Sylvi

I knit this coat for a friend who was moving internationally and needed a red coat where she landed. I've always wanted to knit this pattern, and it was a perfect opportunity!

A quick recommendation

So, I recently won a free copy of the YNAB (You Need a Budget) software as an attendee of one of their webinars. That was cool. What I thought was even cooler is that they offer the software for free to students--just thought some of you parents/students out there might like to know about that. This link will get you a discount for yourself, if you're at all interested.
http://ynab.refr.cc/CQRW5DP

And here is the link for college students .

The website has lots of educational and community forum support.  I think it's a pretty great way for a person to start out.

A Shawl for Tanya

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A Shawl for Tanya

I used 8 oz of Rainbow gradient mixed BFL/silk from Friends in Fiber

spun 2-ply about sportweight—total of about 705 yards

I knit on size 7 needles. The shawl measured 64” wide and 28” deep blocked out.
You will save yourself a lot of trouble if you weave in ends as you knit!

Order of the work.

·      Start with a First Motif. 

·      Build the second row by knitting a right side and a left side motif, picking up stitches from the First Motif. Weave in ends as you pick up stitches.

·      Build the third row by knitting a Right Side Motif, a Center Motif, and a Left Side Motif, picking up stitches from the motifs of row 2.

·      Continue working a Right Side Motif, then Center Motifs, then a Left Side Motif, until the piece is the size you want.

·      Work a row of half motifs, then finish with a band of garter stitch.

·      Block and wear.

Whole Motif:

[one motif requires 4 yards.]

First Motif: CO 22

Right Side Motif: CO 11, PU 11 from rightmost motif.

Center Motif: PU 22

Left Side Motif: PU 11 from leftmost motif, CO 11

1.     p2, k to last 2, p2

2.     knit

3.     purl

4.     k3, *k2tog* to last 3, k3

5.     purl

6.     k2,*k2tog* to last 2, k2

7.     purl

8.     k2, * k2tog * to last 1, end k1

9.     purl

10.  k1, k2tog twice, k1

11.  purl

12.  k1, k2tog, k1

13.  p3tog

14.  fasten off

Half Motif:

PU 22 stitches, in the same manner as for whole motifs.

1.     p2, k2tog, kto last 4, k2 tog, p2 (20)

2.     knit

3.     purl

4.     K2, k2tog to last 2, k2 (12)

5.     purl

6.     k2, k2tog, knit to last 4, k2tog, k2 (10)

7.     purl

Place remaining 10 stitches on  yarn to hold for finishing.

Garter Stitch Band: After working the row of half motifs:

1. pick up 3 from edge, 10 from yarn holder,*5 between motifs, 10 from yarn holder* across to end, then 3 from the edge.

2. k14, *k3tog, k12* across to last 14, k 14

3. knit 8 rows

4. bind off loosely.

The garter stitch band looks like this:

 The top edge of the rainbow shawl was improvised because I ran out of the right colors to do what I wanted.

A couple of photos from Maine

 End of the hike from Reversing Falls Park. Seal watching.

 We saw one pop up a few times.

 Quoddy Head. We saw a seal here too, but only have photos of the boys watching for them.

 Grouse on the trail to the bog.

A few finished projects and some started yarn

Handspun scarf finished

The pattern is Ulla's Scarf, the yarn is handspun from "Raven Green" tornadoes from Dripping Fiber studios. It has lots of sparkle, and more dark shading throughout that I can't catch in a photo.

Finished my vest

This is a basic top-down vest I knit from some handspun yarn I made last year around this time.

Sweater and yarn

 Manny's sweater--just have to make finishing touches on the hem and cuffs. Only two years in the making!

 about 5 ounces of BFL silk, 567 and 585 yards--the skein on the left was spun on the wheel, that on the right was spun on a tiny turkish style drop spindle.

An idea I picked up today seems very important for the next year

Tolerance and respect for one another’s ideas are necessary.

Not all politics, I promise!

If you happen to be one of the two people who look at this, I hope it's not going to bother you that I'm storing thinking stuff here. I'll try to post pictures too. Like this:

I've finished the knitting. I redid the darker cuff and the neck, and have about half a sleeve and one side of the body to go in weaving in ends--there are lots of them, but it's coming along!
And this yarn I've been working on:

Still have to ply this one up--that's a lot of yardage!

From the Guardian. The Counted

The US can't keep track of how many people its police kill. We're counting because lives matter

thoughts

So, for a long time I haven't posted at all. Before that, I have posted my projects, and I expect I'll continue to do that.  In fact, I have one really long-term project coming to a close here, and look forward to posting it.  At the same time, I think I need a place to store ideas and thoughts and quotes that I find interesting, stimulating, moving, whatever. I guess this blog is the only place to do that. In part, because not many people follow me. And also, I suppose, because sometimes I may feel I want to post everything to Facebook, when only one post would be quite sufficient, but I don't want to lose the rest.  So now I have to get into this habit.

Eleanor Roosevelt

I know that we will be the sufferers if we let great wrongs occur without exerting ourselves to correct them.

Eleanor Roosevelt "My Day," August 13, 1943

Eisenhower warns us of the military industrial complex.