Black Dog

It’s fun to be on a mini-vacation of sorts, even if it is a mostly a business trip. The first two days are typically more “down time”, as Matt and I tend not to take classes and just hang out with friends and attend the few things that happen on Friday night (fashion show, knitting in the lobby, etc.). That means quality knitting time, too, so I tend to WAY WAY WAY overpack as far as projects are concerned (I brought two knitting bags, a HUGE plastic bag, and two shoe-box sized boxes, all JAMMED with yarn).

But first, a quick catch-up on the “summer snows” we were still experiencing when we left town a couple days ago. Check out the accumulation of cottonwood, across the river from the house

I nearly took another photo at the shop, as there was a 2-3 inch deep “drift” of cottonwood in a corner of the parking lot at the shop. But I didn’t stop the car to do so–lazy me! Suffice to say we’ll ALL be happy when it stops flying through the air by the end of the month!

But back to the projects…….I swatched the night before leaving for Amherst

a great pattern from Dolce Handknits. It’s been a popular pattern in these parts, so we finally are getting a model made. I’m using a new yarn from Zitron (a German line that’s completely organic/eco-friendly yarns) that’s called Fundus (I wonder if the Germans know the translation into English). Despite that, it’s really pretty yarn, especially worked up into fabric

We’ll be carrying it in the fall, but I’m trying to get as many models made up as possible in advance of yarn arriving. There’s something pure and meditative about garter stitch–and I could use a little of that right now! Plus, it’s good to have non-thinking projects when we’re on the trade show floor or laughing with friends in the lobby after hours.

Another good project for the show floor is the Panel Jacket

a great design that’s made of several strips of……..garter stitch (imagine that!) Very good for walking the trade show floor as well, and small–this will be my project of choice, at least to start. Here’s what I got done in the car on the way down

There’s just a touch of shaping at the bottom, and then it’s just back and forth in a FANTASTIC yarn–Lana Grossa Royal Tweed. Royal Tweed is a delight….100% merino with great bumps of color (more than you see at the onset, as there’s great depth of color in the fabric), and it works up quickly (it’s technically a bulky at 14 sts/4″, but this pattern calls for it to be worked at 16 sts/4″). This could be one of those highly-addictive projects, so it may go rather quickly!

My in-the-car-on-the-way-down project was a Baby Surprise Jacket from Schoolhouse Press, using the new “ABCSJ” pattern that’s good for Adults, Babies, and Children, all in one well-laid-out, colorful, thoughtful pattern.

I’m using Shibui Worsted for my shop model

It’s a new-ish (and new to us) machine washable option from the good folks at Shibui that’s been sneaking in the door of late. The one thing about this project is that it looks like a big knitted jellyfish

until you do a little origami folding to make it look reasonable

I did bind off on Friday night, while watching “What Not To Wear” in the hotel lobby (the episode was about a hot mess from Texas with GREAT BIG 80s hair and a strange addiction to sparkle). Nothing like not interrupting your regular routine while on the road!

I brought along another project (several, but we won’t discuss them all just yet) to swatch and possibly start, too. It’s the Half Circle Cardigan from Shibui

that’s available in both a baby/child size and an adult size. This project will be an adult version, worked in the colourway “Pagoda”, a rich terra cotta.

that has subtle light and dark shades in every skein. YUM! Can’t wait to swatch for this darlin’.

Gotta run for now……….time to knock off for the night and get ready for another busy day on the trade show floor. Sunday is usually our first “buying day”, as we tend to kick alotta tires on Saturday and check out everything, hit the room for some plotting and planning that evening, and then do serious buying on Sunday and Monday. MORE SOON!

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