyway.

And, what to knit? I am perplexed. It will be hot, muggy and potentially even rainy. Unpredictable at least. Nothing too woolly or sticky then. I will be walking and/or on the go alot, so nothing heavy. But nothing too complex either. And I’m not feeling the sock love, which would normally be the answer.

Any thoughts on any of the above are very welcome!