Snowflake Blocking -- Kitten Helping

It's done! I can't wait to put it on. It's blocking now, and quite damp. . . Kitten is helping out (blurry head notwithstanding).

Snowflakes in March

My snowflake sweater progresses. Tonight I grafted the underarms and sewed in loose ends. I needed a break from the turtle/cowl neck I'm working on up top. It's in a 1x1 rib and is taking forever. I actually already knit the whole thing once already and frogged it because I didn't like how it was laying. I had put in increases and it flopped over on itself in a 1950's-ish way, but unattractively. I'm going for something more scrunchy. Although you can't tell in this photo the neck is pretty wide.

Besides finishing the neck, I also still have some embroidery to do. I started by thinking I would just put some duplicate stitch over the lines where my wrapped floats show through in between the snowflakes, but then I got thinking of maybe adding some other sort of smaller, more freestyle snowflake motif on top in a lighter color, too. Maybe with some swirly bits. This whole project has been experimental from the beginning, so why not try another new thing, eh?

I cannot wait to block this thing and see the colors all settle together.

Here's a picture --

Some New Projects, Some Redirection

About a year ago I started this blog to serve a couple of functions -- to be a record of my projects over time, and to be a sort of home base from which to meet and communicate with other knitters. I discovered knitblogging quite by accident when looking up a pattern I liked on the internet and coming up with a bunch of links to the blogs of people who had knitted it. I loved being able to see the photos of different people's versions of the item (non-photo-styled versions, so you have a little extra truth in advertising. . . ), and to read about their process and benefit from their experience. Also, the commenting function of blogs means people can discuss and comment and share -- almost like we do in person. It's just so rare to be around a group of knitters, sewers, crafters for me anymore. I think the happiest I maybe ever was was when I worked at a fabric store and talked crafts all day long ;-) Crappy pay, though.

I digress.

I've noticed that my blogging has sharply fallen off about the time I got my invitation to Ravelry, and I think that's because that site serves pretty much all the functions I was looking for in a blog. I have my project journal, my communication with other knitters, plus an easy way to find all manner of information. It's not for sew-ers, unfortunately, but I don't do that so much these days either.

So I think I'm embracing this trend. I'll still update the blog periodically with new photos, but probably not more frequently than every couple of months. My heart's with Ravelry now and I don't know how much I really need the blog.

Please visit me there as username LydiaAnne.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of finished projects.

The Sienna cardigan is done and highly wearable.



Here is a close-up of the lace fronts.



I also finished a little scarf using the angora yarn I fell in love with at Rhinebeck. It's the dewdrop stitch from Walker's first treasury, and is the same on both sides. The fuzziness of the yarn obscures it a bit, but you can make out the bit of laciness I think.



and a close up . . .