Well if a world wide pandemic isn't a reason to abandon all crafts for a few months/years, I can't think of another excuse! It's been a tough few years and I think in order to ground myself and try to gain a semblance of normalcy, I will resume posting my monthly recaps when I am able to!
To recap June 2022:
It's been awhile, but I participated in this year's Tour de Fleece, so first up a nice Targhee Bamboo Silk Wool Top (Roving) hand dyed in a colourway called Mint Chocolate Chip from Crafty That Way (used to be The Wacky Windmill), which I spun to a heavy fingering weight.
Next up, a BFL Silk Wool Top (Roving) hand dyed in a colourway called Hey There Romeo, also from Crafty That Way, and this again I spun into a heavy fingering.
I am very please with both.
For knitting, I knit the most complicated garment I've knit to date, and that would be the Grandpa Cardigan by Joji Locatelli. This cardigan was so much less complicated than it looks, thanks to the wonderful pattern. Joji is hands down my favourite and most reliable pattern designer, to be honest, I get a bit nervous these days venturing out to new designers when the price of wool and shipping (and literally everything) seems to have skyrocketed the last few years (hence my quilting hiatus, tear).
I used the yarn suggested in the pattern to minimize the risk of yet another cardigan I don't love, so that is West Yorkshire Spinners Bluefaced Leicester DK in the colour Aubergine [side bar - I ordered a purple colour online (no LYS where I live) and received a call that the store didn't actually have the stock that was listed online, and they asked if they could send the Aubergine as a replacement) and wow this yarn (!) it's amazing and I can see why Joji chose to pair it with a cabled sweater because the yarn really allows for outstanding stitch definition. Now I just need buttons.
These days, I have seen a ton of hype about mohair and have never taken the plunge, so I decided to couple the most talked about fibre with the designer that seems to be everywhere, to see what all the hype is about. With that in mind, I chose to knit a Cumulus Blouse by PetiteKnit and it's still in the works.
In other news, over my self-imposed break, I had knit a The Throwover by Andrea Mowry. I have to say the fit on this sweater was all wrong. The body was perfect, but I just could barely fit my shoulders and upper arms into the sweater. It's such a cute sweater, but again, to the frog pile. I also found after the fact, that I had dropped a stitch and didn't notice, so even though I could have secured it after the fact, I took it as a sign that it is officially time to break up with this designer. I think my body type and preferred style just don't work with her designs. She is darling and her designs are really fantastic, just not for me.
For some reason, one day I woke up and had the intense desire to knit a sweater for my Westie, so off to see what Ravelry could offer me and I landed on the Harness-friendly dog sweater by Jaq Cieslak, it knit up very fast and my little puppy took about three minutes to wiggle it up and chewed it up! haha, so like me, she is apparently picky about her sweaters.
As a highlight and for future reference, looking at knitting patterns for dog sweaters is an absolute sure-fire way to lighten up a blue mood. Here are some others I love: Faded Rib Pup Sweater by Stephen West, Marled Pup Sweater by Stephen West, Beaded Dog Sweater by Annie's Attic.
It's been a concern of mine that Gnorman did not yet have a companion, and I felt I had to make right on that as soon as possible. After hunting through my fingering scraps, she came together in no time and and formal introductions were made. Gemma and Gnorman were fast friends, taking to each other right away.
Wait, why have I never knit a Stephen West pattern - time to change that!!
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