Playing with sticks and string

Anyone that knows me knows I love color.  I bought some Ella Rae worsted wool and have had some fun knitting small projects.  Just to keep it interesting I also whipped out the Kureyon Kozy.

Tablet Cozy--a good pattern for learning how to do stranded knitting.
Pattern by Kristin Nicholas

The perfect project for that stray skein of Noro Kureyon (Kureyon Kozy).

Both projects are upcoming classes!

One for me and one for a sample.

I am finished with the large project for Blue Sky Alpacas.  Sorry I cannot show it, however, I have a couple of quick projects to show.  I could not resist the lone hank of Noro  Furisode in this colorway.  It was a quick knit compared to the projects I have worked on lately.  It is good to get a project finished quickly!  The Urchin is a great little hat and one of my favorite patterns.  Angel helped pick out the yarn for the sample.  Typically I prefer a thick and thin textured yarn for the hat, but this light and lofty single was perfect!  It took about a skein and a half.

The Bandana Cowl from Purl Soho.

A shop sample for Amazing Threads--Urchin, by Ysolda Teague.

Autumn knitting

The weather is perfect for Autumn knitting. First of all, the leaves are changing and there's a distinct feeling in the air when I'm out and about. It probably helps that the big box craft stores have had all their Halloween decorations up since August! Anyway, I couldn't resist the felted pumpkins. Marie Mayhew was at the shop a couple of weeks ago and I used birthday money to get some patterns and yarn. Herr Kurbis is happy. He visited my class yesterday and will probably be a regular visitor. I felted my Einstein coat for the third and last time. It finally fits! It was just too much coat for my frame (even though I made a small). It'll be very warm and has a nice fuzz to it. I stuck the Manos vest in with the coat to felt it, also. It was way too big and felted down to my size. I didn't unbutton it (oops), and had to cut off the buttons, smooth, and pin the front edges--it blocked perfectly! I got new buttons and I think they're just the right touch for the vest. My birthday present from the shop was a gift certificate and new pattern book. I'm making the vest (#4). The NORO Collection Book 3, by Jenny Watson has really nice, clean-lined, classic patterns. Another book came in yesterday by the same designer--Book 1, Catwalk--AND a sample sweater (size M) for the shop--design 15 from Book 3. It is SOOO cute! Carol let me open it and I promptly tried it on. I'll have to reconfigure my queue! I'm almost done with the back of St. Brigid. I keep measuring and it seems to be the correct size. Kathy and I compared our projects. It's amazing how different the same pattern looks with different yarn. I'll be happy to be finished with the back and I think the front will go much faster. I want to finish this one so I can wear it!!!

Tick-tock, switch-swatch

Now I have the back done on the vest! I have a project swatched for the Ravelympics and it'll be mindless enough when I watch swimming. It's the Kori vest from Berroco booklet #268, Something About Stripes. The shop had two bags of Noro Kureyon on sale, soooo I got 8 skeins. First, I found the corrections on Berroco's website. The squares are fun to knit and will be portable. The colors in the skein looked garish in spots, but knitted up they are really pretty--just like the gardens on the Bodensee.
Yesterday was such a nice day I sat on the deck in the shade and knitted before Jim came home. Eevee joined me. The photos came out nice and the sky with the pristine white clouds was lovely. If it's still nice this afternoon, I'll have to fix a little pot of tea and do the same while I work on the vest. It should go smoothly since the back is finished--one cable panel per side!
As you can see, the German Club t-shirt design is different. I think the Ampelmanner are a perfect touch.

Life is good!

It's warm and sunny, so I thought I'd take trip back to the Bodensee. MiniD was very warm and needed a rest in one of the gardens on the island. Yes, the water is really that color and it's amazing to feel as though you're on the Mediterranean rather than bordered by Germany, Switzerland, and Austria!
I took some time on the Promenade at a colorful cafe (the umbrellas were bright yellow and there were flags of various colors waving in the breeze) to lunch on ice cream, people watch, and knit. Life is good! The Noro sock yarn is nice, not as crunchy once it's worked. Carol blocked her top and the yarn softened nicely.
The gardens on the island were amazing. The photos I took are lovely, but no photo can truly do their beauty justice. This would be the perfect spot to paint! The trees were huge. I'd never seen such large tulip trees! This spot must be beautiful in the fall. Ben and his buddies walked over the bridge into Switzerland. I admit I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible because the sun was brutal.
I'm going to my happy place now, auf wiedersehen...

Projects to trip over!

I finally got this little gem yesterday. It'll be perfect to take along on the trip. I have lots of stash yarn to use for some of the projects. I particularly like designs 1, 11, and 26.
I can't believe that it's Thursday! Today the kids get their caps and gowns.

I frogged back the cotton cardi to the ribbing and am attempting to make the twists neater. Not bad so far, but I'm not pleased with having to do that at all! You'd think after all these years I'd know better than to use that type of yarn!! That's what happens when you are enticed by color--practicality goes out the window! Ir will be a lovely garment, and I know one that will be worth all the hassle.

Speaking of color...I picked up a skein of Noro sock yarn. It was all alone and needed company. Yeah, right. Anyway, I'll take that along and get a pair going on the plane. Hopefully the tiny circulars in the sizes I need will be here within the week. This is the colorway I bought, but the photo doesn't show the the other colors (yellow, pink, charcoal, and green).

Photos from the Internet