Finished and I ended up using only one skein of Bravo!
I am very happy both with the yarn and the pattern, Rondo. Also, I am sure you already know, Little Knits have moved to the Old Rainier Brewery at SODO. Our retail front is under construction, which we hope will be finalized very soon.
I finally found a quick project that is not too complicated yet not too simple and one that is stylish enough so that when gifted will actually be worn. I cast on Miercoles Tam from Knitscene Winter 2011 with Brown Sheep Superwash Worsted in Golden Bronz.
The project calls for only one skein of Brown Sheep Superwash Worsted and I cast on the larger size but the tam does not look big enough for an adult as it is on my needles. I often do over estimate head sizes and the pattern does say that the tam will relax after wet blocking but…guess who did not swatch. Yes that would be me.
Also, I would like to know who has been hiding all my stitch markers. I keep buying a new set almost every month and in 3-4 weeks they are gone! What is a girl to do? Here is the tam looking all funky as this was the only quick solution I could think of.
Just finished the set up row and the first two rows of the cable chart and the hat still looks tiny. I should have swatched. But I am not frogging at this point. Worse case scenario we have a cute little model for the store. Best case scenario my friend Janine will be sitting by a pond and posing with her new hat just like this.
I am posting new Tilli closeouts as I type this entry (must publish this entry before midnight to keep the 30 entries for 30 days going).
The first Tilli closeout is Sequined Lace and comes in all solid colors and the Dusty Purple happens to be my favorite. 
And the second (and last) Tilli closeout is Beaded Silk with Sequins and my favorite color – this was hard to pick – is Bridgetown Brown. 
And, finally, my new quick and easy project: a pair of mitts knit with a new yarn I saw at a local show, Zealana’s Rimu. Rimu is made of 60% New Zealand Merino and 40% Possum. 
On skein it is soft and lovely but had it not been for the skirt that was knitted with it I would not have gone for the yarn.
The skirt clearly had been around, possibly worn, washed and gone from show to show and was it soft! I mean cashmere level soft and may be even softer with a definite halo. I cannot see myself wearing a knitted skirt as I imagine it will cling to every curve but I will make an exception for this skirt. Though I would probably look silly constantly petting it while wearing it.
So I cast the mitts on and one skein is supposed to be sufficient: a single ball of Rimu weighs 50 grams and has 167 yards of yarn. More on that later. I know it supposed to be enough I just cannot believe it.
Goodnight to all!
Nice header right? I kept thinking why right ‘Another New Sock Line?’ Say what you mean, so I did. 
Fortissima Country Colors does the self-patterning thing just right, with beautiful colors and patterns that are not too random or too symmetrical.
When I look at these colors #16 calls me the first, it says ’knit me and then wear me ASAP’ and I am usually a red girl. I am already knitting my older son a pair of socks with color #10, which he calls ‘tiger.’
Country Colors comes in 100 gram skeins so one skein is enough for a pair of socks. It is machine washable and has a soft hand. I think Opal’s Rainforest has some serious competition.
While I am here I might as well make a quick note to let you know that Austermann STEP came out with new colors and a set of Jacquard patterns, which it did not have before.
I am sure you all know about STEP, it has jojoba and aloe worked into the fiber and makes lofty and lovely socks.
I am going back to my forever-lace project, this is the 5th time I have knitted the same pattern from Knit One, Crochet Too. 
I also have to figure out what to knit with approx. 600-675 yards of light DK weight yarn that was hand painted lovingly by Pat of Fly designs. Here is a photo. 
It is so pretty that I could not put our name across the skein. Any ideas?
I have fallen in love with a new yarn, a rustic looking raw silk with a tiny bit of viscose (90-10% split), Ella Rae’s Shibu. 
I have been trying to find the right project for this lovely yarn, a pattern that would allow me to knit up something that would show its character and depth. I wanted something very feminine yet not too frou-frou.
And then I saw Tangled Yoke and thought, this is it! There was a small problem, the gauge was not quite right but I really did not want to use any other yarn, Shibu was it and I was going to make it work. This lovely raw silk was going to be my yarn for Tangled Yoke.
So, I swatched, swatched and swatched, with English Rose. 
Shibu calls for a needle size of US 7, so I kept dropping the needle size first to 6 then to 5 and then to some odd in-between sizes. Finally, I got my gauge. 
My swatched looked really nice too, raw, not wooly but still substantial and very Voguesque (can I say that?), with viscose shining through my stitches. 
Then I cast on, proud and happy, having made it work. I cast on 250+ stitches and knitted and knitted. Fighting the yarn, which was trying to tell me “I am not meant for this pattern.” I got into the pattern by at least 70 or so rows and I knew I was defeated. Shibu hated to be forced into a gauge that it was not meant to be and wanted a different pattern. So I admitted defeat and my folly and frogged.
I still love Shibu and I am looking for the right pattern for this stunning yarn. I still want to knit Tangled Yoke, a project just for me, and I am looking for the right yarn.
It is a beautiful day in Seattle, crisp, sunny and smells like Fall. I love Fall, my favorite season of all – makes me want to knit knit knit. I think it is the perfect day for a bowl of soup and some careful stash perusal.
Hope you are well and knitting with a smile.
