Bring On the Blizzard! I'm ready!

...because yesterday I finished a second Seurat sweater in aran weight cashmere, this time in colourway #33, Orion. This was actually made with two different Orion dye lots, but I think it turned out quite nicely regardless. Here it is, weathering the first flakes with all its bring-on-the-blizzard-baby! chic:



(x-posted with the Cashmere Gallery)

Stay Warm! Be Safe! Have Fun, everyone!

Water Lilies Today Keep Old Man Winter Away

Well, almost. After that sneak peek of spring from the previous post, I see that the weather's being typically waffly as it is this time of year: at this very moment it's snowing ferociously outside in huge corn puff-sized flakes!

There's only a minute before I have to rush to a meeting, but I bring you some warmth and good cheer that AprilBrokenA shared with me this morning: this lovely pair of merino socks that she knit in the Water Lilies colourway (#20). I particularly love the dainty leaf detail in the pattern:



Isn't that lovely? (The pattern is by Jean Townsend and can be found via the Townsend Socks Knit Along Yahoo Group.) There are more pictures on April's blog, Knitting Arrows.

And because you can't have too much of a good thing, have a look at Atropos' mother-in-law's handiwork which includes an amazing version of the Rosedale Jacket from Knitty and a pretty alpaca Clapotis in Water Lilies.

(NOTE: For those of you who have been asking -- yes, the merino has unfortunately been discontinued. Unfortunately, I say, because I liked the merino, too. Happily, though, Water Lilies and the other colourways are all available in the alpaca, sportweight cashmere and aran weight cashmere.)

My thanks to April and Atropos for sharing such enviable FO's! Honestly, I can't wait to get home (hopefully before the snow gets too heavy) to knit myself warm, too!

Happy Knitting, and stay warm, everyone!

Spring! Spring! Spring!

"Let us rejoice, Charlie Brown," said Linus, "for SPRING IS UPON US!"

Although I've been pretty occupied of late, that is to say, buried in an ever-expanding pile of paperwork, it hasn't escaped my attention that we've gone from below freezing temps and snow-and-slush-covered ground to longer, sunny days and balmy temps -- in February, I consider anything above 50 degrees F balmy, and yesterday reached a downright tropical 65 degrees!! Outside, the first sprouts of daffodils have burrowed through the old mulch and the cymbidium orchids -- barely visible two weeks ago -- now look like this:

These are the guys that greet me on the way from the house to the colourworks studio (perky, ain't they?):

And so this isn't a completely horticultural post, I've taken some pics of the newer colourways in the sportweight cashmere. First is...

Tender is the Night:


The second generation of Amy's Chocolate Cherry (predominantly dark with splashes of red and a wee bit of pink):

Amy's Chocolate Cherry II up close:

And Orion:

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In knitting news, I really have been working on projects, but they're either not picture-worthy yet or "classified" at present, so they'll have to wait for another post!

The Masterpieces of Others

No matter what the material, the garment is only ever as good as the knitter, as they say. So it pleases me beyond description to show you how other knitters have taken my yarns and turned them into a chef d'oeuvre of their own. In this case, masterpieces with a single ingenious blueprint, Kate Gilbert's Clapotis. Yet it's astonishing what different colourways and that personal touch can do to give a piece its own individual flavour. Have a gander...

I've updated the Cashmere Gallery with this latest addition from the UK: Atropos' Clapotis --

The colourway she used was, of course, Atropos:

(More at the Cashmere Gallery.)

And as for this next, I think my mouth dropped open when Kristin from KS sent me these photos of her finished Clapotis in the merino. Don't she and her Clapotis look fabulous? I especially love the shawl finished off with that fetching brooch -- manifest elegance!

Here is a close-up of Kristin's Clapotis where the Briar Rose colourway is quite true to life. (Note: Although the merino has been discontinued, all the same colourways, including Briar Rose, are available in both the sportweight and aran weight cashmere.)

More lovely pictures at Spinning Athena.

And last, but certainly not least, I leave you with another glorious Briar Rose merino Clapotis by Eyeleen at Knitting By Eye, a blog that's always a visual treat!

Happy Knitting, Everyone!