April Showers

I love rainy days, especially when I don’t have to leave the house. I like to think about how green the grass is getting; I use the ‘green’ image to forget the ‘white’ image that’s lodged in my post eternal-winter brain. Today is one of those lovely rainy days. I’m pulling out some works in progress and admiring them, patting myself on the back (or kicking myself in the a** depending on the project), and dreaming about what I’d like to do next. Today is not a day for pressure-knitting.

I’m delighted with my Kauni Cardigan. I use the word “Kauni” very loosely…it is the name of the yarn used in the pattern; since I’ve used Noro Taiyo Sock, I don’t feel terribly entitled to use the moniker. I love the shape and the method. It seems the older I get, the more I admire simple shapes. This is not to say that I don’t love me some complex shaping, however. I can’t believe how fast this has gone! I’ve got about 6 rows to knit before I steek and start the sleeves. Since the yarn is a cotton/wool/silk blend, I think it’s something I’ll wear a lot this summer (only a displaced Southerner would think about ‘summer sweaters’ :D) The Noro color-changes are not as predictable as those of Kauni, so I’ve had to selectively intervene a little.  I’d like to do another cardi like this one using my own motifs and perhaps a loftier yarn in warm colors.

Earlier in the spring, we got a nifty new yarn in the shop. It’s a Berroco…Boboli Lace. Though it’s not strictly a lace yarn, its single-ply silky, shimmery, fluffiness makes it kind of responsive to lace knitting techniques. It comes in some pretty magnificent colors, so I’ve been eyeballing it. I finally grabbed a skein in Fondant to knit a sample for the shop. I thought a casual, simple lace motif would be best so I’ve chosen Sylvia Bo Bilvia’s Elder Tree Shawl. The pattern called for a worsted so my motifs are a little smaller, but overall I’m very pleased. If I could find the perfect multi-colored beads, I’d bead the lower edge.

My golf club covers (which should have been finished long ago) are still on the needles. Partly, this is due to indecision. Partly, I’m saving them for car-knitting. Mumsie is in hospital an hour from our place. They’ll be adorable once they’re done.

Now for the dreaming 🙂 I couldn’t resist this dreamy aqua lace-weight Pima-Lino. I’m going to do “Longing for Robin’s Return” which has been on my Ravelry queue for about a year. Y’know…I might just light a fire, make some tea, and cast it on this afternoon!