Fiddlehead Fabulousness
There are not too many projects I work on that I am fully satisfied with at the end. Especially not the first time I try a pattern. I usually want to try it again immediately and make improvements either in the fit or the colors etc. These gloves, however, are the exception. They turned out just as I had hoped: fabulous!
The only warning I must give to people is that they are terribly addictive. Every time I sat down to do a few rounds I would get halfway through one color and think to myself ‘Oh, I’m almost at the next color! I’ll just keep working until I get there’. Once I got to the next color I would think ‘Well, maybe I’ll just get this color started….’ and the cycle continued until *poof* two mittens.
The pattern is Fiddlehead mittens from Hello Yarn. They can be made with any number of yarns, a friend of mine used Cascade for the outside of hers. The outside of these mittens are colorful and fun but a big part of the charm of these mittens is the lining, pure magic! Super soft and fluffy, it’s a little treat each time you put them on. The lining also adds quite a bit of warmth.
I made the outside of these mittens with a few scraps of Blue Sky Alpaca Melange and Sport Weight. These gloves are lined with the Brushed Suri. It’s like putting your hand into a cloud. The cream colored lining color name is whipped cream, how fitting. Once I had finished my first pair, I had to start another one, it wasn’t really choice, it’s more of an addiction. I have also recently been quite smitten with the White Witch Mittens and Nordic Mittens.
Birds of a Feather
Lately I have noticed a resurgence in the popularity of Cowichan sweaters. I love the vintage quality they have. The browns and taupes with their earthy designs. I was inspired to create something like it for myself. I wanted something a bit lighter so I could wear it more often (it’s rarely cold enough to warrant the original thick sweater around here). So a shrug was just right.
I am also inspired by the charming image of birds. Once I started looking for them began to see them everywhere, stamps, paper, fabric, and of course, in the sky. These birds sit contentedly on a branch looking at each other. They are birds of a feather.
This shrug was knit with 12 skeins of Mirasol Sulka (a lovely combination of wool, alpaca, and silk in a 16 stitch gauge) in truffle (9), cocoa(1), and snow white(2) and was knit on US 9 (5.5mm) needles.
Go to paypal now to purchase this pattern for $5! Patterns are sent via email in PDF format.
PS. Thanks for being my model Anja!
Fiestaware and Lemon Meringue Pie
Colour is a wonderful thing. When I first moved out on my own (well, with my roommate/cousin/partner in crime) I went to Ikea and picked out some fabulous bright purple and green dishes. They met all the requirements of first dishes: they were colourful, cheap, and somewhat unique (as unique as you can get from Ikea…). Those lovely colorful dishes lasted many years. I had a set of 16 so I was prepared for parties big or small and didn’t have to do the dishes too often. These faithful dishes lasted until I got married.
Gary and I were on a registering rampage (I realize there is much debate on the merits of registering but those will be put aside for now). I loved the beautiful dishes at the Pottery Barn (you can see them here). They are in lovely shades of chocolate, caramel, and cream. I felt that these dishes were not only the right size and shape I was looking for but that they also represented a more mature pallette and a timelessness that my purlple and green dishes lacked. They would go with anything and last a very long time. We received the entire set and they are great. They absolutely go with everything and this neutral backdrop makes both my food and linens look fabulous. The only thing they lack is colour.
To supplement my new neutral dishes I needed a serious punch of colour and no one does colour better than Fiestaware. My mommy and I recently became slightly obsessed with the stuff. We were checking every website and article on this lovely dishware and also began spotting it in the background in television shows or movies (my favourite was in the background of Monica and Rachael’s kitchen on Friends). For Christmas we both received almost identical sets of Fiestaware. The only small difference was in the mugs/tea cups. I wanted tea cups and saucers while mom’s a fan of the mug. The vintage shapes and styles and the vibrant colours were the perfect addition to my charming wedding dishes.
The added bonus of Fiestaware is that it photographs beautifully. I was making a lemon meringue pie the other day and was struck by the natural beauty of the lemon. I began photographing the lemons when I had a brainstorm: Why not add lemons and Fiestaware together?
The pie was great (shocking for a first try at lemon meringue) and it was quite photogenic to boot.
