Category Archives: Knitting

Every so often, I get the desire to do some knitting. I’m not an advanced knitter. I’m self-taught, and good enough to make decent scarves or blankets or washclothes. Sweaters? Anything with shaping? Not my forte. I have a lovely friend named Julie whom I met singing with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. Last fall, when I rejoined the chorus, Julie told me she wouldn’t be singing as she was pregnant and her second daughter would be born in January. We’ve talked on and off during the pregnancy, and shortly before Thanksgiving, I asked Julie what I could get as a … Continue reading →

When we were in Mount Gilead, Ohio, at the Jazzman’s eldest brother’s home for Thanksgiving, I was working on my Rainfall scarf. Riley, Jas’s great-nephew, was watching me knit, and—sweet, sweet child that he is—asked if I could knit something for him. I said yes, and asked what he might want me to knit. Jas’s niece and her family live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, so of course Riley suggested a hat. I told him I had never knit a hat before, but I thought I could do it. I asked what color he wanted, and he quickly replied “blue.” … Continue reading →

I always like to have something to do with my hands while we’re driving long distances. We planned a September vacation to Maine and Massachusetts, so I picked up a knitting kit from my favorite LYS, Three Sheep Gallery and Workshop on Market Street in Youngstown. The pattern was Margaret Craig’s Heidi & Lana Rainfall shawl/scarf. I started the pattern a few days before we left, and finished it a few days after Thanksgiving. The “and Beyond” to the title of this post is how long it took me to finish this scarf. The lace border is roughly 300 stitches … Continue reading →

I blame my tendency not to read and re-read instructions on the four years I spent in law school and all the reading I had to do there. That’s my story; deal with it. 😉 This happy-accident story is a result of my not carefully reading the instructions for this little bowl. A year or so ago, I had a nice leftover ball of merino wool in a beautiful rich blue shade, enough to make into something small. For years I have loved flipping through Joelle Hoverson’s “More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts” and dreaming of making each one of these darling … Continue reading →

Late last summer I saw a picture of a stunning geometric handknit scarf on Facebook. A few weeks later I realized I had to resign from the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus because of work conflicts. I wanted a special gift for our assistant director, a beautiful and very talented young woman named Lisa Wong. Lisa’s wardrobe is filled with black, which she accents deftly with grays and occasional pops of color. She is chic to the Nth degree. When I had first seen the scarf picture, I instantly thought of Lisa and how wonderful this scarf would look on her. On … Continue reading →

It’s pretty sad when the lack of two tassels keeps you from wearing something for almost a year! In my so-far-successful effort to finish everything I start, I made two tassels this week and have worn my new scarf twice. And I love it! The scarf in question is the Tilled Scarf by Quirky Bird Knits. The yarns are Malabrigo Rasta in color number 866, Arco Iris, and Malabrigo Silkpaca in color number 96, Sunset. The pattern calls for one skein of each yarn. At the end I ran out of the Rasta, so didn’t have enough for the tassels. … Continue reading →

As we were leaving Northern California after a wonderful week of vacation in September, I ducked into a yarn shop in Half Moon Bay and picked up two skeins of Noro “Cash Island” yarn (also called “Cashmere Island”). As I was writing this post, I learned it has been discontinued. Boo hoo! It’s a great yarn. I wanted to make more of these scarves. “Cash Island” is 60% wool, 30% cashmere, and 10% nylon. Can you say “soft”? Yep, soft. When I showed it to Jas after purchase, he asked, “Don’t you have enough scarves?” I didn’t tell him it … Continue reading →

Catching up on some older projects that haven’t made it to a blog post yet …. One of Wolf Creek Yarn’s weekly newsletters in March grabbed my attention. In Northeast Ohio, we were still in the depths of a brutal winter, but the scarf shown in the newsletter sang to me of spring. The scarf is made of Berroco Lago yarn, a rayon/linen blend that gives the wearer accessory options for warm-weather outfits. I made a road trip over to Grove City to visit Wolf Creek for the first time, where I bought two skeins each of the colors Papaya … Continue reading →