FO: Dynamic Duo!

This twosome may not have a fancy car or a call signal to light the night sky, but this cap and scarflet do have the power to chase away the chill during the coming autumn nights.

Made from 5 skeins of Mission Falls 1824 cotton, the double-crochet cap and scarflet combo hit the right notes when it comes to softness and comfort next to the skin - all without over-heating the wearer.

First came the scarflet. This was originally intended as a hooded baby blanket (login required) for a newborn until I started fooling around at row 12. I couldn't help but notice its scarf-like appearance. I decided that the baby would get something else and that this would be the perfect gift for a friend leaving town this weekend.

The matching cap with its little visor stays truer to its original intent. My only real changes involve stitch and color substitution that mimic the pattern of the small scarf.

How to:
Following the baby blanket instructions, chain 108 stitches. I did 16 rows of the 3-stitch pattern, alternating 5 colors in a 5 row pattern. Bind off, place one end over the other and tack on two buttons at opposite sides of one "flap" to secure the scarflet (see below). Instead of separate button loops, I used the existing chain stitches as a fastener.

I'm contemplating whether or not I'll still make the hooded baby blanket. I've got oodles of yarn left, so one is likely to see any manner of things fly off the hooks or needles for the little ones in this complex.

Mail Call and Miscellany

Let's review.
Mea culpa, y'all. I have been remiss in sharing a few of the goodies that arrived at my door over the past few weeks. Let's start with the new books and wind up with a couple of gifts.

I'm not sure how, but I was able to find the somewhat elusive Volume 3 of Norah Gaughan's (offsite) design series for Berroco (above, left) shortly after it became available to the public this summer. Just as she's done in other collections, Ms. Gaughan has managed to innovate in a space that has become a little bit too "same this, same that."

Some of my favorites of the 16 designs in Volume 3 include the Eastlake Sweater and the Assemblage cardigan, with its deeply textured collar and cuffs. For me, Strawberry Hill is the one sweater that has me wondering how the heck Gaughan even conceived of this design. It is both structural and fluid, while retaining quite a bit of visual interest. I'll never knit it but snaps to Gaughan for the eye candy and inspiration!

Malabrigo, Book One (above, right) seems to have a different mission altogether. According to Malabrigo's Tobias Feder, designer Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton named each of the 17 designs after Uruguayan cities and towns. While they do not achieve the level of high concept design, the very approachable sweaters, vests and accessories do a decent enough job of showcasing Malabrigo yarns.

Finding publicly sharable photos of the designs has proven a bit difficult, but if you're a Raveler, you're in luck (Ravelry links). Carmelo, the design pictured on the cover, is a heavy favorite within Ravelry. I tend more toward the hat-scarf-mitten combos myself, with Mercedes riding my fave wave. I also like Arapey, the one lace shawl in the book, with its faint arrowhead motif.

One thing I noticed is that almost all of yarns used in Book One are solids or nearly solid. While Malabrigo certainly has a respectable depth in solids, I think some attention might well have been paid to their rich palette of painted multi-color yarns. It's hard to find designs that do justice to handpaints - especially in garments. Perhaps these yarns will show up in a future folio.

I wanted to embrace this book as something special because I'm such a fan of the yarn. Sadly, nothing "blows my hair back." Color me disappointed with the freshman effort.

Treats from a sweetie.

You know how it goes with this online knitting community. We met in person just last month, though we found our way to friendship through blogging long before then. KnitPastis said something was on the way but gave no hint as to what it might be, except to say that it was handmade.

I opened the pink tissue paper and fell instantly in love with my Amy Butler fabric knitting project bag. I'm totally digging the pale and darker striped blue background with the brownish gold leaf motif scattered here and there. Enough for me? Most definitely. Not for this petite person who believes in having dessert everyday. My "icing" was two balls of Crystal Palace kid merino in a lovely shade of deep pinkish red. Such an unexpected, but completely appreciated, gift to brighten the day.

And then there came a giant thud!
I haven't been making the blog rounds lately. It's not because I've taken a sudden dislike to crafting. Oh, no. The reason is much more self-serving than that. I can't open Bloglines without feeling the pull of temptation.

I don't watch network or cable news, so I subscribe to several national and international sources to fill my news junkie needs. Unfortunately, the nasty business of presidential politics has become too extreme for me, with the lies, accusations and seemingly willful ignorance of too much of the voting public. Lately, I've become so infuriated with each story I read that I have called a halt to its constant consumption.

My thoughts (and my stomach) are churning, churning. I have this low hum of irritability and agitation that is not conducive to my well-being. So instead of reaching for another antacid and a sedative, I think I'd best let sleeping cats lay and stay away from the political cacophony.

Pax wobiscum

Momma Sez...

I had a head-->desk moment when I realized that I should have asked the mother-to-be what she wanted with regard to stitch lines or no stitch lines. She agrees with the majority of your comments: no color block delineation, if you please. And so it is. The blanket looks much better in real life, but hopefully you get the idea:

This is a shot of the unblocked crochet version of the Moderne Baby Blanket in progress. I tried to correct the colors, though you still don't quite get the lovely, muted flavor of this Mission Falls 1824 Cotton palette.

What you see above is the nearly complete center piece of the blanket or approximately 18 x 20 inches of single crochet. The finished blanket should measure about 30 x 38 when all is said and done. This should not pose a problem because I've barely put a dent in my stash of this cotton. Goody for me since I want a throw for myself at some point!

Baby Blanket, Stat!

I hadn't seen Natalia for months. In fact, up until a week ago, I didn't even know she was pregnant. And not just a little either, as evidenced by this photo taken during the World Wide Knit In Public event in downtown Chicago.

The young squire is due to make his appearance in July. That's why it became imperative that I come up with a gift and a color palette that suited both the mother-to-be and my crochet-only situation. Thanks to Mason-Dixon Knitting, the answer came in the form of the Moderne Baby Blanket (Ravelry), except of course substituting crochet for knit. Brilliant! Finally something I can do with all that lovely Mission Falls 1824 cotton I picked up for a song awhile back. Here's the layout:

A = Chicory, B = Lintel, C = Grape, D = Phlox, E = Chili, F = Peony

The only thing I can't decide? Should the colors simply flow one into the other (left) or should there be delineation between the color blocks (right). It's working up pretty fast (thank you, crochet!), but there's still plenty of time to let me know what you think.

Not Available In Stores

Three cakes of hand spun 2-ply wool. That's what the bulging golden envelope with the beautiful stamps and return address of Nairobi, Kenya contained.

People talk about being environmentally green these days, even when it comes to yarn. This wonderful gift is the real deal: barely processed, loaded with lanolin and vegetable matter, and definitely spun without the consistency benefits of a wheel. It's that very authenticity of the yarn that may make it difficult to work with.

As I attempted to find the working end of the yarn, it began to come apart. I am obviously unaccustomed to yarn spun in this manner. Perhaps I will do as the giver asks, simply keeping it as part of my collection and enjoying it for what it is: a symbol of a friendship born in an Amsterdam cafe, that made its way across continents and blossomed in Africa - all thanks to the Internet.