add sunshine and knit. . . . .
. . . . . . the beautiful autumn sun is shining on a variety of antique buttons, a birthday gift from Cashmere Washington. I have been using my rarely used egg cups to store them. The smaller version of these shell buttons are the perfect finishing touch for Ysolda’s Veyla knit in cashmere from Maine, also a gift. See here for details.
These aren’t the buttons I pictured for my Autumn Mist cardigan, but their opaque pinkness really works. There are little shirt buttons on the back of the band securing these shank style buttons. They will help ease the stress on the wool buttonbands. See cardigan details here.
On my birthday I received the book Favorite Mittens by Robin Hansen. I was captivated by the stories behind each pattern, but on page 72 I stopped reading, and cast on with a skein of my Romney/Blue Faced Leicester handspun. I knit Phyllis Wharton’s scallopers’ wristers in two sittings, changing the pattern only slightly, by ribbing the edge for a snugger fit. This book combines Fox and Geese and Fences with Flying Geese and Partridge Feet – both are collections of traditional folk mitten patterns from women in Maine and the Atlantic Provinces.
Today the sun shone on me while I began two projects, a crocheted hat already sold, and a baby gift dollie, Poppy by Ysolda Teague from her Whimsical Knits Collection. I am using 3 mm needles, the magic cast on method by Judy Becker, knitting a tube using the magic loop, and knitting from the top down with Mission Falls 136 DK superwash wool in colour 002.
Here the sun is shining on my dorflinger tee, designed by Mandy Moore. The pattern is published in Knit Scene Fall 2010 and I am knitting it in Cascade Eco, Shade 7811, available here. It is knit in the round from the neck down. It is a great design, interesting to knit, and fits beautifully so far.