As I sit here in front of the wide open window with soft, warm breezes floating by, I just can’t believe that today is the last full day of summer. Really, it’s as pretty a day as many in mid-August. The leaves have not quite begun to turn. If I let my mind wander, it’s July. Monday was my first day back at my desk since (gulp!) June! I mean, my actual desk, not my “summer office” (the gazebo) or my “mobile office” (the beach). I’m really happy to be here and I’m stoked about the autumn and, in an extremely reserved and disconnected way, the winter (!?!) I think I’m more reluctant than usual to part with this summer because I had such a wonderful one, really, the best in years and years. Ah, well. The best thing to do is keep busy…and I am!
Back in the early spring, I received a very special gift from a friend. It has been winking at me from its cozy basket berth all summer and, last weekend, I wrote a pattern for it. After some joyful hours of swatching and research, I cast on the Gazebo Wrap.
This is my first experience with Baa Ram Ewe’s “Titus” and it is nothing short of divine. Airy, wooly, toothsome yet light with a delicate halo, it is deceptively soft. It is tender; it is sweet and naively Shetland-y. UK Alpaca to the tune of 30% gives Titus a silkiness and drape that is elusive, but very definitely there. All things old are new again in this luscious blend of 50% Wensleydale Longwool, 20% Bluefaced Leicester, 30% UK Alpaca, 100% British and spun in Yorkshire. I’m leaving here now, and going there.
Dear Elizabeth of Chez Lizzie spied it in her stash snuggling next to a skein of The Yarns of Rhichard Devrieze in the “Carnival” colorway and thought they should live together forever in perfect harmony. She gave them to me. And here we are. I hope to release the pattern a week from Friday. That’s the 30th.
In other news, there’s “Honey”! I sat at my Mac with some swatches (simultaneously with “Gazebo”) and wrote “Honey”, a new top-down raglan sweater with a simple shape in a simple stitch pattern. (Do you sense some de-constructivist leanings here?) I’m knitting Honey in Bare Hare from KnitPicks, a blend of wool and angora. I think I’m really going to love this one! Stay tuned.
Miss Laura and I had a fun-filled and action-packed thrill-ride trip to Annapolis where we were happily united with Gwen and Phillip of Rowansea Glass. We toured the Maryland Renaissance Festival, I in my new ballet-pink gown, where we ate and drank all the things. We discovered a marvelous yarn shop right in Annapolis just off State Circle. I shall report on this in depth in Thursday’s “Yarn Crawl” post, but, to tempt you I’ll post this tantalizing skein…more later 😉
