Forest Glen Shrug

This is the latest knitting project I've finished inspired by Jane Thornley's Autumn Grasses Cardigan. My fabrics don't always turn out like patterns, as I enjoy letting the fabric dictate the style in which it would look best based on the finished size of my fabric, drape and to what looks best on my body.

When it was time to do armhole shaping, I increased rapidly rather than decreasing slowly as the pattern indicated, until I had a good width. I then placed the fabric on a lifeline and held the fabric up to my torso to see what would look best on me; a shrug was the answer. The increases provided a nice cap sleeve. I folded it in half and joined the sides for the length of the increases. Then, I double-crocheted around the perimiter with Manos handspun and single-crocheted around the armhole openings. The shrug was finished with 8 mm beads. I look forward to wearing this soon.


Forest Glen Shrug - Back


Forest Glen Shrug - Detail of Back Collar


Forest Glen Shrug - Detail of Back Edge


Forest Glen Shrug - Detail of Front Collar

Forest Glen Cardigan

This is the cardigan I am knitting for the soon-to-take-place knitalong with Jane Thornley's group on Ravelry, the Autumn Grasses Caped Cardigan. Golden colors, as much as I love them, wreak havoc with my complexion so, I am knitting in mostly blacks, grays and browns with touches of green including a golden green. I look forward to seeing how this is going to turn out.

R & R

Now that Don is retired, we occasionally take mini trips on one of the tour bikes. We just returned from an overnight trip to St. Francisville, LA for some R & R.

Our first stop was in Natchez, MS where we ate at Fat Mama's Tamales. We have enjoyed sitting on their patio and eating tamales over the years. Natchez is at the southern end of the Natchez Trace and a good short ride for us.


Love their "shingle."

Yellow dog with a crank shaft tail.

I couldn't resist bringing Dilly home. He brings a smile to our face and memories of Fat Mama's.

Rosalie, one of Natchez's many antebellum homes pictured here is across the road.

Back on the bike, we rode to St. Francisville and had a wonderful dinner out at the Ox Bow. The next morning, we toured Rosedown Plantation. We had a nice, private tour of the inside of the home but could not take pictures inside due to not being able to use the flash. Our tour guide was quite knowledgeable about the family and the time in which the house was built. The grounds were just as beautiful; these are only a few of the pictures we took. Over the years, many trees have been lost and last year during Hurricane Gustaff, the plantation closed for 6 weeks due to the number of trees and limbs down. Since we had never been there before, it was hard to imagine that there had ever been more trees.


Front of Rosedown Plantation home/


Sideyard


From upstairs porch


This picture will be my inspiration for a sweater I am knitting.


The only live oak of which we could get the whole tree in the lens!

Looking forward to the next road trip.

Winter Jacket Finished

I detoured from Jane Thornley's Paua Shell guide and turned the fabric on its side, stitched under the arms about 2-2-1/2" on each side. Then, I picked up stitches on each side and continued in pattern, bound off and pulled up the new sections to meet the arms. I like the way it wears even if I do look a little "fluffy." I discovered last night that I could turn the jacket upside down for a different length. Now, to finish one or two of those pins in these colors in order to join the front.



These 2 photographs are worn the long way with very little shawl/stand-up collar. It will be nice with a pair of leggings and turtleneck this winter.



These three photographs are worn the short way by turning the jacket upside down. I like the shawl collar. Worn in this fashion, the jacket will be a little dressier for a skirt and boots.

Little Fishies and Next Little Fishies?

Knitting Little Fishies is better than fishing for real fish - unless you are fishing with a silver hook as my daddy used to say when the catch for the day was slim to none.

This is a shorter version than the pattern but I think a teenaged girl I know will be quite pleased with it. Where are the fish (beads)? I've got to find just the right sweet confection to hang on the ends and it will be complete.




The photograph below is by Peggy Baxter. She is in Jane Thornley's group on Ravelry and sent in this picture to inspire all of us who are taking part in the Little Fishies knitalong. I've collected my stash below but, as usual, there is enough yarn there for a sweater - at least! So, it may be the Little Fishies Sweater. Where can I hang a fish line?

Little Fishies

Here is the first of the Little Fishies Scarves that I plan to make for gifts. These are not necessarily colors that I would choose to wear myself but the favorites of a special teenager.

Winter Jacket Update

I am really enjoying knitting this jacket but maybe not quite as much as the Day's End Vest as my favorite colors are more saturated. I think I would have liked this better with hues closer in value or a gradual shift in hues. Sometimes, they are not commercially available in a large number of yarn types and the major reason I established my dyeing business. I am really hoping that this jacket does not add bulk to my figure and have considered turning it on its side for a winter wrap. I love the concept of the jacket, though and have been calling it Smoky Mountain Shell rather than Paua Shell Topper due to the color differences.